ARLINGTON - The Boston Archdiocese has pushed its annual fund-raising campaign up to March in hopes that parishioners will be moved by the celebrations of Lent, Easter, and Pentecost to help replenish the church's coffers.
Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley launched the 2008 Catholic Appeal at St. Agnes Parish of Arlington yesterday, pointing to that parish's extensive education program as an example of how the Catholic Church should pass on the faith to young people. He addressed a crowd of more than 100 Catholics, including bright-eyed 3-year-olds entering their first religious education programs and high school seniors wearing varsity letter jackets.
"Two hundred years ago, there were a thousand Catholics in Boston. Now there are 2 million," O'Malley said, describing the church's plans to promote religious ministry and education to the young. "One of the many challenges the church faces is ministering to the youth. Last year, we formed a committee, which presented a report, and we hope to implement new programs."
Archdiocesan fund-raising had begun in May and lasted into October each year since the annual Catholic Appeal began in the 1970s, said Scot Landry, secretary for development in the archdiocese. Landry said priests in some of the 294 parishes that constitute the archdiocese had expressed concern that the timing interfered with local fund-raising campaigns in the fall, which, along with weekly collections, support work at the parish level.
Landry said the archdiocese's new campaign will be shorter, ending around June, and will not interfere with parish-level fund-raising efforts. It will provide priests an opportunity to preach inspirational messages around the three celebrations of Lent, Easter, and Pentecost. "Pastors thought they could more effectively talk about the spiritual reasons for the appeal during the Lenten season," Landry said.
The archdiocese set its fund-raising goal for 2008 at $15 million. It has increased the goal by $1 million each year since O'Malley came to Boston in 2003. Contributions had plunged from a high of $17.2 million in 2000 to $8.8 million in 2002. The archdiocese raised $14.5 million in 2007, surpassing its $14 million goal. Landry said the 2009 goal might be set higher than $16 million if 2008 contributions exceed that amount.
St. Agnes Parish ministers to more than 2,000 young people each week, including 1,200 who are enrolled in the parish's school system. St. Agnes's fifth-graders sang "We Are Called" as O'Malley entered the room.
"Our church is 136 years old, kept young by the thousands of Catholics we minister to each day," said the Rev. Brian Flatley, pastor.
John C. Drake can be reached at jdrake@globe.com.
