Story by Reagan Scott
LINCOLN (SNR) - The weekend of Sept. 28-29 marks the start of the Bishop’s Appeal for Vocations, an annual campaign that supports the education of the diocese’s seminarians.
This year, the cost of educating the 37 men discerning a call to the priesthood is over $1.5 million, or 22 percent of the diocese’s operating budget. Each year, the diocese meets its goal with $5,000 from each seminarian, money set aside in endowments and burses, and the generosity of donors across the diocese.
Each parish has its own fundraising goal and Father Eric Clark, the director of the Bishop’s Appeal for Vocations, is hoping that all 137 parishes in the diocese will be able to meet theirs this year.
If every parish were to meet their goal, that amount would total $765,000. However, many parishes exceed their goals, and last year’s appeal collected just over $1.05 million.
Father Clark’s other goals are that 25 percent of the laity in the diocese will participate in the appeal, and that the average pledge per person will total $200.
“If we can have 25 percent of parishioners participate, I believe that 100 percent of parishes will reach their goal,” he said.
The Bishop’s Appeal for Vocations can have a very personal impact on those who donate. Any of the diocese’s priests who benefitted from an education subsidized by donations to the appeal could be assigned to serve the parish of someone who contributed.
Father Andrew Schwenka, who was ordained this year, said, “I am sincerely grateful to all the faithful in the diocese of Lincoln for supporting my discernment and vocation to the priesthood.”
Deacon Robert Froeschl, a Theology Four student at Mount Saint Mary Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md., said he is grateful for the experience and privilege to have a dedicated time for study of the Catholic faith. His favorite part of seminary has been the time he has spent with the Scriptures, and he said that his education has really brought them to life.
“I’m really grateful for this opportunity,” he said. “I think that the cost [of seminary education] would be prohibitive for myself and the other guys without the Bishop’s Appeal for Vocations. It takes a weight off my shoulders.”
The Lincoln Serra Club is a group of Catholic men in the Diocese of Lincoln associated with Serra International that supports and encourages vocations to the priesthood and religious life. The Serra Club has offered to assist parishes in the diocese in carrying out the Bishop’s Appeal for Vocations.
“We need good and holy priests because they are crucial for the future of the Church,” said Bill Stull, a member of St. Joseph Parish in Lincoln and a district governor for Serra International.
“They keep us close to the Lord as they administer the sacraments and they guide us in our spiritual lives,” he said.
The theme for this year’s Bishop’s Appeal for Vocations is “Anointed to Preach the Good News” (Luke 4:18).
“Priests and deacons are anointed as ordained ministers to preach the good news of our salvation in Jesus Christ,” Father Schwenka said. “In carrying forth Christ’s own mission, we are sent ‘to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.’” (Luke 4:18-19)
Father Clark said that while most of the news that we hear today is bad, the Gospel is the good news.
He said, “The fact that we have 37 seminarians is probably the best news we have in the diocese.”
Deacon Froeschl is looking forward to returning next year to serve as a priest for the diocese.
“If you want priests, we need the support of the Church, not just financially. I am very grateful already for the moral and spiritual support I’ve received from my community of Falls City, and I’m grateful to the people of the Lincoln Diocese. I’m really excited to be with them next year.”
Pledge cards will be handed out to parishioners in every parish the weekend of Sept. 28 and 29 but donations can be made online as well.
To give online visit https://lincolndiocese.aware3.net/give/. After entering an amount, users should select their parish in the first drop down menu under “gift to” and select “Bishop’s Appeal for Vocations 2019” from the second drop-down menu.
