From what I have picked up, many people these days look at annual diocesan fundraising drives and campaigns with deep suspicion or even resentment. I have received numerous emails asking about the morality of cutting off money to dioceses or to parishes because of, especially, The Present Crisis and feckless, untrustworthy leadership.
All of us understand our obligation to provide for the needs of the Church. However, all of us want our contributions to mean something and not to see them go down some rat hole. I am often asked about trustworthy causes to which you can donate.
I will repeat what I have posted in the past and suggest the TMSM, of which I am president, and also the wonderful Our Lady of Hope Clinic.
Right now, however, I’d like also to suggest a contribution to the Diocese of Madison, in remembrance of the Extraordinary Ordinary, the late, great Bishop Morlino. He really stood up tall when The Present Crisis flamed up.
You might take a moment to watch this video. I know… I know… I dislike these annual campaign videos too. However, this one has the last video taken of Bp. Morlino. It was recorded the day before he had his heart attack and subsequent death.
It is bittersweet, to be sure.
I can say this: contribution to the Madison campaign will accomplish good things. I know what is going on around here. For example, we have more seminarians than many dioceses that are far larger. Yesterday, the Vocation Director and a seminarian and I had breakfast after our celebration of a Sunday TLM. We are carrying on on the trajectory set by our late chief. One of the things we spoke about was the upcoming 1st Mass of a man to be ordained in June: once again a TLM 1st Mass.
There is a Memorial Fund for Bp. Morlino, aimed at building a new cathedral. The old one was the victim of arson many years ago.
There is the annual campaign.
In any event, … here is the annul appeal video. Featured in it also are the parents of our aforementioned Vocation Director.
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That was a very touching video. The couple who shared their life and journey were inspiring people. I can’t help but think how wonderful our world would be if everyone were the kind of Christians they are, really living their faith and raising and helping all those children to also be good Christians. God bless them. Seeing Bishop Morlino must be very sad for all who know him and love him. God rest his soul.
Father Zed~
Do you think Madison will get a new Ordinary that will continue in Bishop Morlino’s footsteps oe will he try to undo everything?
[We are praying. Many are praying. I am confident in God’s goodness.]
I have long supported the archdiocesan appeal in Denver, even before the current Archbishop. However I was stunned at the tone-deafness of a recent thank you note. It included the line “thank you for your added sacrifice to join this prestigious circle of givers”. If there’s a circle of folks seeking accolades for financial contributions, i shudder to think where Dante would have placed it.
Bishop Morlino’s wave at the end of the video– it looked like a goodbye wave to us. Very touching. Yes, bittersweet. He did not look well, perhaps a recent fall. Thankfully his suffering did not last longer. And now… he knows! He knows what we can think we know, and sometimes imagine– but he knows what is still mystery to us. What a joy!
Praying for the Holy Spirit to send a good bishop to Madison, who will shepherd and love God’s people entrusted to him.
Father Z, can you tell us: is it possible to give to a diocese (including in response to their annual campaign), but to “earmark” the donation for a specific purpose? For example, send the check with a letter that says “to be used specifically for support of seminarian formation at X seminary. And on the check, in the note section, write in “restricted funds for seminarian formation”.
I understand that while a diocese financial statement will have several categories of funds that similarly look attractive as fund-raising purposes, any diocese will ALSO need basic running expenses for maintaining the chancery, the tribunal, health insurance, etc., which people probably not choose to support directly with restricted funds. So (by and large) a bishop needs SOME unrestricted funds. But more likely than not, even if lots and lots of people choose to make their donation restricted, there will still be plenty who don’t.
The reality is that far more than half the dioceses are paying “blood money” amounts due to 2 kinds of malfeasance: (1), in knowingly screwing up the seminarian filter process to both accept homosexual seminarians, and to send away well qualified orthodox candidates who were labeled as “too rigid”; and (2) in covering over Fr. Limp-wrist’s sexual abuse of others with inadequate responses. But this malfeasance is not something that ordinary Catholics in the pews were in support of, so it is hard to see why they should have to pay the price, the blood money, to handle the law suits. Certainly not with NEW funds.
Moreover, Canon Lawyer Ed Peters points out that parish assets (such as churches, schools, and rectories) are NOT supposed to be simply sold off to help the diocesan coffers: at the close of a parish, the parish goods are supposed to be paid over to whatever new parish arrangement will be caring for those members of the church in their new parish.
I say, let the bishops who were guilty of malfeasance pay for the lawsuits from their own personal funds. And then let them declare bankruptcy, and be removed from office for malfeasance, and be sent on their way with a coat and hat and a bicycle. It is only a pity that a great many of the bishops who STARTED their dioceses down the hell-hole are now long gone, and the bishops now in place are just plodding around hoping the ruins don’t fall on them. (At least, the ones who aren’t completely deluded like Card. Cupich.)
[Madison makes it possible to “earmark” some donations. Check it out. HERE]
It would be nice if we could give it to Pregnancy Centers! [You can always give to the CLINIC I mention at the top!] That would boost outreach and have such a trickle effect … they’re doing the Lords work in our day of age.
I hope someone can solve the conundrum. To think Paying the very Beasts attacking the Faithful!
Remember, friends, I posted this because I hope you will contribute to the Tridentine Mass Society of Madison or to the Diocese of Madison.
Madison… not some other place!
o{]:¬)
Thank you for the Direction to the Clinic! That will be a great. I’m hoping at some point someone higher up can circumvent this for the Laity funneling it into Anti•Abortion causes and all the other attacks on Gods Commandments.
God works mysteriously and sometimes bad can lead to good. I get it, it’s harder for the appetite of the Laity in America to “willingly” feed the beast machine… there are far greater injustices in the 3rd world and for the most part have a stiff upper lip due to the everyday sobriety they face.
I wary of contributing to TMSM only due to the fact there is no one at the helm and it could come to pass that Madison faces the same chaos the European Religious communities ( that got pretty much disbanded solely because of their Traditional ways)… I’m waiting when you will let us know how everything gets arranged there. It’ll be a good indicator who gets the Seat
@Father Zuhlsdorf
It’s a Chess game to be sure… What’s the next move look like?
Hopefully not this:
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/conservative-order-of-nuns-on-verge-of-destruction-following-vatican-interv
MrsAnchor says:
I wary of contributing to TMSM only due to the fact there is no one at the helm and it could come to pass that Madison faces the same chaos the European Religious communities ( that got pretty much disbanded solely because of their Traditional ways)… I’m waiting when you will let us know how everything gets arranged there. It’ll be a good indicator who gets the Seat
I will say so Fr. Z does not have to. (Again)
Don’t be wary of contributing to the TMSM. They are doing good work and there is someone (Fr. Z) at the helm.
It is entirely possible (which God forfend) that Madison could receive a bishop who is not supportive of the TMSM but if the TMSM is receiving many substantial donations from all over the country (or even from all over the world) do you suppose he would be likely to interfere with the Goose that lays the Golden Egg?
If, under Fr. Z, there is a community of well adjusted Catholics who don’t give trouble to the chancery, who pay their own bills, who volunteer for the (good) activities of the diocese, it would take a really ideological bishop to interfere with that in a diocese that cannot even afford to build a cathedral.
It would be a good idea to review Fr. Z’s rules of engagement for implementing Summorum Pontificum again. At TMSM they are riding the bike! They deserve the support which people are able to give them.
@Fr Kelly – Yes, Thank you Father
This video is so touching in so many ways. I love that family and their priest son! We will pray for Madison to reach it’s goal and if we can afford a donation we will give. We are still praying for a new bishop for you all. I am so touched to see Bishop Morlino one last time. May his reward be great in heaven! Prayers to him for a new bishop for you all.