2026 CATHOLIC MINISTRIES APPEAL KICKOFF
This weekend, we join with other parishes across the Diocese to kick off the 2026 Catholic Ministries Appeal. As we prepare for the season of Lent, and then journey through the holy season of Lent, let us hear the call to deepen our faith through the traditional practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.
Our parish and our Diocese offer many opportunities for prayer throughout this season, and we are encouraged to practice fasting to strengthen our relationship with God. Through our support of the Catholic Ministries Appeal (CMA), we participate in almsgiving as we join with fellow Catholics across the Diocese and make a gift to serve others in our Faith community. There is no better time to reflect on God’s infinite love and to open our hearts and hands to those around us who are in need.
Because of you and your gifts to the CMA, we can touch the lives of so many people in our community. Gifts to the Catholic Ministries Appeal assist seminarians and those in the diaconate program with their education costs. The CMA also funds various youth and young adult programs across our Diocese, including campus ministry programs at Long Island colleges. Catholic Charities of Long Island receives funding from the CMA as well so that they can help the community in need, such as seniors, veterans, and the families who are struggling. Whatever your plans are for the upcoming Lenten season, please also consider adding a gift to the CMA as a part of your almsgiving. This important appeal helps so many people across Long Island. We cannot do this work without you!
Please also remember, 100% of every dollar raised is restricted to fund the objectives, programs, and mission supported by the Catholic Ministries Appeal.
Finally, if you are unable to make a gift at this time due to circumstances in your life, please reach out at any time, so that we may help you in any way that we can. You are never alone, and your church community is always here to support you.
For more information about the Catholic Ministries Appeal, please call 516-678-5800 ext. 296 or visit CatholicMinistriesAppeal.org
Thank you so much to all of you who support the Appeal!
CMA Frequently Asked Questions
WHAT IS THE CATHOLIC MINISTRIES APPEAL MONEY USED FOR?
100% of every dollar raised is restricted to fund the objectives, programs, and mission supported by the Catholic Ministries Appeal. Touching each of our 133 parishes and more than 600,000 people each year, together we are building a community of faith, hope and love for so many. Some of the areas include:
• Priests’, Deacons’ and lay leaders’ education and formation
• Food programs for seniors, low-income families and women and their children
• Affordable and safe housing for seniors, veterans and adults with mental and physical disabilities
• Faith Formation, including Baptismal Preparation, Pre-Cana and RCIA programs
• Respect Life Initiatives
• Religious education for hundreds of thousands of students
• Youth, Campus, and Young Adult Ministries
• Substance abuse services and day treatment programs
• Hospital ministry to those who are ill and their families
• Prison Ministry
• Catholic Diversity Initiatives
There is no organization or body on Long Island that provides the breadth and depth of spiritual and social services to so many individuals and families as the Catholic Church.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE WAYS MY GIFT MAY BE USED?
Gifts are used to live and share our faith, care for God’s people and help to build God’s Kingdom. For example, a gift of:
• $25 may help pay the gas for a Meals-On-Wheels van to deliver food for a day.
• $50 may help pay for teaching materials for a volunteer Catechist.
• $100 may help care for a newborn in the Catholic Charities Regina Maternity Case Management Program.
• $250 may help subsidize housing for a developmentally disabled adult.
• $1,000 may help support the formation of our Seminarians.
HOW IS OUR PARISH GOAL SET?
An advisory committee of Pastors recommends the CMA goal formula by which parish goals are set. The formula for each parish is based on recent average offertory figures and the Consumer Price Index.
WHY DOES THE CHURCH NEED MY MONEY?
Many important ministries and services are beyond the resource of any one parish. It would be impossible for an individual parish to duplicate the scope of ministries and services provided by the Diocese. In the same way as our own households require steady income, our Church needs funds to keep vital programs open and operating and to create new programs and services.
HOW CAN YOU ASK FOR MONEY WHEN MANY MAY BE STRUGGLING AND WORRIED ABOUT FINANCES?
Even before the pandemic, underemployment, hunger and homelessness continue to plague many residents of our Long Island Community. Also, the high cost of housing has put a big burden on Long Island residents. Programs supported by the Catholic Ministries Appeal are valuable resources to families and individuals who may be underemployed. Every gift counts no matter the amount!
WHY SHOULD I GIVE TO THE APPEAL?
As Pope Francis has said, "Holiness doesn't mean doing extraordinary things but doing ordinary things with love and faith." A simple donation to the Catholic Ministries Appeal supports extraordinary programs of formation and pastoral care to people in need.
HOW MUCH SHOULD I GIVE?
Every gift, no matter the size, helps make a difference. Only you can decide your gift size. Prayerfully consider an amount that you can afford to give each month. Pledging allows you to make a larger-sized gift without stretching your monthly budget. Whatever your gift, we appreciate your contribution. In 2021 the average gift to the Catholic Ministries Appeal was $330.
I’D RATHER GIVE DIRECTLY TO MY PARISH OR PASTOR THAN TO THE CMA.
Through the Catholic Ministries Appeal, all parishes unite and become the instruments of God’s love as we support and sustain the essential programs and services which educate the young, care for our seniors, feed the hungry, and strengthen our Catholic faith in our homes, parishes and communities within our wider Long Island community.
Additionally, the CMA gives back a share of the donated funds to individual parishes. Parishes that meet their Appeal goals receive rebates that can be used at their discretion. Some parishes use the rebate for general operating expenses; others make special purchases, such as improving technology, altar linens, or capital improvements, such as doors, lighting and or making parish centers more accessible for people with disabilities. Last year parishes received back more than $1.5 million in rebates. When giving to the Appeal, donors are simultaneously giving to their parish and to others in need in our shared faith community.
CAN I MAKE A GIFT OF STOCK OR SECURITIES?
Appreciated securities can help donors make larger gifts to the Appeal. These gifts are most welcome and can provide significant tax advantages to the donor. Contact the Appeal Office at (516) 678-5800 Ext. 296 for written instructions or call your CMA representative directly.
CAN I MAKE THE DIOCESE OR MY PARISH A BENEFICIARY IN MY WILL?
Yes. This type of gift is deeply appreciated. To explore specific options, please call (516) 678-5800 ext. 296 for more information.
CAN I USE A CREDIT CARD TO MAKE PAYMENTS?
Yes. Make your credit card payment via our secure, online donation page at CatholicMinistriesAppeal.org or call the CMA office (516) 678-5800 Ext. 296. Credit card payments can be made monthly, quarterly, or semi-annually.
CAN I PARTICIPATE IN THE NEW IRA CHARITABLE ROLLOVER?
If you are at least 70 1/2 years old on the date you make your gift and your IRA is a traditional or Roth, you can transfer up to $100,000 per year from your IRA to charity – without incurring income taxes today or estate tax in the future. Call (516) 678-5800 Ext. 257 for more information.