Shamefaced self-promotion with warm thanks to benefactors

I am deeply grateful to all of you who have subscribed to be monthly donors.  My usual practice is to write email “thank yous” when I get notifications that donations have come in.  This month it has been…let’s say hard to do that.  Nevertheless, I take note of each one with gratitude.

I remember benefactors in my prayers.   That is my duty and pleasure.

During this coming week I will say Mass for the intention of you benefactors, who have sent donations regularly, occasionally or who have sent items from my wish lists.

If this blog is useful to you, I invite more of you regular readers to consider signing up for a regular monthly donation.

Doing my taxes reveals is that the donor base has not grown… it has shrunk.    There are some pretty thin days.

If one in ten of you regular visitors would help…

In your goodness, dear readers, consider donations.

This blog is possible because there are donors and because you use my link to shop online at amazon, etc.  Amazon – darn them! – changed the way the links work and eliminated that handy search box.  But if you click that graphic on the sidebar, it’ll work the same way.

Also, please consider checking out the ads on the sidebar.  There are some great causes there, including some religious communities who depend on sales of their products for their income.

People sometimes write to ask how they can help or what they can send for occasions such as anniversaries, etc., beyond the donation option.    Here are some options which might come in handy also as you also think about your local priests.

Spiritual bouquets and Masses are welcome.  The older I get, the more the need for prayers weighs on me.

Delta (sigh) gifts cards would help.   My mother would sure appreciate more visits, if you get me.  Send that or any other online card or certificate to

Gift cards are handy for priests, by the way.  If you are ever puzzled about getting something for your local priests for birthdays or Christmas or an anniversary, etc., find out what Father uses or does – hobbies like fishing or a restaurant he likes or Amazon so he can chose books, etc. – and give your priests a hand with gift cards.  They provide flexibility.  Also, you might pool your resources with some other people and then find out if Father needs vestments or perhaps a trip to St. John Cantius or Denton, NE or other places in the UK for TLM training.

Here’s a thought.  Range time or ammo for the range (HERE or HERE).  It is amazing how many priests are both training and carrying.  Yes, I can sense the nasty emails even now as the hater libs go ballistic.  Here’s another thought.  Give your priests life memberships to the NRA.  Heh.

Also, since I am working on refreshing or acquiring new languages, perhaps Rosetta Stone online subscriptions would be handy.  Today there is a sale, as a matter of fact  As I write, it ends in about 11 hours at about Midnight CDT.  You might get a subscription for yourself, too.  The languages I would be delighted to receive in order of priority would be Chinese (Mandarin), Spanish (Spain – NOT Latin America), Russian, German.  If someone were to send, say, Urdu, that would not be near the top of my list, but I’d probably look at it anyway.  Learning a language opens new doors.

Don’t forget challenge coins!  I’ll happily exchange.  It has been a while since one came in.

I am always pleased when people help out the TMSM, of which I am the present prez.  Another cause I admire is Our Lady of Hope Clinic.  And help vocations in the Diocese of the Extraordinary Ordinary.  Tell them Fr. Z sent you.

In addition, I am always happy to receive a note from a reader describing how this blog has been helpful.  Believe me, positive feedback really makes my day.  Recently one fellow from Philly wrote: “Been reading for quite a few months now; my spiritual life and general knowledge are transforming thanks to you. The beauty and generosity of your daily Lentcazts are what really inspired me to a higher level of support.”  Another said, “Thank you for many years of enjoyable and useful reading. You have changed my understanding of what it means to be Catholic.”  Yet another wrote: “I appreciate your blog so much because of all that I learn everyday from you and some of the other commenters. It gives me the courage to do battle in my own small way and not get too discouraged.”

Note that he said: “other commenters”.    We are all in this together.

Anyway, those are a few pointers.

This sort of post is a pleasure to write insofar as I get to thank people for their generosity.

It is not so pleasurable to communicate that, well, things could be better.   I suspect many of you have that same sense these days.

Many hands make light work.

Anyway, I’m out here busking on the cyber-sidewalk with the case open.

How you can help.


 

Blessings and best.

UPDATE:

Thanks to NEW MONTHLY donor: DM, SK

Thanks for ad hoc donations: AS!!, DH,  TE, AC, MK, TO, MH, PP, SK, MK, BK, SR, RM, JH, Marian Sisters of Santa Rosa, BK

Thanks for a Rosetta Stone language: JS (6 mo credit)

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)
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