Posted November 13, 2008





By Lou Baldwin
Special to The CS&T

PHILADELPHIA – The 2008 archdiocesan Catholic Charities Appeal, held last spring, raised $9.2 million. It was more than 10 percent higher than the previous year’s appeal, which raised $8.3 million, according to figures released by the Archdiocesan Office for Development.

“We were very pleased with the increase and sincerely thankful,” said Bishop Joseph P. McFadden, general chairman for the appeal. “Obviously the need is always greater and we have to do the best we can for the unfortunate by maintaining the levels of support for the programs we have. With inflation we are just about keeping pace.”

One of the highlights this year, according to Bishop McFadden, was the significant support for the drive by the priests of the Archdiocese.

This year’s dramatic increase was especially impressive because the economic downturn had already begun when the appeal was conducted and the results went against all the odds, noted Deacon John K. Hunter, executive director of the archdiocesan Office for Development, which planned and directed the drive.

A key ingredient to the success was a back-to-basics approach in the parishes, and a thrust to make sure pastors understood the importance of the appeal. Literature to the parishioners encouraged them to “Ask Your Pastor.”

The effectiveness of this approach resulted in greater participation by both pastors and parishioners in the pre-campaign workshops.

The final total included such elements as $1.3 million in estate gifts and more than $1 million received through United Way, and city and federal campaigns, Deacon Hunter said. On a more modest scale, but every bit as precious, was the $63,000 raised by school children in the “Nickels for Neighbors” program. “This was $20,000 over previous years,” Deacon Hunter said.

In all, more than 50 programs benefit from the appeal. This includes community-based services, housing and homeless services, mental retardation services, nutritional development services, special education schools, respect life programs, youth services and programs of the Office for Youth and Young Adults

As good as it was the 2008 Appeal is history. Plans are already underway for the 2009 Appeal, according to Deacon Hunter.

A new slogan “Who Cares? We Care” is aimed to increase awareness of the needs of the poor and needy. All economic indicators suggest those needs will be even greater in the coming year.

“All you have o do is drive up and down the Benjamin Franklin Parkway and see the homeless sleeping there to appreciate the need,” Deacon Hunter said.

Lou Baldwin is a member of St. Leo Parish and a freelance writer.


Results of the 2008 Catholic Charities Appeal


The following list of contributors to the Archdiocese’s Catholic Charities Appeal includes parishes that met their goal for the appeal (marked by *) and parishes that came within $1,000 of their goal (**)

PARISH 2008 Results
All Saints (Phila.) $3,821
Annunciation BVM (Havertown) $26,266
Annunciation BVM (Phila.) $345
Ascension of Our Lord (Phila.) $443
Assumption BVM (Feasterville) $23,980
Assumption BVM (West Grove) ** $36,794
Blessed Teresa of Calcutta $8,820
Blessed Virgin Mary (Darby) $6,960
Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter & Paul (Phila.) $37,642
Christ the King (Phila.) $14,189
Corpus Christi (Lansdale) $88,506
spanine Mercy (Phila.) $8,708
Epiphany of Our Lord (Norristown) $83,061
Epiphany of Our Lord (Phila.) $13,062
Holy Angels (Phila.) $6,845
Holy Cross (Phila.) ** $27,499
Holy Cross (Springfield) $22,351
Holy Family (Phila.) $8,194
Holy Innocents (Phila.) $8,113
Holy Martyrs (Oreland) $17,359
Holy Name of Jesus (Phila.) $4,136
Holy Redeemer Chinese Chapel * $1,708
Holy Savior (Linwood) $3,805
Holy Saviour (Norristown) $24,767
Holy Spirit (Phila.) $4,659
Holy Spirit (Sharon Hill) $5,788
Holy Trinity (Morrisville) $19,126
Holy Trinity Phoenixville) $3,100
Immaculate Conception (Jenkintown) * $69,925
Immaculate Conception (Levittown) $6,718
Immaculate Conception (Marcus Hook) $125
Immaculate Conception (Phila.) $737
Immaculate Conception (Phila.) $1,002
Immaculate Heart of Mary (Phila.) $36,532
Incarnation of Our Lord (Phila.) $20
Mary, Mother of the Redeemer (North Wales) $51,451
Mater Dolorosa (Phila.) $3,050
Maternity BVM (Phila.) $33,501
Most Blessed Sacrament (Phila.) $1,398
Suppressed – now St. Francis de Sales 2009
Mother of spanine Grace (Phila.) $2,313
Mother of spanine Providence (King of Prussia) $28,163
Nativity BVM (Media) $53,911
Nativity BVM (Phila.) $7,409
Nativity of Our Lord (Warminster) $35,438
Notre Dame de Lourdes (Swarthmore) $14,194
Old St. Joseph’s (Phila.) * $26,833
Old St. Mary’s (Phila.) $1,340
Our Lady Help of Christians (Abington) ** $35,047
Our Lady Help of Christians (Phila.) $1,546
Our Lady of Calvary (Phila.) $27,319
Our Lady of Charity (Brookhaven) $23,695
Our Lady of Consolation (Parkesburg) $13,065
Our Lady of Consolation (Phila.) $8,699
Our Lady of Fatima (Bensalem) $8,185
Our Lady of Fatima (Secane) $18,010
Our Lady of Good Counsel (Southampton) * $99,713
Our Lady of Grace (Penndel) $31,762
Our Lady of Guadalupe (Buckingham) $31,343
Our Lady of Hope (Phila.) $2,527
Our Lady of Lourdes (Phila.) $2,561
Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Bridgeport) $6,932
Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Doylestown) ** $72,754
Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Phila.) $6,350
Our Lady of Peace (Milmont Park) $13,152
Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Morton) $34,156
Our Lady of Ransom (Phila.) $11,867
Our Lady of the Assumption (Strafford) $51,400
Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament (Phila.) $750
Our Lady of the Rosary (Coatesville) $6,996
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (Hilltown) $28,647
Our Mother of Consolation (Phila.)* $42,498
Our Mother of Good Counsel (Bryn Mawr) $27,905
Our Mother of Sorrows (Phila.) $32
Twinned w/St. Ignatius of Loyola
Presentation BVM (Cheltenham) $16,771
Presentation BVM (Wynnewood) $16,485
Queen of Peace (Ardsley) $27,419
Queen of the Universe (Levittown) $24,640
Resurrection of Our Lord (Phila.) $30,087
Sacred Heart (Clifton Heights) $3,120
Sacred Heart (Havertown) $29,025
Sacred Heart (Oxford) $11,423
Sacred Heart (Phoenixville) * $13,050
Sacred Heart (Royersford) $24,484
Sacred Heart (Swedesburg) $3,576
Sacred Heart of Jesus (Phila.) $6,382
St. Adalbert (Phila.) $9,985
St. Agatha-St. James (Phila.) $3,547
St. Agnes (Sellersville) $21,242
St. Agnes (West Chester) $37,173
St. Agnes-St. John Nepomucene (Phila.) $6,256
St. Albert the Great (Huntingdon Valley) $32,306
St. Alice (Upper Darby) $6,497
St. Aloysius (Pottstown) $26,287
St. Alphonsus (Maple Glen) $59,511
St. Ambrose (Phila.) $1,997
St. Anastasia (Newtown Square) $61,920
St. Andrew (Drexel Hill) $25,985
St. Andrew (Newtown) $89,153
St. Andrew (Phila.) $200
St. Ann (Bristol) $10,305
St. Ann (Phoenixville) $15,297
St. Anne (Phila.) $3,807
St. Anselm (Phila.) $20,107
St. Anthony of Padua (Ambler) $36,954
St. Athanasius (Phila.) * $26,900
St. Augustine (Bridgeport) $13,131
St. Augustine (Phila.) $5,105
St. Barbara (Phila.) $3,154
St. Barnabas (Phila.) $3,090
St. Bartholomew (Phila.) $9,666
St. Basil the Great (Kimberton) * $50,395
St. Bede the Venerable (Holland) * $69,411
St. Benedict (Phila.) $2,025
St. Bernadette (Drexel Hill) $34,300
St. Bernard (Phila.) $7,592
St. Bridget (Phila.) $9,915
St. Callistus (Phila.) $2,273
St. Casimir (Phila.) $50
St. Catherine of Siena (Horsham) $24,367
St. Cecilia (Coatesville) $15,281
St. Cecilia (Phila.) ** $53,368
St. Charles Borromeo (Bensalem) $14,752
St. Charles Borromeo (Drexel Hill) $11,031
St. Charles Borromeo (Phila.) $2,405
St. Christopher (Phila.) $49,106
St. Colman (Ardmore) * $39,571
St. Cornelius (Chadds Ford) * $73,345
St. Cyprian (Phila.) $6,226
St. Cyril of Alexandria (East Lansdowne) $4,695
St. Cyril of Jerusalem (Jamison) $37,872
St. David (Willow Grove) ** $48,058
St. Denis (Havertown) $28,633
St. Dominic (Phila.) $17,492
St. Donato (Phila.) $2,677
St. Dorothy (Drexel Hill) $54,013
St. Edmond (Phila.) $6,509
St. Eleanor (Collegeville) $44,250
St. Elizabeth (Upper Uwchlan) $31,950
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (Bensalem) $8,007
St. Ephrem (Bensalem) $22,900
St. Eugene (Primos) $17,042
St. Frances Cabrini (Fairless Hills) $9,858
St. Francis de Sales (Lenni) $19,897
St. Francis de Sales (Phila.) * $16,666
St. Francis of Assisi (Norristown) $26,358
St. Francis of Assisi (Phila.) $3,589
St. Francis of Assisi (Springfield) $19,208
St. Francis Xavier (Phila.) * $24,252
St. Gabriel (Norwood) $9,504
St. Gabriel (Phila.) $2,734
St. Gabriel (Stowe) $6,436
St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Mother (Avondale) $10,422
St. Genevieve (Flourtown) $31,610
St. George (Glenolden) $8,145
St. George (Phila.) $2,526
St. Gertrude (West Conshohocken) $3,291
St. Helena (Center Square) $39,152
St. Helena (Phila.) $15,297
St. Hilary of Poitiers (Rydal) ** $24,785
St. Hugh of Cluny (Phila.) $25
St. Ignatius of Antioch (Yardley) * $147,739
(note: $100,000 donor)
St. Ignatius of Loyola (Phila.)
Twinned w/Our Mother of Sorrows
St. Isaac Jogues (Wayne) * $75,108
St. Isidore (Quakertown) $11,119
St. James (Elkins Park) $24,427
St. Jerome (Phila.) $23,848
St. Joachim (Phila.) $2,595
St. Joan of Arc (Phila.) $976
St. John Bosco (Hatboro) $27,156
St. John Cantius (Phila.) $7,482
St. John Chrysostom (Wallingford) $35,620
St. John Fisher (Boothwyn) $12,991
St. John Neumann (Bryn Mawr) $99,889
St. John of the Cross (Roslyn) $12,920
St. John Baptist (Ottsville) $18,745
St. John the Baptist (Phila.) $6,313
St. John the Baptist Vianney (Gladwyne) $79,761
St. John the Evangelist (Morrisville) $32,074
St. John the Evangelist (Phila.) $5,715
St. Josaphat (Phila.) $5,272
St. Joseph (Ambler) $13,656
St. Joseph (Aston) $17,563
St. Joseph (Cheltenham) $3,745
St. Joseph (Coatesville) $13,103
St. Joseph (Collingdale) $10,589
St. Joseph (Downingtown) $48,595
St. Joseph (Spring City) $3,740
St. Joseph (Warrington) $24,894
St. Joseph the Worker (Fallsington) $9,153
St. Jude (Chalfont) * $57,024
St. Justin Martyr (Narberth) $6,655
St. Katharine of Siena (Wayne) $150,288
St. Katherine Drexel (Chester) $5,925
St. Katherine of Siena (Phila.) $34,537
St. Kevin (Springfield) $15,825
St. Laurence (Upper Darby) $13,980
St. Laurentius (Phila.) $5,537
St. Lawrence (Riegelsville) ** $6,180
St. Leo (Phila.) $10,125
St. Louis (Yeadon) $7,190
St. Lucy (Phila.) $1,805
St. Luke the Evangelist (Glenside) ** $50,460
St. Madeline (Ridley Park) $27,754
St. Madeline Sophie (Phila.) $4,578
St. Malachy (Phila.) $390
St. Margaret (Narberth) ** $64,021
St. Margaret Mary Alacoque (Essington) $4,960
St. Maria Goretti (Hatfield) $25,186
St. Mark (Bristol) $8,419
St. Martha (Phila.) $6,579
St. Martin de Porres (Phila.) $2,282
St. Martin of Tours (New Hope) $14,837
St. Martin of Tours (Phila.) $16,364
St. Mary (Conshohocken) $7,095
St. Mary (Schwenksville) $13,521
St. Mary Magdalen (Media) ** $75,417
St. Mary of the Assumption (Phila.) $6,330
St. Mary of the Assumption (Phoenixville) $5,074
St. Matthew (Conshohocken) $8,247
St. Matthew (Phila.) $42,585

St. Matthias (Bala Cynwyd) * $44,246
St. Maximilian Kolbe (West Chester) $52,956
St. Michael (Phila.) $1,301
St. Michael the Archangel (Levittown) $17,455
St. Monica (Berwyn) * $53,011
St. Monica (Phila.) $25,105
St. Nicholas of Tolentine (Phila.) $15,057
St. Norbert (Paoli) $42,185
St. Patrick (Kennett Square) * $37,930
St. Patrick (Malvern) $37,939
St. Patrick (Norristown) $4,035
St. Patrick (Phila.) $21,006
St. Paul (Norristown) $16,771
St. Paul (Phila.) $5,466
St. Peter (West Brandywine) $25,715
St. Peter the Apostle (Phila.) $4,979
St. Philip Neri (Lafayette Hill) ** $65,647
St. Philip Neri (Pennsburg) $15,903
St. Philip Neri (Phila.) * $19,654
St. Philomena (Lansdowne) $8,804
St. Pius X (Broomall) ** $63,507
St. Raymond of Penafort (Phila.) $4,600
St. Richard (Phila.) $8,610
St. Rita of Cascia (Phila.) $1,656
St. Robert Bellarmine (Warrington) $47,756
St. Rose of Lima (Eddystone) $8,968
St. Rose of Lima (North Wales) $79,095
St. Rose of Lima (Phila.) $1,567
St. Stanislaus (Lansdale) $45,954
St. Stanislaus Kostka (Coatesville) $4,014
St. Therese of the Child Jesus (Phila.) * $12,176
St. Thomas Aquinas (Croydon) $4,289
St. Thomas Aquinas (Phila.) $5,059
St. Thomas More (Pottstown) ** $35,589
St. Thomas of Villanova (Rosemont) $38,530
St. Thomas the Apostle (Glen Mills) ** $50,975
St. Timothy (Phila.) $14,112
St. Titus (Norristown) $9,017
St. Veronica (Phila.) $1,622
St. Vincent de Paul (Phila.) $2,493
St. Vincent de Paul (Richboro) $96,504
St. William (Phila.) $14,173
SS. Cosmas & Damian (Conshohocken) $21,192
SS. Peter & Paul (West Chester) $60,610
SS. Philip & James (Exton) * $84,569
SS. Simon & Jude (West Chester) * $129,142
St. Teresa of Avila (Norristown) $26,190
Stella Maris (Phila.) $11,023
Visitation BVM (Trooper) ** $92,726
Visitation BVM (Phila.) * $9,658

SUBTOTAL $6,264,817

No Parish Affiliation $481,949
Parish Unknown $106,463
Tributes/Memorials $420.00
Estates $55,839
UW, Combined City and Federal Campaigns $1,771,043
Organizations/no parish $525,523

GRAND TOTAL $9,206,054