Partners in Charity at 76% of goal

By Bill Doyle | CFP Correspondent

Partners in Charity has a ways to go to reach its goal of raising $5 million in order to support 25 charitable, educational and pastoral ministries in the Diocese of Worcester, but Michael Gillespie, diocesan director of stewardship and development, said there’s still hope and is grateful for all the donors.

As of July 9, the annual campaign had received 9,435 gifts worth $3,819,619, about 76 percent of the goal. As of the same date last year, Partners in Charity had received 10,205 gifts worth $4,005,110, about 80 percent of the goal. So the campaign is down 874 gifts and $221,141 from this time a year ago.

In 2024, Partners in Charity ended up raising $4,881,164, about 98 percent of the goal.

Mr. Gillespie oversees the annual appeal and he said he couldn’t remember Partners in Charity having raised only 76 percent of its goal this late in the year. The annual appeal ends on Aug. 31.

Partners in Charity began as the Bishop’s Fund in the early 1960s.

“I’m hopeful,” Mr. Gillespie said. “I don’t want our donors to think that we’ve wrapped up and we’ve just accepted it. There are still a lot of possibilities and a lot of potential here still. It’s just a matter of reaching [people] to tell our story. When someone is told the story about all the good we do, you can’t help but get on board.”

Nevertheless, Partners in Charity has less than two months to reach or approach its goal and the summer isn’t the best time to raise funds because many parishioners are away on vacation.

“The final stretch of any appeal can be the most challenging. And this year is no different. I’m concerned,” Mr. Gillespie said. “I think anybody would be concerned to see that we’re down this significant amount of gifts from where we were a year ago. This is extremely important because it funds our ministries.”

Partners in Charity serves tens of thousands of people in the diocese while supporting Catholic Charities, Priests’ Retirement, Retired Priests Health Ministry, Pernet Family Health Service, the Diocesan Cemetery System, Catholic Schools Office, Office of Religious Education, Ongoing Priestly Formation, Grant-in-Aid for Schools, Seminarian Education, Advanced Studies for Clergy and Laity, Communications Ministry, Diocesan Schools Grants, Catholic Campus Ministry, Pastoral Planning, African Ministry, Hispanic Apostolate, Hispanic & Latino Ministry, Office of Marriage and Family, Minister to Priests, Office of the Diaconate, Youth & Young Adult Ministries, Respect Life Office, St. Paul Cathedral and Office for Divine Worship.

Partners in Charity thanked donors at eight regional launch gatherings early last year and at nine this year.

“We’re grateful, tremendous gratitude for the close to 10,000 donors who have given so far,” Mr. Gillespie said. “Thank God for those donors to get to this point. We are often reminded when donors are making their gift to Partners in Charity, we find little notes in their gift envelopes saying how happy they are with all the good that the appeal does. They are part of it. They know that their gift makes a difference, no matter the size.”

Mr. Gillespie said he believes there are several reasons for the drop in donations.

The annual campaign began nearly three weeks later than last year. The campaign starts after a collection is taken on Ash Wednesday for the Priests’ Retirement Fund. Ash Wednesday was celebrated on Feb. 14 last year and on March 5 this year.

Some are donating to their parishes for renovations instead of to Partners in Charity.

Attendance at Mass is down and that has reduced the number of donors. Some donors have passed away, others have moved away.

“We have to work with the parishes to encourage new donors,” Mr. Gillespie said.
Partners in Charity has set an annual goal of $5 million since 2011, but hasn’t reached it since 2018.

Seeking donations year after year is vital, but difficult.

“When you start to promote something for so long,” Mr. Gillespie said, “it can lose its excitement. So we have to keep bringing our story, our success in Partners in Charity, in front of the donors, so they’re reminded of the importance of the impact of each individual gift.”

Mr. Gillespie said it’s vital that pastors remind their parishioners of the ministries that Partners in Charity supports and the fact that the pastors support Partners financially themselves.

Bishop McManus, pastors and parish teams send letters, emails and Flocknote messages to parishioners urging them to contribute to the annual campaign. Parishes are encouraged to conduct in-pew gift weekends.

“Anything’s possible,” Mr. Gillespie said. “This is not just a fundraiser. This is mission work. This is the Church. These are ministries and agencies that impact people’s lives.”

Mr. Gillespie said the funds raised this year will be needed beginning in September.

St. Peter Parish in Northbridge has exceeded its Partners in Charity goal for several years and Father Michael N. Lavallee, St. Peter’s pastor, hopes to do so again this year. St. Peter’s goal is $33,000 and the parish has raised $30,285 so far.

“He’s really put a lot of time and energy,” Mr. Gillespie said of Father Lavallee, “in promoting Partners in Charity on the local level.”

Father Lavallee has reminded his parishioners that Partners in Charity has benefited their parish in a number of ways. For example, Partners funds the Office of the Diaconate and provided St. Peter’s with Deacon John McManamon, the parish’s religious education program received support from the Office of Religious Education, which is also supported by Partners in Charity, and the parish also houses a small Catholic Charities office that rents space for home care.

At Mass each week, Father Lavallee asks God for a successful Partners in Charity appeal in the Prayers of the Faithful. He prays that Partners in Charity won’t fall so short of its goal that some of the ministries may have to close.

“I would feel very disappointed,” Father Lavallee said. “However, these times are so difficult financially for people. There is so much financial stress that people are going through. It doesn’t surprise me and to not have some of these ministries funded would be very difficult for all of us in the diocese.”

Father Lavallee believes prayer is essential in helping Partners in Charity reach its goal in order to help as many people as possible.

“Without that prayer, it’s not going to happen,” he said. “God has to touch people’s hearts and remind them of the responsibility we all have to support the church.”

In the past when the $5 million goal wasn’t reached, the diocese tapped into an emergency fund that was donated to Partners in Charity for such shortfalls. That emergency fund has dwindled, however, and Mr. Gillespie said it might not be able to make up for such a large shortfall.

Mr. Gillespie said he didn’t know what the diocese would do to fund the ministries if not enough money is raised and if the emergency fund can’t make up the difference.

“It’s just a reality of where we’re at, unfortunately. We’ve got some challenges ahead of us,” he said. “But with God, anything is possible. St. Teresa of Kolkata says it best, ‘Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.’ Partners in Charity helps us to spread love. We should be true prayer warriors, instead of worriers, giving all of our troubles to Jesus.”

SEE PARISH RESULTS

– Donations can be made online at  partners-charity.net/donate, by texting DONATE to 84576, by calling 508-929-4366, by scanning the QR code on the Partners promotional material, by mailing a check to Partners in Charity Appeal, Diocese of Worcester, 49 Elm Street, Worcester, MA, 01609, or giving one to your pastor. Checks should be made payable to “Partners in Charity Appeal” and the parish name should be noted in the memo line.