According to the Diocese of Rochester Web site, the 2009 Catholic Ministries Appeal has thus far brought in nearly $600,000 more than was raised as of this date last year. That is impressive. Although it is worth noting that the real number is probably more around $390,000 more than last year if you actually go back and look at the tally from the end of October, 2008.
Below is a comparison of the CMA parish by parish tally of October 30th, 2008 to October 27th, 2009:
October 30, 2008
October 27, 2009A couple of things caught my eye. One is that a good number of the parishes that were the upper echelon of donating last year (or rather closer to realizing their respective goals) are located at the top of the list again this year. Another item of note is that both Holy Name of Jesus and Our Lady of Mercy (not seen here, but is close to the top) are doing very well towards reaching their goal. Let’s see if a strong CMA showing can help save one or both of these parishes.
What may be the reason for the increased CMA donations this year? Is it economic? Has there been stronger advertising? Perhaps a combination of the two. There does appear to be an increased amount of bulletin articles by priests and administrators devoted to why people should donate to the CMA. Some parishes have even gone to the length of showing CMA videos before or during the Holy Mass. Regardless, I doubt the CMA music video did much of anything to increase donations.
It will be interesting to see if this early spurt of donating will carry on throughout the 2009/10 CMA season. It will probably begin to taper off towards the end of this year. Time will tell.
|
Do you think the dor will make the goal? I get the feeling they'll fall about 10% short. The early donations are from the progressives who are happy with the way things are going, the elderly who don't care one way or the other, and people who are fearful their parish will close if they don't make the goal.
I do not for one minute believe these figures to be true.
I think the figures are mostly accurate, though there could be a little fudging and rounding up to make it sound better than it really is. I don't believe the diocese would like a second straight shameful year of not reaching their goal.
I think a lot of what is seen in these figures is the group of people who just give money because it's the Church. And I have a feeling that much of the money on the list, correct me if I am mistaken, is not yet collected. It's not officially "in the bank." I could have sent in a 20,000 dollar pledge for OLV, but it only **seems** to be "in the bank."
I anticipate an immense brick wall manifesting itself half way through the CMA progress. That's what happens when you bring gospel choirs onto the high altar of St. Stanislaus.
Dr. K,
In our church they have kept track of donations in the weekly bulletin. Plus they have an on-going list which tells which parishioners have given to the appeal. When I was on PPC a few years back, I objected strongly to this list. One year, we even had a pictorial representation in the parish hall which placed the family name on a "stone" (made from construction paper) which went towards "building our bridge" to the diocesan goal. I hated it. Not only does it encourage pride in our personal charity (the whole thing about left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing) it is also manipulative. Talk about shaming people. The defense given by the leadership is that the on-going list helps people to keep track of whether or not the diocese has received their donation.
Have I mentioned how much I hate this "appeal?"
The diocese is pressuring our priests to act as beggars rather than preachers. Homilies in many parishes have been transformed into desperate pleas for more CMA donations. The DoR would be better off just taxing every parish a percentage of their collections instead of going through this whole CMA charade. Having homilies and bulletin articles about the CMA is not helping people learn about their faith, and this makes the diocese look like it's more interested in collecting the green rather than forming good Catholics who can attain eternal salvation.
Nerina: "Plus they have an on-going list which tells which parishioners have given to the appeal."
I hope that people are not donating only to receive praise for their good deeds, because Matthew 6: 1-4 says:
"Take heed not to do your good before men, in order to be seen by them; otherwise you shall have no reward with your Father in heaven. Therefore when thou givest alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and streets, in order that they may be honored by men. Amen I say to you, they have received their reward. But when thou givest alms, do not let thy left hand know what thy right hand is doing, so that thy alms may be given in secret; and thy Father, who sees in secret, will reward thee"
~Dr. K
In reply to Nerina:
In one of the parishes where I worship they also print the names of all who give to the CMA in the bulletin.
The reason- the "people" asked the pastor to do this so that "they" got recognized for making their contribution. Names were published but never the actual amount pledged.
The pastor was stuck in the middle-while he did feel that "thanks" were in order for those who did contribute he did not want to make this a "Well, I contributed, you didn't" kind of thing.
I guess I have to agree with Dr. K (oh my, did I actually say that?!LOL), the DOR should really look at doing away with this "appeal" and just "tax" the parishes, bottom line is, that's what they are already doing!
Persis and Dr. K,
Yes. Exactly.
Letus not forget thoughest who is looking for thoughest tax deductiblest and don't even attendest..
Matthew the "tax collector".
PERSIS, "Print the names of all who gave".
That is horrible, so much for giving from the heart. Let us just show off and give more than the guy sitting next to me. Actually i think St. Anne did that at one point. hmmmmmmm. Maybe because people were at first not giving.
Desperate huh?