July 25 second collection
supports programs for Black and Native American populations. Proceeds from this collection are distributed as grants to dioceses supporting and strengthening evangelization programs, which would otherwise be in danger of disappearing among the Black, American Indian, Eskimo, and Aleut communities of the United States.

GRAND ANNUAL COLLECTION July 18 conclusion
As you know, by mail and from the pulpit, about half way through this year’s Grand Annual Collection I asked people to check on their giving since we were considerably down at that point in comparison to the same time the year previous. Well, beloved, you heard and you responded. Boy, did you!! The goal was $120,000. You gave $137,099!!! I am enormously grateful to all of you who in your loyalty to this Church of yours dug down deeply to support it in this just ended fiscal year. I am especially grateful to all of you who found yourselves less able than in previous years to give and yet have done the best you could to support your Parish. What a terrific crowd of people you are! When it comes to giving to the Lord generosity is reckoned not by the ultimate amount given but by the sacrifice required. There has been a whole lot of sacrificial giving going on around here! To all and each, thank you very much! And Praised be Jesus Christ!!!

BOSTON CATHOLIC APPEAL
Like any institution, the Archdiocese of Boston has a central office to coordinate the work of the Church. This office, the Pastoral Center in Braintree, serves the 291 parishes in 144 cities and towns. The life of each Parish is the focus of every day Catholic life. But the leadership of the Cardinal that the parishes need is carried out by him and his staff at the Pastoral Center. The Central Ministries located in the Pastoral Center require funding to carry on their work. The Catholic Appeal provides 73.7% of the operating income that the Cardinal needs to carry out these central ministries. What the weekly offertory collection provides for a parish like Holy Family in Rockland, the annual Catholic Appeal provides to the Central Ministries of the Archdiocese of Boston. In our own local identity we at Holy Family are part of the Church of Boston, the Catholic presence here in eastern Massachusetts. Since our Cardinal Archbishop depends on us for financial support to carry out his role we have a responsibility to support him. You hear me often extol Sean O’Malley’s virtues. Because I admire him and his leadership and because he needs financial as well as spiritual support I have already sent in my gift to the Catholic Appeal. And I have increased my contribution over last year’s.

If you gave last year you will have already received a mailing from the Cardinal. Please use the material you received to make your pledge. As I mentioned last weekend, if you did not receive a mailing you will find an envelope in your pew. Please take it home, read it over and, if you can, make a pledge and either mail it into the Archdiocese or drop it into the collection this basket. This Sunday the 2nd collection will go towards the Catholic Appeal. As always, do what you are able to do. God will bless our generosity as surely as He has blessed us by giving Cardinal O’Malley as our Archbishop. Posted 031410