BISHOP HAILS PARISHIONERS’

                                     ‘REMARKABLE’ GENEROSITY

Church projects designed to assist a range of beneficiaries, from aging Religious and home missions here to the needy in Latin America and catechetical programs in Eastern Europe, received nearly $2.9 million in contributions from the Catholics of Brooklyn and Queens beginning at Christmas, 2001, and concluding in November last year.

A parish-by-parish report issued this week by the Office of the Vicar for Temporalities said that parishioners gave $2,875,042.49 to 13 second collections taken at weekend and holy day Masses in the 217 parishes of the Diocese.

Bishop Thomas V. Daily called the total of contributions “remarkable,” given an unsettled economic climate. “Our people showed once again their extraordinary generosity in support of the works of the Church,” he said.

The diocesan report tracked nine national collections sponsored by the United

States Conference of Catholic Bishops and four conduced by the Diocese.

            Following are contributions made to the national collections:

            Churches of Latin America and Eastern Europe (Jan. 27): $179,714.40.

            Catholic Missions Among the Black and Indian People (Feb. 24): $173,251.16.

            American Bishops’ Overseas Appeal (March 10): $193,328.16.

            Holy Land (March 29): $195,356.71.

            Catholic Home Missions (April 28): $155,733.43.

            Peter’s Pence (June 30): $173,005.23.

            Catholic Communication Campaign (July 7): $132,014.58.

            The Catholic University of America (Sept. 8): $131,420.31.

            Catholic Campaign for Human Development (Nov. 17): $136,923.06.

            According to the report, the four diocesan collections for local purposes received the following contributions:

            St. John Vianney Fund for Senior Priests (Easter Sunday, March 31): $408,100.49.

            Catholic Education (May 5): $167,286.05.

            Religious Retirement Fund (June 2): $346,290.74.

            The Christmas Day Collection for Catholic Charities (2001): $482,617.87. The results of the 2002 Christmas collection are not yet final.

            The first national collection of 2003, for the Churches of Latin America and Eastern Europe, will be taken this weekend (Jan. 25-26).           

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