Christ Our Hope appeal has goal of $5.7 million

Click on the chart above to see a larger version of how the funds given to the Christ Our Hope appeal are used.

By Sean Gallagher

Nov. 5-6 is intention weekend for the archdiocese’s “Christ Our Hope: Compassion in Community” annual appeal.

Catholics across central and southern Indiana will be invited at Masses celebrated in their parishes this weekend to prayerfully consider how they will contribute from their time, talent and treasure to the ministries of their parish and archdiocesan community.

The goal for Christ Our Hope is $5.7 million.

“The Christ Our Hope appeal is an opportunity for Catholics to look beyond just their parishes and support the wider work of the Church in southern and central Indiana,” said Bishop Christopher J. Coyne, apostolic administrator. “We are so much more than just our local parish. There are so many good works that are being done in the name of Christ by our larger archdiocesan Church because of the funding we receive from Christ Our Hope.”

Contributions made to Christ Our Hope will support three spheres of ministry essential to the Church in the 39 counties of the archdiocese—proclaiming the word of God, celebrating the sacraments and exercising the ministry of charity.

Supporting Catholic education and faith formation, providing for the formation of future priests and deacons, providing for the needs of retired priests, and reaching out to those in need by Catholic Charities agencies are the primary examples of ways that these vital ministries of the Church are carried out in the archdiocese.

Bishop Coyne suggested that we look at the archdiocese as one large parish in order to better understand and appreciate the need to support these vital ministries.

“If we consider the Archdiocese of Indianapolis as one huge parish with the bishop as the pastor, then Christ Our Hope is like the Sunday collection, albeit taken up only once a year,” he said. “Just as in parishes, administrative costs like staff, heat, light, repairs, insurance, all have to be paid in order to support the ministry, the same is true in the archdiocesan parish.

“At the same time, just as in the parish, the remainder of the funding goes directly to good works like the sacraments, the school, [and] religious education outreach to those in need.”

Those participating in Christ Our Hope may designate a specific ministry that they want to support through their contribution. If participants chose this option, they can funnel their contributions specifically to support Catholic education and religious education programs, the formation of future priests and deacons, and the support of retired priests, or the ministries of Catholic Charities agencies across the archdiocese.

Another option in Christ Our Hope is to designate contributions to support ministries that have the greatest need.

Theresa Horton, principal of Our Lady of Perpetual Help School in New Albany, said she appreciates the support given to the archdiocese’s Office of Catholic Education by contributions to Christ Our Hope.

“I’m extremely grateful because we would not have the quality schools that we do in the archdiocese without the connection to the Office of Catholic Education,” Horton said. “There are webinars that we participate in, and they offer professional development. I contact them whenever I have school issues or questions to get their feedback on it.”

Deacon candidate Steve House, who ministers at Holy Trinity Parish in Edinburgh, has participated in the archdiocese’s deacon formation program since 2006. It is supported by the Christ Our Hope appeal.

“I think the archdiocese has a top-notch program,” said House, who, along with his 15 classmates, expects to be ordained a permanent deacon next June. “I would have to say, along with all the other deacon candidates, that we’re all thankful for this opportunity to learn, to become better ministers, [and] to be transformed.

“I think we’re being transformed, not just in the roles that we play, not just in the clothes that we wear, but in who we are as people and how we relate to others and, certainly, how we look to God.”

Transformation is what Bill Bickel and his co-workers at Holy Family Shelter, a ministry of Catholic Charities Indianapolis, see happening every day in the homeless families that come through their doors.

“We’ve seen time and time again broken, suffering homeless families transformed into competent, thriving families who not only go on to do great things,” said Bickel, director of Holy Family Shelter and Holy Family Transitional Housing. “They [also] come back and ask how they can give of themselves by helping with the next homeless family.”

(For “Stories of Hope” and more information about “Christ Our Hope: Compassion in Community,” log on to www.archindy.org/ChristOurHope.) †