BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Catholic Charities has launched its annual appeal drive, hoping to raise millions for its services and programs.
I asked Buffalo Bishop Michael Bisher and the leader of Catholic Charities if the potential effects of church mergers and closures in addition to the diocese’s ongoing bankruptcy case could impact giving.
“This year the appeal goal is $8.5 million,” appeal leaders unveiled the amount Wednesday morning during a news conference inside the Catholic Charities office on Delaware Avenue in Buffalo.
But the $8.5 million goal is $1 million less than last year.
“So, we adjusted the goal in light of the economic realities, as well as in light of the changes going on in the diocese,” said Deacon Steve Schumer, president and CEO, Catholic Charities.
Deacon Schumer said the need for services continues to grow in our community as philanthropy shrinks. But Schumer said the closing and merging of parishes by the Buffalo Diocese is also impacting giving.
"Because a vast majority of the money we raise does come from people attending Catholic parishes and so we had to change,” Schumer explained.
Catholic Charities did not reach its goals for the past two years. But still, its programs managed to serve more than 147,000 people in need across the eight counties of Western New York last year.
I asked Bishop Michael Fisher about Catholics who might not be too happy to give when their church could be closing or merging.
"No bishop wants to close anything, you know, or merge. I’d like to expand, but sometimes you have to prune you know sometimes, if I can use that analogy, so we can continue to grow,” Bishop Fisher replied.
The diocese is expected to finish closing and merging a number of parishes by June, and that's about the same time Catholic Charities hope to reach its goal.
I also asked the bishop if we would finally reach a settlement in the diocesan bankruptcy.
The bishop began his response by symbolically putting his hands together in prayer.
“We can only pray. That's my hope. That's my hope,” responded Bishop Fisher. “We need to emerge from that so that the victims and survivors of abuse find whatever healing and need that they have, but it's also healing for the diocese. I’ve call a year of healing in addition to our year of hope.”
