As an FYI – I will be gone on vacation July 22-30th. Next weekend, July 27-28th we will be hosting our annual Summer Mission Appeal for both Sacred Heart and St. Mary on the Lake. A priest from the Diocese of Damongo in Ghana will be celebrating all of the Masses this weekend and taking up a second collection for the needs of his Diocese. The Diocese was founded in 1995 and is truly a mission territory. Below are some facts about the situation they face:
“Like the rest of the Northern Region, Damongo Diocese is equally underdeveloped. There are no factories and industries. Subsistence agriculture is the mainstay of the inhabitants. The majority of the inhabitants (Over 80%) have fallen prey to poverty. … Poverty cuts across almost all areas of life, and this makes it extremely difficult to penetrate with education and Evangelization.
The number of baptized Catholics is approaching 17,200. Most are children and youths. Among the rural people, who are mostly animists, there is much goodwill and interest in the Catholic faith. It is here that there are many catechumens, who, unfortunately, due to lack of catechists, do often not have regular instructions, apart from the Sunday services.
Every year, during the Easter Vigil, about 650 catechumens are baptized. The Bishop visits the Parishes on a regular basis. During these visitations, he tries to visit as many outstations as possible, celebrates the Eucharist with the Christian community, and confirms newly baptized.
Thank you for your generous support of our brothers and sisters in Christ.”
More on the upcoming S3 Diocesan Campaign: The S3 Campaign has an ambitious $70 million goal. Thanks to lay leaders across the diocese, this campaign has already received pledges in excess of $6 million. I believe my gift to S3 for Sacred Heart and St. Mary on the Lake is already included in that total. This campaign is not a money-maker for the diocese. Instead, the diocese is paying out of pocket for a professional firm to run the campaign for us with the funds raised directly benefiting the schools and parishes of the Diocese. Bishop Boyea has laid out the chief priorities of the S3 Campaign: • Attract, form, train and retain faithful educators and administrators • Increase financial aid to serve more families • Grow support to students with special needs • Support our four regional diocesan high schools • Strengthen the local faith formation programs and schools • Address additional local parish needs
Of our 71 parishes, 28 have schools attached to them. Forty-three parishes do not, but all 71 are joining together in this effort to pass on a strong and firm faith foundation to future generations. Bishop Boyea is fond of saying that “everything we have and everything we are is a gift from God.” Handing on the gift of faith is the job of every Catholic family and school. Handing on the gift of strong and fully funded Catholic schools with capable teachers who are on fire for the faith: That is the job of every Catholic. You can help. Consider making a gift in honor of your parents if they gave you the opportunities of a Catholic education in your youth.
God Bless,
Fr. Todd
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