LAY WITNESS COMMENTS: JOHN DWYER
2016 CATHOLIC APPEAL
HOLY FAMILY PARISH
GOOD MORNING (EVENING)
AGAIN, IT IS MY PRIVILEGE TO ASSIST FATHER BOB IN HIS
SUPPORT OF CARDINAL SEAN’S MISSION HERE IN THE
ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON. AS PART OF EARLIER APPEALS, WE
HAVE DESCRIBED THE MORE THAN FIFTY MINISTRIES
SUPPORTED BY THE ANNUAL CATHOLIC APPEAL: IN THE
INTEREST OF TIME I WON’T TRY TO DESCRIBE THEM AGAIN
EXCEPT TO SAY: THEY ARE BROADLY DIVIDED INTO THOSE
THAT ENRICH PARISH LIFE, THOSE THAT STRENGTHEN
FAMILIES, THOSE THAT TEACH THE FAITH TO THE NEXT
GENERATION AND THOSE THAT SUPPORT THE CHURCH AND
OUR ARCHDIOCESAN LEADERSHIP. THESE MINISTRIES SERVE
AS RESOURCES TO THE PARISHES OF THE ARCHDIOCESE AND
THUS PROVIDE THAT SUPPORT AND SERVICE THAT NO SINGLE
PARISH COULD AFFORD TO MAINTAIN OR PROVIDE ON ITS
OWN. AND I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN’T REMIND YOU
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THAT OVER THE YEARS, HOLY FAMILY HAS BENEFITED FROM A
NUMBER OF THESE MINISTRIES
TWO YEARS AGO, WE AND THE OTHER PARISHES OF THE
ARCHDIOCES INITIATED THE PRACTICE OF “IN PEW
SOLICITATIONS.” THE RESULTS FOR THOSE PARISHES THAT
HAVE ADOPTED THE NEW APPROACH HAVE CLEARLY
ACHIEVED MEASUREABLY BETTER RESULTS, BOTH IN
ABSOLUTE GIFTS AND THE NUMBER OF PARTICIPATING
FAMILIES. FATHER BOB AND I EMBRACE THIS APPROACH AND
AS A PARISHIONER AND THE PARISH COORDINATOR IT MAKES
SO MUCH SENSE TO CONCLUDE THE APPEAL QUICKLY. IN
EARLIER EFFORTS THE FOLLOWUPS AND BULLETIN
REMINDERS WENT ON UNTIL NOVEMBER.
LAST YEAR THE FAMILIES OF THIS PARISH, 380 OF THEM IN
ALL, MADE GIFTS TO THE APPEAL TOTALLING $182,462, A
REMARKABLE RESULT BY ANY MEASURE. HOLY FAMILY HAS
ALWAYS BEEN A BRIGHT SPOT OF GENEROSITY WITHIN THE
ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON SO ON BEHALF OF CARDINAL SEAN
AND FATHER BOB, IT IS MY GREAT PRIVILEDGE TO EXPRESS
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THEIR GRATITUDE AND APPRECIATION FOR YOUR
GENEROSITY WITH THE PRAYER THAT YOU WILL CONTINUE
THAT GENEROSITY.
NEXT SUNDAY YOU WILL AGAIN BE URGED TO SUPPORT
CARDINAL SEAN AND THE CATHOLIC APPEAL. FATHER BOB
WILL BE CONDUCTING THE “IN PEW” SOLICITATION ASKING
EACH FAMILY TO PLEDGE A GIFT THAT REPRESENTS A
MEANINGFUL AND RESPONSIBLE COMMITMENT FOR THE
YEAR. THE USHERS WILL COLLECT YOUR COMPLETED PLEDGE
CARDS DURING MASS. MANY OF YOU HAVE ALREADY
RECEIVED A LETTER FROM CARDINAL SEAN AND MADE YOUR
GIFT COMMITMENT. TO DATE GIFTS TOTALLING $XX,XXX.xx
FROM XX FAMILIES HAVE BEEN RECEIVED WHICH PROVIDES
US WITH A WONDERFUL START. WE ARE TRULY GRATEFUL
FOR THESE EARLY GIFTS. BUT . . . . . .EVEN IF YOU HAVE
MADE THAT EARLY GIFT, WE ASK YOU TO COMPLETE THE “IN
PEW” PLEDGE CARD AND CHECK THE BOX INDICATING THAT
YOU HAVE ALREADY GIVEN YOUR GIFT. THESE COMPLETED
“IN PEW” CARDS ASSURE THAT OUR DONOR LIST IS
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COMPLETE AND ACCURATE. REMEMBER, YOU DO NOT HAVE
TO MAKE A PAYMENT NEXT SUNDAY. THE COMPLETED
PLEDGE CARD WILL PERMIT A REMINDER TO BE SENT TO YOU
CONSISTENT WITH YOUR PLEDGE AND HOW YOU INTEND TO
FULFILL IT. YOUR COMPLETED PLEDGE CARD SHOULD BE
SEALED AND GIVEN TO THE USHERS AS THEY COME BY TO
COLLECT THEM NEXT SUNDAY.
AS MY WIFE SUSAN AND I CONSIDERED COMPLETING OUR
PLEDGE CARD WE REVISITED THE ISSUES WE CONFRONT AS A
FAMILY, AS A FAITH COMMUNITY, AND AS A NATION. THE
CHALLENGES AT TIMES SEEM ALMOST OVERWHELMING BUT
OUR FAITH TELLS US THAT WE MUST CONTINUE TO FIGHT THE
GOOD FIGHT: SURELY STRONGER FAMILIES, STRONGER
TEACHERS, DEDICATED PRIESTS AND RELIGIOUS, AND
STRONGER PARISHES WILL PLAY CRITICAL ROLES IN
ACHIEVING THOSE ANSWERS. WE ARE CONVINCED THAT THE
CATHOLIC APPEAL IS A COMPELLING INVESTMENT FOR THE
FUTURE OF OUR KIDS, OUR GRANDCHILDREN, OUR CHURCH
AND OUR COMMUNITY.
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WHEN FATHER BOB SPEAKS TO YOU NEXT WEEKEND, I WILL
BE PRAYING THAT EVERY FAMILY THOUGHTFULLY CONSIDER
WHAT THEIR RESOURCES WILL PERMIT AND THEIR
RESPONSIBILTY REQUIRES AND THEN DO IT’S VERY BEST. BUT
REGARDLESS OF FINANCIAL LIMITATIONS, I HOPE EVERY
FAMILY IN THIS PARISH WILL PARTICIPATE AT SOME LEVEL;
THAT EVERY FAMILY WILL DO SOMETHING. THANK YOU AND
GOD BLESS YOU.
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