‘Fueling Faith, Spreading Hope’: Annual Catholic Appeal to offer new parish incentives, enhance formation
February 13, 2025 at 7:00 a.m.
Each year the Annual Catholic Appeal aims to support parishes and vital ministries in the Diocese of Trenton, assuring that the local Church is alive and thriving.
This year’s theme, “Fan the Flame of Hope,” draws upon the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope proclaimed by Pope Francis, which Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., emphasized in the ACA video that will be shown in parishes Feb. 15-16.
“Pope Francis’ Jubilee letter invites us to think about how our faith is both a gift to cherish and a flame to nurture,” Bishop O’Connell points out. “Your support for the Annual Catholic Appeal ensures that this flame burns brightly, spreading the light and the warmth of Christ to vital ministries across our Diocese.”
Vital Funds for the Greater Good
Seeking to raise $6 million, the 2025 ACA’s mission “invites the faithful to embrace Pope Francis’ call to become ‘pilgrims of hope,’ journeying together in faith,” said Christine Prete, Department of Development director. “By supporting the Annual Catholic Appeal, we enable our Diocese, parishes and Catholic institutions to share the Gospel, serve the poor and vulnerable, nurture vocations and provide spiritual and academic formation.
Each year, parishes are given an ACA fundraising goal by the Diocese, as well as financial incentives when that goal and other criteria are met. Some of those incentives have been enhanced or newly introduced for 2025.
In addition to calculating individual parish goals based on the overall ACA need, a new process for 2025 will connect the goals of individual parishes to their offertory income. “This ensures a more equitable and sustainable approach that reflects each parish’s financial reality while supporting the long-term mission of the Diocese,” Prete explained.
This year, “once parishes hit their goal, they will receive a rebate of 100 percent of funds raised beyond that goal,” said Prete.
“Additionally, parishes that boost their participation rates by 5% will earn an incentive of 5% of their fundraising goal, regardless of whether they meet the overall goal.”
“We’re here to help one another,” Prete said of the spirit behind the ACA. “While the parish does benefit, the [majority of] funds support the broader Diocese. Every gift – no matter the size – strengthens the Church and ensures everyone can contribute to its mission.”
Building awareness about how the funds given to the ACA are used and why they are so necessary is essential, Prete noted, especially when encouraging those who already support their individual parishes to be generous with the diocesan campaign.
“Supporting the ACA is vital to the continued growth of our faith and the future of the Church. It enables the Diocese to address needs and provide services that individual parishes or ministries cannot achieve alone,” explained Rose Kimball, Department of Development associate. “While parish contributions sustain local communities, the ACA unites Catholics across the Diocese in a shared mission, strengthening our faith today and building a foundation for generations to come.”
Targeted Needs
Those pooled resources help to strengthen essential ministries such as vocations, Catholic education, youth ministry and social services; to reach vulnerable populations through agencies like Catholic Charities and Mount Carmel Guild; ensure every parish has access to pastoral care and essential services; and support long-term growth of the Church through funding seminarian education, leadership development and other initiatives.
This year, ACA funds will also target communications and faith formation more boldly, seeking to expand modern, relevant programming “that connects faith to youth and young adult’s daily lives, such as service projects, and social gatherings rooted in Catholic values,” Kimball said. Funds will support the use of digital platforms “to foster connections and create a sense of community and connectedness” and provide formation and training for lay leaders, catechists and volunteers “to better serve parishes and diocesan ministries through various educational offerings,” she added
Other needs served by ACA funding will be equipping families “to practice their faith at home, focusing on family prayer, catechesis, and service opportunities,” as well as “highlighting stories of faith triumphing over adversity through the work of our Diocese’s communications and media efforts.”
“By addressing these needs, the Church can engage and nurture the faithful in ways that are meaningful, relevant and spiritually enriching,” Kimball said.
Getting the Message Out
To raise awareness, the diocesan Department of Development prepares informational materials – including the Bishop’s video, in-pew pledge cards, parish brochures, Jubilee prayer cards and in-home mailings that detail just how supporting the ACA benefits ministry in both the parishes and the Diocese at large. Materials are provided in six languages: English, Spanish, Polish, Haitian, Korean and Portuguese.
The Development Department also publishes a newsletter three times a year, showcasing individual stories of ministries supported.
“These ministries, whether they prepare future priests and deacons, form young people in the faith, support Catholic education or serve those in need, are signs of hope in our ever-changing world,” Bishop O’Connell explains in the video. “Through your generosity, you help fan this flame in tens of thousands of lives, rekindling faith, inspiring service and shaping the future of our Church. Together, we build the community that carries this hope forward, one act of love, one act of faith at a time.”
Direct mailings are already arriving in homes, but Prete noted the importance and effectiveness of the message communicated in individual parishes.
“It’s an opportunity for their pastor to explain the ACA, and it becomes more personal with that connection tie-back to your own parish,” she said.
Prete emphasized the effectiveness of observing the impact firsthand in one’s own parish and across the Diocese,” she noted. “This visibility underscores the strong collaboration between the Diocese and its parishes.”
Kimball added, “Word of mouth and seeing it in action in your parish, then in the Diocese,” seem to be highly effective as well in showing the collaboration of the Diocese and its parishes.
Tangible Results
Highlighted in the marketing materials and the video are multiple ministries that directly benefit from ACA funds. One, in particular, is the training and educating of those who hand on the Catholic faith.
“There are 2,107 catechists in the Diocese,” Kimball pointed out. “[Their training] comes out of diocesan offices with seminars and catechesis. They are volunteers for the most part that give their time, but they need that spiritual formation so they can help our children grow in faith.”
Another supported ministry is the vocation of the permanent diaconate.
“The diaconate program is a collaborative effort between the parish, the ACA and the candidate, with each contributing one-third of the tuition cost,” Kimball said. “This partnership supports a four-year program that provides comprehensive formation, preparing candidates to serve as deacons in their parishes and communities.”
The program equips the candidates with theological education, spiritual growth, and pastoral skills, she continued, which are necessary “to bring Christ’s love and hope to those they serve. Upon ordination, deacons return to their parish to serve their community through ministry, Sacraments and acts of service.”
“During my formation, I viewed the sharing of financial obligation as an ongoing reinforcement of my discernment,” said Deacon Joe Stillo, who ministers in St. Mark Parish, Sea Girt. “Both my sponsoring parish as well as the Diocese had, not only spiritual, but financial ‘skin in the game’ ... Although diaconate service is a ‘volunteer’ vocation, I received the benefit of a financially supported master’s degree in systematic theology from Seton Hall University. I am so blessed and appreciative.”
“My sense is that many people don’t realize that deacons are not paid once ordained,” said Deacon Mark Degenhart, who serves in St. James Parish, Red Bank. The sharing of tuition costs “was a nice incentive and helps assure that all parties were and continue to be vested in my successful completion of formation, culminating in my ordination in May 2024.”
Vital to diocesan efforts, the ACA campaign is more than a weekend Mass collection. It is a consistent outreach to inform parishioners, encourage support and affirm their commitment by demonstrating the impact of their gifts.
Video showcases powerful testimonials from ACA beneficiaries in Diocese
Thursday, February 13, 2025
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Each year the Annual Catholic Appeal aims to support parishes and vital ministries in the Diocese of Trenton, assuring that the local Church is alive and thriving.
This year’s theme, “Fan the Flame of Hope,” draws upon the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope proclaimed by Pope Francis, which Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., emphasized in the ACA video that will be shown in parishes Feb. 15-16.
“Pope Francis’ Jubilee letter invites us to think about how our faith is both a gift to cherish and a flame to nurture,” Bishop O’Connell points out. “Your support for the Annual Catholic Appeal ensures that this flame burns brightly, spreading the light and the warmth of Christ to vital ministries across our Diocese.”
Vital Funds for the Greater Good
Seeking to raise $6 million, the 2025 ACA’s mission “invites the faithful to embrace Pope Francis’ call to become ‘pilgrims of hope,’ journeying together in faith,” said Christine Prete, Department of Development director. “By supporting the Annual Catholic Appeal, we enable our Diocese, parishes and Catholic institutions to share the Gospel, serve the poor and vulnerable, nurture vocations and provide spiritual and academic formation.
Each year, parishes are given an ACA fundraising goal by the Diocese, as well as financial incentives when that goal and other criteria are met. Some of those incentives have been enhanced or newly introduced for 2025.
In addition to calculating individual parish goals based on the overall ACA need, a new process for 2025 will connect the goals of individual parishes to their offertory income. “This ensures a more equitable and sustainable approach that reflects each parish’s financial reality while supporting the long-term mission of the Diocese,” Prete explained.
This year, “once parishes hit their goal, they will receive a rebate of 100 percent of funds raised beyond that goal,” said Prete.
“Additionally, parishes that boost their participation rates by 5% will earn an incentive of 5% of their fundraising goal, regardless of whether they meet the overall goal.”
“We’re here to help one another,” Prete said of the spirit behind the ACA. “While the parish does benefit, the [majority of] funds support the broader Diocese. Every gift – no matter the size – strengthens the Church and ensures everyone can contribute to its mission.”
Building awareness about how the funds given to the ACA are used and why they are so necessary is essential, Prete noted, especially when encouraging those who already support their individual parishes to be generous with the diocesan campaign.
“Supporting the ACA is vital to the continued growth of our faith and the future of the Church. It enables the Diocese to address needs and provide services that individual parishes or ministries cannot achieve alone,” explained Rose Kimball, Department of Development associate. “While parish contributions sustain local communities, the ACA unites Catholics across the Diocese in a shared mission, strengthening our faith today and building a foundation for generations to come.”
Targeted Needs
Those pooled resources help to strengthen essential ministries such as vocations, Catholic education, youth ministry and social services; to reach vulnerable populations through agencies like Catholic Charities and Mount Carmel Guild; ensure every parish has access to pastoral care and essential services; and support long-term growth of the Church through funding seminarian education, leadership development and other initiatives.
This year, ACA funds will also target communications and faith formation more boldly, seeking to expand modern, relevant programming “that connects faith to youth and young adult’s daily lives, such as service projects, and social gatherings rooted in Catholic values,” Kimball said. Funds will support the use of digital platforms “to foster connections and create a sense of community and connectedness” and provide formation and training for lay leaders, catechists and volunteers “to better serve parishes and diocesan ministries through various educational offerings,” she added
Other needs served by ACA funding will be equipping families “to practice their faith at home, focusing on family prayer, catechesis, and service opportunities,” as well as “highlighting stories of faith triumphing over adversity through the work of our Diocese’s communications and media efforts.”
“By addressing these needs, the Church can engage and nurture the faithful in ways that are meaningful, relevant and spiritually enriching,” Kimball said.
Getting the Message Out
To raise awareness, the diocesan Department of Development prepares informational materials – including the Bishop’s video, in-pew pledge cards, parish brochures, Jubilee prayer cards and in-home mailings that detail just how supporting the ACA benefits ministry in both the parishes and the Diocese at large. Materials are provided in six languages: English, Spanish, Polish, Haitian, Korean and Portuguese.
The Development Department also publishes a newsletter three times a year, showcasing individual stories of ministries supported.
“These ministries, whether they prepare future priests and deacons, form young people in the faith, support Catholic education or serve those in need, are signs of hope in our ever-changing world,” Bishop O’Connell explains in the video. “Through your generosity, you help fan this flame in tens of thousands of lives, rekindling faith, inspiring service and shaping the future of our Church. Together, we build the community that carries this hope forward, one act of love, one act of faith at a time.”
Direct mailings are already arriving in homes, but Prete noted the importance and effectiveness of the message communicated in individual parishes.
“It’s an opportunity for their pastor to explain the ACA, and it becomes more personal with that connection tie-back to your own parish,” she said.
Prete emphasized the effectiveness of observing the impact firsthand in one’s own parish and across the Diocese,” she noted. “This visibility underscores the strong collaboration between the Diocese and its parishes.”
Kimball added, “Word of mouth and seeing it in action in your parish, then in the Diocese,” seem to be highly effective as well in showing the collaboration of the Diocese and its parishes.
Tangible Results
Highlighted in the marketing materials and the video are multiple ministries that directly benefit from ACA funds. One, in particular, is the training and educating of those who hand on the Catholic faith.
“There are 2,107 catechists in the Diocese,” Kimball pointed out. “[Their training] comes out of diocesan offices with seminars and catechesis. They are volunteers for the most part that give their time, but they need that spiritual formation so they can help our children grow in faith.”
Another supported ministry is the vocation of the permanent diaconate.
“The diaconate program is a collaborative effort between the parish, the ACA and the candidate, with each contributing one-third of the tuition cost,” Kimball said. “This partnership supports a four-year program that provides comprehensive formation, preparing candidates to serve as deacons in their parishes and communities.”
The program equips the candidates with theological education, spiritual growth, and pastoral skills, she continued, which are necessary “to bring Christ’s love and hope to those they serve. Upon ordination, deacons return to their parish to serve their community through ministry, Sacraments and acts of service.”
“During my formation, I viewed the sharing of financial obligation as an ongoing reinforcement of my discernment,” said Deacon Joe Stillo, who ministers in St. Mark Parish, Sea Girt. “Both my sponsoring parish as well as the Diocese had, not only spiritual, but financial ‘skin in the game’ ... Although diaconate service is a ‘volunteer’ vocation, I received the benefit of a financially supported master’s degree in systematic theology from Seton Hall University. I am so blessed and appreciative.”
“My sense is that many people don’t realize that deacons are not paid once ordained,” said Deacon Mark Degenhart, who serves in St. James Parish, Red Bank. The sharing of tuition costs “was a nice incentive and helps assure that all parties were and continue to be vested in my successful completion of formation, culminating in my ordination in May 2024.”
Vital to diocesan efforts, the ACA campaign is more than a weekend Mass collection. It is a consistent outreach to inform parishioners, encourage support and affirm their commitment by demonstrating the impact of their gifts.