The annual Pastoral Service Appeal Luncheon on Nov. 30 celebrated the generosity of donors during 2018 and marked the kickoff of the 2019 PSA program. Some 150 pastors, priests, deacons, parish PSA leaders and Diocesan staff attended the noon luncheon held in the Cultural Center at Christ Cathedral. Lunch was followed by a program that recognized parish and individual effort during this year’s campaign. Bishop Vann, Bishop Freyer and Msgr. Doktorczyk were in attendance.
The welcome message from Bishop Vann included: “We are the one family of God in the Diocese of Orange. We have been blessed with many gifts, each one in a different way. We experience His gifts all around us through creation, the family, the community and loved ones He has given to us, a share of His own life in Jesus Christ, which points to Eternal life, a reality which we can certainly reflect on and be sent forth in faith.”
The program included the presentation of the International Catholic Stewardship Conference award for Excellence (Annual Appeal Effort) on behalf of the Diocese of Orange that was announced at the ICS Conference in October. This competitive award was open to dioceses and Catholic foundations that “best displayed the promotion of Christian stewardship and philanthropy in the Catholic tradition” during the past year.
PSA 2018 Parish Incentive Awards and results of PSA 2018 thus far were also announced. The incentive program for 2018 was set on benchmarks for the parishes to increase the number of donors for 2018, compared to 2017. Nine parishes received Incentive Awards for their increases over 2017.
Father Angelos Sebastian, pastor of St. Kilian Church in Mission Viejo, shared how he motivated his parish to double the number of donors from the previous year.
St. Joseph in Placentia also was recognized for the Most Creative PSA Promotion through a robust PSA timeline and activities, and the use of lay witness speakers. Father Fred Bailey of Santa Clara de Asis was recognized for his creative and unique strategies over many years that have allowed his two parishes, Corpus Christi and Santa Clara de Asis, to raise significant capital funds that have supported major parish projects.
2018 Winners include:
- 10% increase St. Hedwig, St. Mary, and St. Timothy
- 20% increase: St. John Neumann and St. Joseph Placentia
- 30% increase: Holy Trinity; St. Anne, Seal Beach; St. Justin Martyr and St. Kilian
The program also included the introduction of the “We are One” theme for 2019 PSA and materials aligned with the diocesan strategic plan, as well as the premier of the PSA 2019 video.
The 2019 PSA fundraising begins in January 2019 and runs through December. The kick-off period is from January through March 3, prior to Ash Wednesday. Parishes select the kickoff date that works best for them.
Each year, the total overall goal for the PSA is reviewed and a recommendation is made with the input of committee members and diocesan and OCF leadership for the total allocations to be raised for the coming year. That number is then divided up between all the parishes and centers based on the capacity of the parish, and they are assigned a goal to reach for the year. All funds raised over the individual parish goal goes back to the parishes on a monthly basis in the form of a rebate, which is a big incentive for them as it serves two purposes: supporting the diocesan ministries and services, while raising funds for their own parish needs, according to Debbie Leaverton, director, Parish Stewardship Education and Pastoral Services Appeal (PSA) for the Orange Catholic Foundation.