September 11, 2024

By Valerie Matthews
Director, Bishop’s Fund Appeal

“It wasn’t until after I was in seminary that I realized the huge influence of the Bishop’s Fund. I looked back onall I had done as a teenager, and its presence was everywhere. I went to youth conferences, Camp Guggenheim, Youth Alive and youth rallies. I realized a lot of people were making a lot of sacrifices to make sure these events go on. I would not have been as open to my vocation if I hadn’t spent time at Camp Guggenheim. When you think about it, you realize how impactful the Bishop’s Fund is,” shared Father Martin Cline, pastor of St. Bernard’s in Saranac Lake. “As pastor here at St. Bernard’s, I have a gentleman who is in the Diaconate Program, five parishioners had just finished Formation for Ministry when I became pastor, we have our religious ed programs and a school that have relied upon the Bishop’s Fund as well as nine kids from the parish going to Camp Guggenheim this year. In everything the parish does, you can see the impact and the influence of the Bishop’s Fund Appeal.”

Your gifts to the Bishop’s Fund Appeal make this possible.

Gifts to the annual Bishop’s Fund Appeal support the essential ministries and programs of the Diocese of Ogdensburg. These ministries and programs are there to be a source of guidance, education and hope for parishioners in every chapter of their faith stories and provide parishes with the tools to be strong, vibrant, and welcoming.

The 2024 Bishop’s Fund Appeal – Living Stories of Our Faith – will begin in parishes across the Diocese of Ogdensburg the weekend of September 14 and 15.

This year, it is our hope to reach a goal of $1,330,000 with any gifts collected over our goal to be used as additional grants through the Bishop’s Good Samaritan Fund.

The Bishop’s Good Samaritan Fund provides emergency assistance for those experiencing house fires or flooding, and those who need assistance with heating and utility costs, prescription or medical expenses, and it assists local food pantries such as the food pantry in Schroon Lake, New York.

“As part of a group project, our Confirmation class decided to help the food pantry in Schroon Lake which was in desperate need of food and supplies because a grant that they had previously received had been cut” shared Emily and Makala, Confirmation students. “We raised funds at church for Tops gift cards and then we learned about the Bishop’s Fund Appeal and how we could ask for a grant through the Bishop’s Good Samaritan Fund. The Bishop’s Good Samaritan Fund gave a grant of $500 which helped buy a lot of food for the food pantry. Please help as much as you can, every little bit helps”

Your gifts to the Bishop’s Fund Appeal make this possible.

This vital Appeal has a direct and powerful impact on the lives of your Sisters and Brothers in Christ. From the children in faith formation and religious education classes in our parishes and Catholic schools, to the teens who attend Camp Guggenheim and Youth Rallies, to the young couples and families who participate in Pre-Cana and Family Guggenheim, to the women and men who are discerning a Church vocation, you are making a difference.

Please take a moment to prayerfully consider a pledge or a one-time gift to the 2024 Bishop’s Fund Appeal. Every gift is important, every gift makes a difference!

Donations can be mailed to: The Bishop’s Fund Appeal, PO Box 150, Ogdensburg, New York 13369 or made online at www.rcdony.org/giving/donate-now-bishop-s-fund.

To learn more about the Appeal and to view the 2024 Bishop’s Fund video, please visit www.rcdony.org/bfa.