Let’s take a look back at the envelope box or the monthly mailing of Church support envelopes that you have typically received in past years. You might find that the box or mailing in past years included an envelope for each Sunday, Holy Day of Obligation, national collection (Bishop’s Overseas Aid Appeal, Holy Father, Holy Land, Retired Religious, Campaign for Human Development, etc.), and perhaps a few other envelopes. There was probably also an envelope for the annual contribution to the Southwest Kansas Register and to the seminary collection. Additionally, at least once a year a missionary came to speak at the parish and passed around envelopes for their cause, as well. Finally, the annual Diocesan Stewardship Appeal or DDP appeal was announced and we were asked to consider supporting this cause as well. We have all been encouraged to support each of these causes to the best of our abilities, writing separate checks for each cause, faithfully stuffing them into the appropriate envelope, and depositing them into the Sunday collection basket for distribution to the appropriate cause.

Now look at the present envelope box or monthly mailing and you might find that while an envelope exists for each Sunday or Holy Day of Obligation, gone are the national collection envelopes, the SKR and seminary envelopes, and beginning in 2004, the DSA appeal. Does that mean that all of these other collections have been abandoned and no longer deserve or need our financial support? Absolutely not! Does it mean that our individual pocketbooks have been given relief and that we now have more discretionary spending money to devote to ourselves or to other material goods? No!

The video, if you recall, outlined a change that is taking place over a three year period of time in which all of the national collections and the Diocesan Stewardship Appeal would be merged together with the Sunday contribution envelopes. You might recall the windmill with three sections including the parish, the diocese, and the greater Church and the funnel depicting how these envelopes are being merged. All of the needs of the various levels of the Catholic Church still exist, but the way in which funds are distributed to each of them is changing. The level of support needed on the part of each of us has not changed and has not been diminished through this change.

The intent of this change, in a nutshell, is to incorporate all of our giving to the Catholic Church through our gifts given each Sunday in our envelopes or offertory support. This means that if we have previously written separate additional checks for other collections, the DSA, or to the missions, that we would now add an appropriate amount to our regular Sunday offering and include it with our weekly envelope. Essentially, we could add up all of our contributions to each of these causes in the past year, divide the total by 52 weeks, and then use this amount as a starting point for our financial support to the parish. The parish, in turn, will then forward a portion of all of the Sunday collections to the diocese to support diocesan ministry as well as fund contributions to the greater Church. The diocese will then forward funds on to support these national collections.

Change often creates confusion in our lives. This change has created many questions in the minds of many of our people. This change will take a period of time to adjust to, and to train our minds how to respond. I pray that each of us will be open to understanding this process, and I would ask that God will continue to bless each of us in abundance for our generosity toward the many needs of His Church.