If you still would like to donate, please specify your parish - Holy Spirit - Newman Hall.
This year’s theme for the Bishop’s Ministries Appeal is “I am with you always.” We know our Lord is true to His words. Every time we gather in Eucharistic celebration, our Lord comes to us in His Real Presence, His body and blood in the Eucharist. We have also felt his presence in the good people of God we meet and know at our parish. We know Christ is with us through the wonderful ministries we find at our parish, Newman Hall. Also in our service to others like the serving of food for the needy in People’s Park or on our patio the first Saturday of the month, we encounter our almighty, yet humble Lord in his poverty and hunger.
The challenge is do others know our Lord is true to His Word? Are others in the East Bay sensing that Jesus is with them always?. Are they able to develop a friendship with Jesus?
This is where supporting our diocese is so important and invaluable. We are in our cozy part of Berkeley, that we often miss our brothers and sisters in the more challenging or isolating parts of the East Bay, such as those houseless , those children with inadequate schools or supplies, those single parents struggling in the suburbs alone, those without documentation trying to survive, those without good role models or jobs with dignity and a living wage, those without direction and faith, etc. Our diocese has parishes and schools everywhere. There is no part of the East Bay that is not under some parish’s care.
To support our parishes with qualified priests and staff, to provide resources to help parishes grow in faith and then live that rich faith outwardly in their community so everyone can experience our Lord, we rely on our diocese for resources and support. More importantly we need to redistribute the funds so parishes in comfortable areas can help parish ministries in needy areas, so everyone rises and flourishes together. Economic disparity in our great nation is one of the great sins of our time - causing desperation, despair, fear, crime, polarization, abortion, selfishness, and the diminishment of love.
The Bishop's Ministries Appeal supports the ministries that go out into the parishes: faith formation and evangelization, CYO sports, formation of priests to serve parishioners, care of the retired priests, and meeting the unexpected needs of schools and parishes. We invite you to learn more below about how your support makes a difference, and donate in a way that works for you – be it a recurring gift, a one-time gift, or a pledge.
