Archdiocese Annual Appeal - Someone is missing. Is it you?

In the last issue of the Catholic Standard (January 24, 2019), they were so excited to let everyone know that 39,000 people had given over $14million.  

Now, on the surface this seems wonderful.  However, this worry the Archdiocese.

What they did not tell you, is that the number of people who have contributed over the last 10 plus years, has dropped from 47,000 to 39,000.  In other words, there are over 8,000 fewer people contributing.

This was a trend that I highlighted in March 2011 on this blog.  Although the Archdiocese was able to meet the goal, there are simply fewer and fewer people giving.  

Will 2019 become the tipping point?  Will this year once again see fewer donations and fewer donors?  Don't know but will keep watching.

 

Catholic Standard Review (January 24, 2019)

Well, once again, I do a quick review to let you know what you can look forward to in this week's issue of the Catholic Standard.

• Three are still no photos, and as far as I can tell, no mention of Cardinal Wuerl.  Let's see how long that will last.
  
• We see a couple of stories on the March for Life.
• According to the page 5 story, the Annual Appeal exceeded 99% of the goal.  Now, what is most interesting, is that 34,000 donors provided $14million in funds. More about this in another blog posting.
• The Maryland Catholic Conference will be pushing for the regular stuff.  However, I note that they are not publicly advocating for illegal aliens, as in the past.  Could it be because of the blow back in previous years?
• Catholic Schools Week.  I am always supporting of Catholic Schools Week.  However, in the list of noted Catholic School graduates, they list Muriel Bowser, the Democrat party (not Democratic) Mayor of DC.  It should be noted that she is a big pro-abortion and gay rights supporter.  Epic Fail on that one, Catholic Standard.  
• Article on USCCB Education Secretary.  Didn't know we had one.
• Congrats to the St. Mary's (Landover Hills) for winning the Maryland Cyber Robotics Coding Competition.
• World Youth Day has a couple of articles and a cover photo. 
• Obit on Rev. Charles Currie by Catholic News Service.  When you quote Rep. Nancy Pelosi, you know that this is one of those priests that have led the church down the wrong path. 

Catholic Standard Update (January 10, 2019)

It has been a very long time, since I did a review of the Catholic Standard, the bi-weekly English newspaper of the Archdiocese of Washington.  I have been wanted to do this for a while, but things get in the way.

So, here is my review of the January 10th edition:

• There is a name change to the Cardinal's Appeal.  I was correct that there would be a name change and partially right about the name.   It is now known as the Annual Appeal of the Archdiocese of Washington.   
• Regarding the Annual Appeal, according to the story on Page 3, we must remember that it is not about a particular person or institution.  Yet, for the past umpteen years, we had either Cardinals McCarrick or Wuerl gracing almost every photo in relation to the appeal.  (Note: Don't give.)
• There are no photos of Cardinal Wuerl.
• Cardinal Wuerl is mentioned as the principal celebrant of the Pro-Life Mass.  This of course changed in a few days before.  
• The Financial Report for FY2017-2018 is presented.  I wanted to point out two things that I noticed.    
• The pension fund is underfunded by $27million. 
• The Archdiocese spends $6million on Catholic Education, but an additional $26million on Catholic Educational Organizations.
• Don Bosco Cristo Rey High School gets $5.9million from the Archdiocese.  This explains why the Standard seems to give a great deal of press coverage to this school.  In addition, I did not remember hearing anything when the school was being set up, that the Archdiocese would be contributing to it.

 

Does Cardinal Wuerl think he can fool us? Does he really think that we are that stupid?

Here is Cardinal Wuerl's letter to priests of the Archdiocese of Washington.  

Does he really think that the priests in the Archdiocese are that stupid?  Does he think that this letter would not get out to the faithful?

Does Chieko Noguchi, Director of Media Relations for the Archdiocese of Washington really think that we are buying this? 

Oh, and I have learned that the Cardinal's Appeal will not be called that this year.  It will be called either the "Annual Appeal" or "Archdiocese Annual Appeal." 

A Catholic priest who once earned the ire of former Speaker of the House Paul Ryan will retain his post as chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives after members of Congress, with Democrats now holding a majority of seats, voted January 3 to keep Fr. Patrick J. Conroy SJ as chaplain for the next two years as the 116th session began.


In an undated YouTube video interview that appeared in 2015, Conroy declared that Catholic doctrine regarding homosexuality is a "dead end." Suggesting that Catholic teaching is antiquated, he said, “Now, we have theology on all this stuff and the answer is ‘gays can never engage in this and can never be married.’" He said, "But that’s a theology that goes back centuries before there was any understanding of human psychology, human individuality, human sexuality and all those kinds of understandings of the human psychosis, and the human person that weren’t as complete prior to these kinds of advances in understanding.”

With catholyc theologian Nancy Pelosi at the helm, what else do you expect?  I don't think that Hyattsville will do anything about it, they are hoping to sweep Cardinal Wuerl's lie under the rug.

For the complete story, go to LifeSite News. 

"Wuerl Knew!" or "How will the Catholic Standard Spin This?"

Like I have been telling Melvin, his spouse and anyone else that would listen to me:  Cardinal Wuerl is lying when he says that he knew nothing about Cardinal McCarrick.

Well, it seems that he knew as early as 2004 about McCarrick.

Seems the spin is because he knew nothing about he payout, he is still in the clear.  

Time to stop the lies and time to come clean!

National Migration Week - Questions to Ask?

We are in the middle of the USCCB National Migration Week.   

Now, I did not realize it, until the Archdiocese of Washington advertised it the other day.

So I have a couple of questions:

• How much money does the Archdiocese of Washington takes in directly, via the Federal, State an Local government contracts, to help take care of illegal aliens?
• How much money does the Archdiocese of Washington takes in indirectly, via the Federal, State and Local government contracts to help take care of illegal aliens?
• How much money do the various diocese around the country take in via contracts (Federal, State and Local Levels)?

 I do not have an answer for it, but I know many diocese keep this sort of stuff hidden.  Why?  Because they would prefer that most do not know that they are supporting an illegal activity, and it allows them to "proselytize" indirectly.

Does anyone know how much they spend on supporting illegal aliens?

PS: Did you notice that the USCCB no longer puts their communications materials on their site, like they use to?  They want you to sign-up, so that they know exactly who is using their materials.