The availability and vitality of ministries of Evangelization and Education are vital for the future of our faith community. The mission to teach as Jesus did is carried out through a variety of programs, including parish and diocesan schools as well as parish religious education programs. The various ministries of Catholic education in general are the fulfillment of the evangelical mission of the Catholic Church to go and teach all nations and have as their primary goal the continuous formation of the Christian person from preschool through adulthood.
The campaign objective for this area of ministry will be used to strengthen the following endeavors:
Faith Formation $1,000,000
Faith formation is holistic in approach and is designed to touch the intellect as well as the heart of people. Its key elements are catechesis, knowledge of the faith, liturgical education, moral formation, teaching to pray, building community life and developing a missionary spirit to help people live and experience a more Christ-centered life.
There are more than 7,600 catechists in the diocese, an increase of nearly 10% from 2011. This ministry aims to deepen a person’s relationship with Jesus Christ through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA), sacramental preparation for K-12, and adult faith formation.
Faith formation is taught in our parishes by catechetical instructors who are qualified to share their faith and the teachings of the Church with conviction and accuracy. Forward in Faith, Hope, and Love will allocate $1,000,000 to an endowment for faith formation to help fulfill our mission as evangelizers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The additional resources will:
– Assist in the professional training of catechetical leaders for the diocese
– Provide enhanced media and catechetical/adult enrichment materials
– Enrichment programs for adult faith formation
“Our own upbringing took place in parochial Catholic schools; we wanted to provide our children a similar educational environment, where our Catholic faith and values are fostered and integrated with strong academic standards.”
— Ana Lothspeich, parent
“This is good and pleasing to God our savior, who wills everyone to be saved and come to knowledge of the truth.”
— 1 Timothy 2:4
Catholic Education Tuition Assistance $6,000,000
Tuition assistance is essential to making Catholic school education available and affordable to families in need. Each year nearly $4,100,000 in tuition assistance is awarded to families in the diocese; however, many children who aspire to attend Catholic school are deprived of the academic and spiritual enrichment of a Catholic school education due to the lack of funds available for tuition assistance.
Forward in Faith, Hope, and Love will earmark $6,000,000 to the tuition assistance endowment. The endowment will provide additional needs-based tuition assistance to parents who wish to send their children to Catholic schools. Catholic schools are funded through tuition, parish subsidies, annual appeals and other initiatives.
College Campus Ministry $1,750,000
College campus ministry enables Catholic college students to achieve a more Christian-centered life so that they can live in greater communion with God and the Church, give more effective witness to the Gospel, and face the challenges that exist in the academic world during their college years. Campus ministry programs extend the invitation to Catholic college students to deepen their faith in God through experiences of sacramental living, community building, leadership training, service opportunities, retreat weekends and faith development. Each year campus ministry serves nearly 3,000 Catholic college students in our diocese.
As an outstanding resource for the Church in developing new and vibrant leadership and future Christian service and evangelization, an effort to sustain the campus ministry programs is vitally important. Forward in Faith, Hope, and Love will provide $1,750,000 to help support our campus ministry programs with capital renovations to campus ministry facilities and to increase or establish endowments.
Quick Fact
Campus ministry provides opportunities for messages to be heard, lives to be touched, and young people to orient their lives towards God.
Catholic Schools Renovations and Additions $4,000,000
School renovations and additions are needed to enhance the learning environment for students in addition to the parishes and communities they serve. In keeping with the diocese’s goal of providing exceptional educational facilities, additional funding is needed to preserve and improve Catholic schools.
Forward in Faith, Hope, and Love will earmark $4,000,000 for school renovations and additions. Funds will be available through a grant program to the 15 elementary schools, middle school, and three high schools.