Catholic Services Appeal asks local Catholics to give, keeping ‘eyes fixed on Jesus’

Archdiocese of Detroit's annual appeal, which began May 5-6, funds vital ministries such as seminarians' tuition, works of mercy

Editor’s note: The Catholic Services Appeal is essential to the mission of the Archdiocese of Detroit. It funds and supports more than 100 ministries that serve the local Church in southeast Michigan, including Detroit Catholic. Visit www.givecsa.org to support the mission by making a gift today. We are grateful for your generous support and for your prayers.

DETROIT — Throughout the ages, saints and martyrs have proclaimed the good news of salvation by keeping their eyes fixed on Jesus.

There is no evangelization apart from Jesus. There are no works of charity apart from Jesus. There are no parishes, no Catholic schools, no priests and no sacraments except through Jesus.

In the Archdiocese of Detroit, more than 100 ministries, services and programs would not exist if not for Jesus Christ. They also likely wouldn't exist without the annual Catholic Services Appeal, which funds the ministries that serve as a reflection of Jesus’ love for his Church and world, Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron said in announcing this year’s CSA campaign, which kicked off May 5-6 at parishes across southeast Michigan.

“One of the most profound ways we, as a local Church, help share the love of Christ is through responding to the material and spiritual needs of individuals and families,” Archbishop Vigneron said. “Through the Catholic Services Appeal, more than 100 services, programs, and ministries provide real and tangible evidence of the power of faith — of how keeping one's eyes fixed on Jesus can help overcome obstacles.”

The theme of this year’s appeal, “With Eyes Fixed on Jesus,” matches Archbishop Vigneron’s episcopal motto, which is taken from the Letter to the Hebrews: “Let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith” (Heb 12:1).

The largest annual appeal for the Catholic Church in southeast Michigan, the CSA funds some of the most vital services and ministries offered by the Church, including support for seminarians and lay students studying at Sacred Heart Major Seminary; grants and tuition assistance for Catholic schools; works of mercy helping Detroit’s less fortunate; and creative evangelization efforts that bring the Catholic faith alive for people of all cultures and backgrounds.

“Your gift to the Catholic Services Appeal helps bring the good news to countless individuals and families,” Archbishop Vigneron said.

Each parish is given a fundraising target based on the average of its previous three-year offertory and Christmas collections, as well as factors such as whether the parish operates a Catholic school or offers tuition assistance to parishioners who attend a Catholic school. Parishes that exceed their goal keep 100 percent of the additional amount raised.

Sacred Heart Major Seminary receives the largest percentage of the CSA’s support, which helps seminarians such as Deacon Stephen Moening afford to pursue their calling as priests.

“I want to be a priest people can depend on,” said Deacon Moening, 27, a transitional deacon from St. Kenneth Parish in Plymouth who will be ordained to the priesthood along with four others for the Archdiocese of Detroit on May 18. “I want to be a priest who is approachable, who is truly there to serve others. Sacred Heart has provided a foundation for me to fall back on, to know what is truth — or rather, to know Who is truth.”

Deacon Moening recalled a pivotal moment when he was in fourth grade, watching as the priests of his parish baptized new Catholics during the Easter vigil. It made a profound impact on him.

“I saw my priests baptizing these people, welcoming them into the Catholic faith, and I thought to myself, ‘Wow, I really want to do that,’” Deacon Moening said. “It was just this inner tug on my heart that said there’s something special here. I wanted to check that out.”

Fast forward two decades, and Deacon Moening and his classmates are on the cusp of realizing their vocation. But it couldn’t have happened without others’ support, he says, particularly through the CSA, which helps pay for seminarians’ tuition and expenses.

“In the Gospel, Jesus speaks of bearing abundant fruit. By donating to the CSA, we are allowing for this abundance to happen,” Deacon Moening said. “By giving to the CSA, we’re looking out for future generations and investing in the future of the Church.”

The Catholic Services Appeal also funds special ministries such as the Archdiocese of Detroit’s Office of Evangelical Charity, which supports corporal and spiritual works of mercy across southeast Michigan.

Deacon Alfredo "Fred" Guardiola, who coordinates volunteers for the prison ministry at the Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility in Ypsilanti, receives support through the office, which he says deeply cares for the wellbeing of those in prison, on the streets and families in need to basic necessities.

Deacon Guardiola is working to train more people for the vital work of prison ministry so the Church can remind those in prison that God hasn’t forgotten them.

“Those who are incarcerated have a longing and a deep gratitude when they receive the Lord in Communion. Through prison ministry, we are able to bring God’s love to these Catholics who have made a mistake in their lives," Deacon Guardiola said. "When we do this, Christ’s words in Scripture come alive: ‘I was in prison, and you visited me.’”

Deacon Guardiola works with the Office of Evangelical Charity to arrange supplies, coordinate visits and assess the needs of those serving lengthy sentences.

“When I visit (those in prison), I just feel like there is a vibrant Catholic community within these walls, and it’s been a real blessing to see,” he said.

Gifts to the Catholic Services Appeal also make it possible for young people to encounter Jesus through special outreaches such as the RISE youth conference, which offers dynamic speakers, Eucharistic adoration and service opportunities to connect young people to their faith during a crucial time in their lives.

Kathy Galbraith, a youth minister at St. Joseph Parish in Lake Orion and one of the coordinators of RISE, has seen young lives transformed when youths see something bigger than themselves in Christ and his Church.

“It’s critical that we offer youth safe spaces where they can come and not just explore their faith, but also to connect with other young people and feel good about themselves,” Galbraith said. “There’s something powerful about being in a room with 500 kids young people who share the same faith and are fired up about Jesus.”

Galbraith described the RISE conference as a “mountaintop experience” for young people, who come away changed and ready to share their faith with their peers.

“We need to be intentional about keeping kids connected to the Church, and we couldn’t offer these opportunities without the support of donors,” Galbraith said.

The Catholic Services Appeal also supports evangelization and faith-building efforts within minority communities, offering ways for those who might otherwise feel isolated to encounter Christ’s love in powerful, dynamic ways.

Detroit is home to a significant and growing Spanish-speaking Catholic population, and ministries such as the annual Hispanic Women’s Conference and Hispanic Men’s Conference provide opportunities for faith-building and fellowship, said Claudia Serrato, president of the Hispanic Women’s Conference.

Hundreds of women attend the conference annually, with numbers growing every year, Serrato said.

“As Hispanic women, we come from a different culture,” Serrato said. “I was born in Mexico, and I’m grateful that the Catholic Church in the United States opened its arms to me. It’s very important that we give women opportunities to meet Jesus. Next year will be our 15th annual Hispanic Women's Conference — our quinceañera — and we want to make this a very special day of faith and culture for these ladies.”

Similarly, Antonio Camino, treasurer of the Hispanic Men’s Conference, said offering a conference specifically for Spanish-speaking men helps them see Christ in one another and open up about their faith — which can be harder for men to do in traditional parish settings.

“Thanks to the support of the Hispanic Ministry Office, we are able to offer an annual conference for Hispanic men to get together for fellowship, praise and worship,” Camino said. “We have time for reflection and adoration, and we celebrate Mass. It’s an opportunity to grow and be inspired, but also to share an encounter with Jesus with other Catholic men.”

Among dozens of other efforts, the Catholic Services Appeal is also the engine behind various pro-life and natural family planning ministries, campus outreach, marriage ministries and communication efforts, including Detroit Catholic, Unleash the Gospel and various podcasts, livestreams and evangelization efforts such as I AM HERE.

For more information about how the CSA supports the Catholic Church in southeast Michigan, or to pledge support, visit www.givecsa.org.

Archbishop Vigneron expressed his gratitude for those who continue to support the Church’s missionary efforts, which is an expression of its faith in Jesus, he said.

“I am grateful for the many ways in which you have contributed to this work in the past. Please prayerfully consider renewing your support this year,” Archbishop Vigneron said. “It is time for us to run this race as a community of believers with eyes fixed on Jesus, so that future generations may know Jesus Christ and share in the same confident faith with which we have been so richly blessed.”