Sarah Hanley • Posted December 15, 2022

It is hard to believe that it is already December and 2022 is nearly gone. It seems like only a moment ago, we were talking about New Year’s resolutions. Our baptismal vows ask us to serve all people by following the example of Jesus. In 2022, we promised to breathe into those vows. We were striving to be kind; think about our neighbors; make charitable contributions; volunteer with community service organizations, and live more fully the teachings of the Gospel, which encourage us to shine with the light of Christ that is found in all of us.

As I reflect on the year and think about the Christmas season that awaits us, I am gratified that we, as a Catholic community, have persevered in fulfilling our resolutions. That fulfillment is underscored at this moment by the tremendous success we experienced with #iGiveCatholic once again this year. As many of you know, #iGiveCatholic is the designated Catholic Day of Giving in the United States. For the third year, CFGP has partnered with the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in this hugely successful day of giving.

#iGiveCatholic is a national organization that works with Catholic Dioceses and Archdioceses across the country to provide them with the tools and training needed to succeed. We at CFGP act as a host for organizations that wish to participate. We cover the expenses involved in creating a website and registering organizations. We also sponsor incentives and offer marketing and training support for Catholic organizations wishing to participate in #iGiveCatholic. It is one way we, as a Catholic organization, fulfill our New Year’s resolution.

In the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, #iGiveCatholic raised over $1.5M in 2022, with 6,685 donors participating. Altogether, 102 different local Catholic organizations took part in this year’s #iGiveCatholic, with three landing in the top 25 nationally for dollars raised by an organization. St. Charles Borromeo Seminary Appeal ranked third nationally, with the Catholic Charities Appeal coming in fourth and BLOCS (Business Leadership Organized for Catholic Schools) landing in the 25th spot. We are incredibly pleased with the success of this year’s efforts and want to send out a note of thanks to everyone who worked so hard work on this year’s #iGiveCatholic campaign.

Whether you participated in the 2022 #iGiveCatholic campaign or not, there is still time to fulfill your New Year’s resolution before the year ends. I invite you to join in the tremendous swell of good intention and charitable giving that carries us closer to the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ and the start of a New Year.

As the year comes to a close, we hope you will consider supporting one of CFGP’s charitable funds. Each serves a unique purpose of service to others, and all of them signal a sound investment in the future of our Church.

To learn more about The Catholic Foundation of Greater Philadelphia and our mission, please visit our website at TheCFGP.org.

From all of us at CFGP, may you have a Merry Christmas enriched by the light of Christ the Newborn King, and may your New Year be filled with peace and joy.

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