Shared Ministries of the RCAB

Through your support of the Catholic Appeal, you provide the essential funding for everything we do as a Church at the Archdiocesan level. The Catholic Appeal contributes 82% of the Archdiocesan Central Operating Fund.

Your Catholic Appeal contribution helps:

• Hand on our faith to young Catholics and Converts
• Support priests, seminarians and all those that offer their lives to serve us
• Give Cardinal Seán and our regional bishops the resources they need to serve and guide our Church
• Strengthen our parishes, schools and agencies through the assistance of many central ministries and programs
• Share some of God’s blessings to you with those in need

Specific Contributions are directed to 5 budget areas:

• Education, Formation & Evangelization
• Cardinal’s and Bishops’ Ministries
• Specialized Services to Parishes
• General and Operational Services
• Costs for the Catholic Appeal

Education, Formation & Evangelization

One of our most important tasks as Catholics is to hand on our faith to others, particularly our children and grandchildren. Because of your generosity, we are able to help educate thousands of students in Catholic schools, religious education programs and in the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults. Your gifts make possible ministries that serve youth, young adults, engaged and married couples, ethnic apostolates and the deaf community. Your contributions help prepare future priests, deacons and lay leaders for their service to us. You also help bring our faith joyfully to others through our publications, websites, chaplaincies and outreach ministries.

The Central Operating Fund, of which 81.8% of the funding comes from The Catholic Appeal, supports the following offices and ministries for Education, Formation & Evangelization:

• Catholic School Office
• Office of Religious Education
• Youth Ministry
• Young Adult Ministry
• Life and Family Ministries
• Marriage Preparation, Enrichment and Education
• Natural Family Planning
• Family Faith Formation
• Separated/Divorced Ministry
• Bereavement Ministry
• Ministries to over 30 cultural, ethnic and language apostolates
• Lay Ecclesial Ministries
• Worship and Spiritual Life
• Archdiocesan Pastoral Council
• Logan Airport Chaplaincy
• Ecumenical Commission
• Campus Ministry
• Vocations Office
• Support to Seminarians and Priests in Graduate Studies
• Permanent Diaconate
• Massachusetts Catholic Conference
• Pro-Life Office
• Respect Life Office
• The Pilot
• Archdiocesan Communications
• Radio Apostolate
• Catholic Directory
• Archdiocesan Bicentennial Initiatives

Cardinal's and Bishops' Ministries

As Archbishop, Cardinal Sean has the responsibility of serving and guiding our Archdiocese through his preaching, teaching, and decision-making. Since the Archdiocese of Boston is one of the largest dioceses in the country, Cardinal Sean relies on the help of regional bishops, the Vicar General, pastors, clergy, religious, lay leaders and the professional staff that support all of them. Because of your generous support of the Appeal, Cardinal Sean and our regional bishops have the resources to help carry out their service.

The Central Operating Fund, of which 81.8% of the funding comes from The Catholic Appeal, supports the following offices and ministries related to the work of Cardinal Seán and our Bishops:

• Cardinal's Office
• Regional Bishops
• Vicar General & Moderator of the Curia
• Canonical Affairs
• Presbyteral Council
• Clergy Support and Ongoing Formation
• Clergy Personnel Office
• Delegate for Religious
• Archdiocesan fair-share of USCCB operations
• Archives
• Major liturgies at the Cathedral
• Cardinal’s Special Initiative Fund

Specialized Services to Parishes

Parishes are vibrant hubs of Catholic sacramental activity and the primary place where Catholics live their faith. The Archdiocese provides and coordinates services that assist parishes in their mission and minimize unnecessary duplication of activity across our many parish communities. Through your support of the Appeal, the Archdiocese assists with benefits, human resources, facilities, engineering, real estate, planning, systems, information technology, insurance and other services. Your contributions also provide subsidies to inner city parishes, fund the work of the Marriage Tribunal and help make available other specialized resources for parishes or parishioners in need.

The Central Operating Fund, of which 81.8% of the funding comes from The Catholic Appeal, supports the following offices and ministries providing Specialized Services to assist Parishes:

• Benefits and Human Resources
• Facilities & Real Estate
• Parish Planning & Systems
• Management Information Systems
• Insurance
• Regional Services Ministry
• Plannin and Research
• Marriage Tribunal
• Training Initiatives & Subsidies
• Mail Services
• Emergency parish staffing
• Fall Fundraising Forums & other parish fundraising counsel
• Planned Giving & Capital Campaign Management
• Parish Emergency Assistance
• Financial Support to Poor/Inner-City Parishes

General and Operational Services

Like any family or parish, the Archdiocese has important operational costs for rent, utilities, and professional services (e.g. financial statement preparation, real estate, and legal counsel for receiving wills and estate gifts). Many dioceses throughout the country fund these expenses with a "tax" on parishes. In the Archdiocese of Boston, we rely primarily on support through the Catholic Appeal to meet these costs.

The Central Operating Fund, of which 81.8% of the funding comes from The Catholic Appeal, supports the following offices and expenses:

• Chancellor's Office
• General Corporate and Professional Service Expenses
• Financial & Annual Reporting Initiatives
• Buildings Lease Costs
• Real Estate Costs
• Debt Service
• Capital Improvements

Cost of Catholic Appeal

All the direct costs of operating the Catholic Appeal: mailings, videos, websites, parish communications and other costs.