The $1 million pledge by the Archbishop’s Catholic Appeal is on its way to parishes in a two-part distribution plan designed to relieve some of the financial strain caused by the recent pandemic.
Faithful Appeal donors — both new and annual givers — promptly answered that pledge for parishes, which means the Archdiocese of Denver can already begin to send out cash assistance.
Parishes were among the first organizations to feel the impact of social distancing restrictions by state and local governments because the practice of collecting Mass offertories was unavailable under COVID-19 closures.
That abrupt halt to necessary operating funds and the increased needs in the community prompted the archdiocese to pledge the first $1 million of the Archbishop’s Catholic Appeal to help parishes in two ways.
The first half of the $1 million will be divided equally among each archdiocesan parish that has supported the Appeal. Parishes have been notified they will receive direct deposits into their accounts and they can use the money any way they choose.
“The archdiocese recognized the extreme pressures its parishes have been experiencing,” said Keith Parsons, Chief Operating Officer for the Archdiocese of Denver. “Parish offices had to quickly convert to comply with work-at-home standards. The communal experience of Mass was turned into a virtual experience and every-day practices of parish staff and priests were forced to continue in ways that stretched resources.”
The second half of the $1 million Appeal relief will be used to help those parishes with the greatest need. A committee of priests representing regional deaneries will be formed to decide which parishes receive aid and how much, based on their changes in offertories and their amount of cash reserves.
This immediate aid assists in filling an urgent financial gap, but the Appeal campaign will continue because there is so much ministry need in the archdiocese. Please consider a new or recurring gift at archden.org/givenow. Thank you for your generosity!
