2023 Catholic Charities Appeal: Giving Hope to All 2023

My Dear Parishioners,

Today we launch the 2023 Catholic Charities Appeal: Giving Hope to All 2023. The Catholic Charities Appeal is the Archdiocese of  Philadelphia’s  single  most important annual fundraising initiative, and we’re counting on your support. This year, the Catholic Charities Appeal will be a channel of hope for tens of thousands of people through countless organizations and ministries in the Archdiocese, and a positive source for good in all facets of the Church in Philadelphia. We ask you to look deep in your heart and be as generous as you can to help us reach our $12.5 million goal. So many people are counting on us. So we’re counting on you to give hope this year to those who need it the most. It is important that every parishioner and every parish do their part to help raise this $12.5 million, because we are one family in Christ. Taking care of those who need help the most is one of the most important things we can do as Catholics. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia has set an Appeal Goal for St. Joseph Parish at $38,677. I would also like to reassure you that any gift you make to the Catholic Charities Appeal will be appropriately stewarded and spent only in accordance with the case statement published by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The Catholic Charities Appeal Board is there to ensure your funds are spent according to the purpose you donated towards. Thank you for your sacrifice. To see the Catholic Charities Appeal video, please go to www.catholiccharitiesappeal.org.

Prayer for the Catholic Charities Appeal

God, our Father, We thank you for all the gifts and blessings that you give out of your love for us all. You call us to open our hearts to share what we have been given. Grant that through giving to the Catholic Charities Appeal, we may bring joy, hope and strength to those most in need. Our charity towards those in need is a real way in which we show our gratitude and love for you.

Through this year’s Catholic Charities Appeal, may we help as many people as we can, including a young person striving to learn and grow in Faith; a deaf child receiving a quality Catholic Education; a veteran who is struggling with homelessness; a parish carrying out vital local missionary work; a retired priest who has dedicated his life to the needs of the faithful.

Help us to do all we can to make sure the “poor have their fill” of your blessings. We ask this through our Lord, Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen.

Next week we will have a second collection to help support the Care of Aging and Ill Priests. Archbishop Perez has asked that the following letter be communicated through the Archdiocese this weekend.

May God Bless You,
Fr. Bordonaro

February 2023

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

Over the past year Pope Francis offered a series of catecheses on old age during his Wednesday Audiences. The Holy Father said, “With these catecheses, I encourage everyone to invest their thoughts and affections in the gifts old age carries with it and to the other stages of life. Old age is a gift for all stages of life. It is a gift of maturity, of wisdom.” Pope Francis’ words about the dignity, value, and wisdom that the elderly contribute to society underscores the gift of our retired and infirmed priests in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

During their many years of active ministry, they brought the presence of Christ to countless individuals through the celebration of the Sacraments, preaching, teaching, and charitable actions with great devotion. In retirement, they continue to be a great source of support for our local Church, through their prayers, the celebration of Holy Mass, and their wise council.

Today, one-third of our Archdiocesan priests are retired. Many generously continue in active service to our parishes to the extent their health allows. Others, due to advanced age and medical conditions, live quietly and offer prayers for you, the faithful.

The annual Collection for the Care of Aging and Infirm Priests of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia will be taken in all parishes during the weekend of February 11-12, 2023. This initiative provides a meaningful opportunity for you to express gratitude for the many sacrifices made by our retired priests who gave fully of themselves to fulfill the pastoral and temporal needs of those entrusted to their care over the course of many years.

Please remember all our priests, active and retired, in your daily prayers and consider donating generously to the Collection for the Care of Aging and Infirm Priests this year. May the Lord bless you and all those whom you love abundantly. Please be assured of my prayers for you and your intentions.

Sincerely in Christ Jesus,

+Most Reverend Nelson J. Pérez, D.D.
Archbishop of Philadelphia