Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Pope Francis opened the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome on December 24, 2024, beginning the 2025 Jubilee year. As a Diocese, we too will participate in a renewed focus on the spiritual, ecclesial, and social impacts of the Church in Central Pennsylvania during this Jubilee year through special events, Masses, and opportunities to gather as a faith community.
In this collected effort, we are reminded of our calling to be Pilgrims of Hope in the world. Each day, we are called to live out our faith, embodying the love and teachings of Christ in our actions and interactions. Our Diocese is committed to nurturing this spirit of hope, yet we need your help to continue our mission.
Our theme for the 2025 Diocesan Annual Campaign is Living Our Faith: Pilgrims of Hope. More than 90 ministries receive DAC funds which aim to deepen our faith, strengthen our community, and reach out to those in need. Through various outreach programs, educational resources, and spiritual formation opportunities, we hope to inspire the faithful of our Diocese to embrace their role as active participants in God’s work.
Your generous support will directly impact the lives of countless individuals. One of my responsibilities as Bishop is to ensure that our Diocese supports our parishes and schools by providing resources that most cannot provide on their own. This Diocesan support enables them to effectively carry out their own parish and school ministries. Some of the resources that your gift helps us provide are:
- Formation and Continued Education: Our clergy have dedicated their lives to providing spiritual support to the faithful. Your gift ensures that those who are discerning a call to serve, and those priests and permanent deacons who have answered this call, receive ongoing formation and education. Your generosity also enables our retired clergy to receive care and support in their golden years.
- Community Outreach: Catholic Charities provides care for those most in need, from shelters to food banks, to counseling services and resources that lift people up. For more than 80 years, Catholic Charities in Harrisburg has been working to serve others.
- Youth Engagement: From sacramental preparation to CYO programs for our youth, to Catholic Campus Ministry efforts on 12 local college campuses, our youth and young adults have opportunities to grow their faith. Catholic education, through parish-based programs and our 34 elementary and high schools, continues to thrive in Central Pennsylvania.
- Catechetical Certification: Support for certification for religion teachers in our schools and religious education programs and training for Marriage Mentor couples who prepare engaged couples to receive the Sacrament of Marriage provides the foundation for spiritual growth in our youth and newly married couples.
- Pilgrimages and Spiritual Retreats: In 2025, there will be more opportunities for parishioners to deepen their faith through travel and reflection. Events and conferences for families, youth, educators, volunteers, and the faithful provide time to gather, worship, and pray together.
As we reflect on the blessings we have received, please prayerfully consider how you can give back to your parish and the Diocese of Harrisburg. Your gift, no matter the size, will make a significant difference. Together, we can embody the spirit of the Jubilee year through the 2025 DAC, Living our Faith, Pilgrims of Hope. You can send your gift using the envelope enclosed, drop your gift off at your parish, or visit our website at www.hbgdiocese.org/DAC to make your gift or learn more about the DAC.
Thank you for your continued support and for being a vital part of our Diocese. As Pope Francis wrote: “Hope is a task that Christians have a duty to cultivate and put to good use for the sake of all their brothers and sisters (Hope Is A Light In The Night, “Introduction” 2024).” Together, let us walk as pilgrims of hope, sharing the gifts that God has blessed us with, so that Christ’s grace will continue to touch people’s hearts throughout our Diocese because of hope-filled, generous people like you.
Sincerely in Christ,
Most Reverend Timothy C. Senior
Bishop of Harrisburg
All monies raised for the DAC are only used for the programs, services and ministries for which they are designated. No gifts to the DAC are used to satisfy legal fees or settlement costs associated with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg’s reorganization. A listing of all DAC allocations may be found at www.hbgdiocese.org/diocesan-annual-campaign.
What exactly does the DAC fund?
The DAC funds services provided by the Diocese of Harrisburg across Central Pennsylvania, including:
· Meals and beds in homeless shelters
· Ministry to those in Prison
· Counseling Services
· Marriage Preparation for Engaged Couples
· Marriage Enrichment and Retreats
· Family-Based Mental Health Services
· Ministry to Divorced and Separated Catholics
· Programs for Persons with Special Needs
· Support to Expecting Moms and Families
· Foster Care Training and Adoption Services
· Catholic Cemeteries
· The Catholic Witness and Social Media
· Campus Ministry at colleges within our diocese
· Men’s and Women’s Conferences
· Vocation promotion and recruitment
· Seminarian Formation
· Formation/Continuing Formation of Priests and Deacons
· Youth Protection and Safe Environment
· Liturgical Minister Training
The DAC pays for resources having a direct impact on Good Shepherd Parish ministries and programing, including:
· Resources for our Parish Religious Education Program
· Adult Faith Formation and RCIA
· Youth and Young Adult Ministries
· Workshops/training for Father Sullivan and the parish staff
· Permanent Diaconate Formation Program in which our parishioner Mike Nowakowski participates
· Training of Ministers of Holy Communion
· Medical Ethics consulting for end-of-life issues
· Diocesan Tribunal in applying Church law and marriage
The DAC pays for services Good Shepherd would have to contract independently:
· Technology and Computer Services
· Management of Employee Benefits, Health Care Plan, and Payroll Processing
· Discounted purchasing power and bill-paying
· Access to Legal Counsel
· Safety and Security Inspections
· Property and Liability Insurance
Contributing to the DAC allows us to share in the care of the larger church, provide services to others, and receive direct services to our parish.