LUBBOCK-The 2014 Diocesan Catholic Appeal (DCA) campaign with the theme ‘Change Our Hearts,’ and guided by the Gospel of Matthew, “For where your treasure is there also will your heart be, (6:21), began with the annual Bishop’s Guild kick-off dinner March 11.
Each year, for more than 30 years, the DCA campaign has allowed Catholics in the twenty-five counties of the Diocese of Lubbock to unite and more consciously commit to supporting the services, ministries, and charitable programs offered by Most Rev. Plácido Rodríguez, CMF.
Through the generous commitment of Catholics in the diocese, the DCA supports ministries, including the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis, Diaconate Formation, Marriage and Family Life, Youth Ministry, seminarian education, and communications.
“With generous commitment to the Diocesan Catholic Appeal, Catholics in the Diocese of Lubbock help us change hearts,” Bishop Rodríguez said, “and they help me ensure that we will remain strong as we strive to carry out our Mission as the Diocesan Church in West Texas.”
The Diocesan Catholic Appeal is a fundraising campaign in which each parish is asked to undertake and invite parishioners to support the operational needs of the larger Church of Lubbock.
The DCA impacts the faith lives of families, individuals, and communities throughout the 25 counties of theRoman Catholic Diocese of Lubbock.
“We, now, report a population of 136,894 self-identified Catholics in the Diocese of Lubbock. We also have the challenge of serving that growing number of Catholics in the 25-county area of the diocese,” Bishop Rodríguez wrote in a 2014 DCA message. “To serve them, we need to Change our Hearts. We must ask how big is my “heart,” how big is my “Love of Neighbor?” Jesus tells us that “Love of Neighbor” is the second greatest Commandment.”
The Diocesan Catholic Appeal is the single largest source of revenue for the Diocese of Lubbock, providing close to 40 percent of its approximate $3.7 million annual budget. The remaining income is from grants from private foundations, donations from individuals and Catholic organizations, investment income and fees paid for workshops, conferences and training materials.
In 2012-13, diocesan Catholics committed more than $1.45 million, or 37.79 percent of the income of the Diocese of Lubbock (Source: FY13 Audit). These funds were used, without exception, to support the ministries, programs and services to those in need throughout the church in the 25 counties of the diocese. It is Bishop Rodriguez’s continuing commitment to Catholics in the Diocese of Lubbock to use all the funds received during Diocesan Catholic Appeal campaigns to provide services and meet the needs of the Catholic faithful throughout the 62 parishes of the Diocese of Lubbock.
The Diocesan Catholic Appeal traces its roots to 1981 when most of the diocese was part of the Diocese of Amarillo. Then called the United Catholic Appeal (UCA), the campaign replaced a per capita assessment on each parish. Parishes in the Diocese of Lubbock will participate in Appeal Sunday, Sunday, May 4. For more information or for assistance, contact the Catholic Pastoral Center; visit the office at 4620 Fourth Street, Lubbock TX 79416, by email at [email protected], or by telephone at (806) 792-3943.