By Dan Sullivan
Catholic Herald
Home Missions grant helps fund lay ministry
SUPERIOR -- Because a lot of rural dioceses do not have the resources larger dioceses do, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has devised a Catholic Home Mission appeal.
On the weekend of April 23-24, parishioners in the Diocese of Superior will join forces with other Catholics across the United States to collect money for the Catholic Home Missions.
"The Catholic Home Missions Appeal provides a way for Catholics in more prosperous American communities to assist Catholics in areas like here in northern Wisconsin, where the church struggles just to keep parishes open and educate children in the faith," said Steve Tarnowski, diocesan director of stewardship and development.
"Home Mission dioceses are often characterized by high unemployment, low wages, low assets of the diocese that limit diocesan pastoral programs, a severe shortage of priests, and great rural distances that isolate parishes," he said.
As a mission diocese, the Diocese of Superior typically receives more money in grants than is collected from within the diocese. Last year, some $44,125 was collected in the Superior diocese for this appeal, while the diocese received a grant for $75,000 for its Lay Ministry Formation program.
Grants to over 90 dioceses within the United States help fund programs to prepare lay people for ministry of the parishes in their diocese. Past Home Mission grants to the Superior diocese have helped form leaders in lay outreach ministry, adult and youth religious education, liturgy, RCIA and parish councils.
Bishop Raphael M. Fliss stated, in a letter to Bishop J. Peter Sartain, chair of the Committee on Home Missions, that although additional funding for these programs is provided by parishes, program fees and the diocese, "it would be impossible for us to provide these services without the support of the Committee on Home Missions."
Richard Lyons, diocesan director of the departments of Pastoral Services and Christian Formation, said Catholic Home Missions has been very helpful to his departments.
"It has aided them to be able to offer a variety of formation activities to the laity of the diocese," Lyons said. "Many of these programs would be curtailed without the support we receive from Catholic Home Missions."
© Superior Catholic Herald, 2004