Most
direct way to help poor, needy in Archdiocese
Questions and answers with Bishop Joseph McFadden about
the 2008 Catholic Charities Appeal
By Christie L. Chicoine
CS&T Staff Writer
Catholic Charities Appeal Sunday is May 4. Second collections will be
taken up in parishes across the Archdiocese at weekend Masses May 3-4
for the benefit of the Appeal.
Auxiliary Bishop Joseph P. McFadden, the chairman of the 2008 Catholic
Charities Appeal, is urging each of the Archdiocese’s 270 parishes
to make the Appeal the number-one priority in May.
Q. Since its inception, how much has been raised through the Archdiocese’s
Catholic Charities Appeal?
A. More than $100 million.
Q. Who are the people who benefit from the Appeal?
A. The people who benefit the most from the Appeal are the poor,
the homeless, the elderly, the physically and mentally challenged children
and adults, dependent children, and our programs run for the youth and
for distressed families.
Q. How much money was raised during last year’s Appeal,
and what is this year’s financial goal?
A. Last year, the Appeal raised just over $8 million. This was
short of our goal. This year, we are hoping to raise $10 million, which
is close to the amount raised by the Appeal in 2006.
Q. What might you say to those who sincerely want to contribute
money to the Appeal, but are counting every penny for their own budgets
because of the country’s current economic crisis?
A. While we are experiencing a downturn in the economy in this
country this year, it is important for us to realize that we Americans
enjoy the highest standard of living of any people anywhere in the world.
We live in a land that has been blessed by God with great affluence. In
the Scriptures, Jesus encourages us to follow the example of the poor
widow who gave not from her surplus but from her want, all that she had
to live on.
It is this type of charity that is pleasing to God. We pray that our faithful
will hear this appeal from the Lord.
Q. Who determines what groups will benefit from the Appeal?
A. The Archdiocese had a Board of Managers that would identify
the charitable works to be funded by the Appeal. While this Board has
not operated in the last few years, the charitable works that they identified
continue to be the focus of the Catholic Charities Appeal.
This includes all our Catholic human services offered through the Catholic
Human Services agencies of the Archdiocese, our Schools of Special Education,
our Office for Youth and Young Adults, the Family Life Office and the
homes for sick and infirm priests.
Q. How long does it take for recipients to receive aid from the
Appeal?
A. The groups receive the aid from the Catholic Charities Appeal
as soon as the Appeal is completed. In most cases, money is distributed
in the early fall.
Q. How many Catholics in the Archdiocese annually give to the
Appeal?
A. Unfortunately, only about 10 percent of our registered Catholics
contribute to this annual Appeal. Contrary to what was the case when the
Appeal started back in 1958 — when most of the Catholics contributed
to this fund — many see this work as just another collection.
The reality is that this is the one annual fundraiser that the Archdiocese
conducts to specifically aid the poor and the needy in our Archdiocese.
We need everyone to contribute — no matter how small their
donation — in order for the Appeal to be successful.
Q. When people are calculating how much they should give to the
Appeal, what should they take into consideration?
A. When people are calculating their gift for the Appeal, I would
suggest using the stewardship model for giving. This means to step back
and make a real assessment of their charitable giving. The Bible suggests
that we should be looking to make a 10 percent return to the Lord for
His goodness. This is known as a tithe. If a person were taking home $300
a week, then they should be looking to give $30 a week to charitable causes
so that over the course of a year they would give $1,560 to charity.
The real question is, how much do I give to the Catholic Charities Appeal
from this amount? If I am practicing real faith-filled stewardship, I
would suggest that $200 would be a reasonable gift. One might say this
is an unreasonable goal, but I would suggest that God is never outdone
in generosity and whatever is given in a spirit of faith to one who is
in need will be repaid a hundredfold. Remember, the Lord suggests the
widow’s mite as a barometer for helping our brothers and sisters.
Q. How does today’s Appeal markedly differ from the Appeal
of 1958?
A. The difference in today’s Appeal is that the cost of
providing our services to the poor is significantly more expensive today,
and the number of people being served by the Catholic Charities Appeal
is much greater.
Q. Could you cite three examples of recipients you have met whose
lives were changed as a result of the Appeal?
A. One is a father who has a severely physically challenged young
girl. Without the assistance of St. Edmond’s Home for Children,
he could not care for her and also tend to the needs of the rest of his
family.
Another is a large Spanish-speaking family who would not be able to survive
in our city without the services and aid they have received from Casa
del Carmen — including child care, legal help and basic food and
clothing support.
Finally, there are the blind children at St. Lucy’s School who are
not only getting a quality Catholic education, but are receiving the skills
necessary to have productive lives despite their visual challenges.
Q. Are there any misperceptions about the Appeal that you would
like to correct?
A. Unfortunately, the annual Catholic Charities Appeal, in the
minds of many Catholics, has become just simply another collection. We
have lost sight of the fact that this Appeal is an important work of the
whole Catholic Church in Philadelphia, addressing the needs of the poor
and needy among us.
Many fail to realize that the Archdiocese runs one of the largest social
services agencies in all of Southeastern Pennsylvania, caring for the
poor and needy without regard to race, ethnicity or creed. Working with
the poor on a daily basis does not make newspaper headlines, yet that
is precisely what our Catholic Charities institutions do every day.
There are some who don’t support the Appeal because when they had
a loved one who needed a nursing home, there was not a bed for them. Since
the needs are always greater than our ability to provide, this can sometimes
happen. It is unfair to judge the whole program based on a single experience.
Hopefully, people will see that we do our best to help as many people
as possible, especially when they are in need.
Q. Are there any fun facts or stories of yesteryear about the
Appeal that people might be pleasantly surprised to know?
A. In years past, parishes would compete against each other to
see who would give the most money to the annual Appeal. It was deemed
a matter of parish pride. There are stories told where pastors would not
report money they had received until the latter part of the Appeal so
that the competition would get a false sense of security about their position,
only to be beaten in the end by the pastor who held back his actual figures
until the end of the Appeal.
Q. What are three ways that Catholics across the Archdiocese can
assist you in your role as chairman of the Appeal?
A. People throughout the Archdiocese can assist me in my role
as chairperson for the Appeal by first making a contribution to
the Appeal no matter how big or small. Secondly, they can help by promoting
the importance of the Appeal among their family and friends, and encouraging
them to make a financial gift to the Appeal. Thirdly, they can pray for
the success of the Appeal and, if possible, become active members of their
parish committee in promoting the Appeal in their neighborhoods.
Q. At what age should parents encourage their children to contribute
to the Appeal?
A. Parents should begin to foster a spirit of generosity and
sharing with their children from the time they are able to walk. It is
important that, as they go to church, their parents demonstrate the importance
of giving by telling them about the offertory collection and allowing
them to participate in some small way. Encourage them to save a portion
of their allowance for giving to charity. Children need to be encouraged,
and when they are it is amazing how they respond. We need only to think
of Alex’s lemonade stands to see what children can achieve when
given the chance.
Q. As chairman of the Appeal, what makes you most proud of the
contributors of all ages? What is your message to the recipients of the
Appeal?
A. I find great joy in knowing that those who give to the Catholic
Charities Appeal understand the command of Jesus that we “love one
another.” There is no better way to love each other than to make
sure that the least among us are cared for and assured that they have
brothers and sisters in the world who are there for them in their need.
CS&T Staff Writer Christie L. Chicoine may be reached at (215)
587-2468 or cchicoin@adphila.org.