Gulf Pine Catholic

16 Gulf Pine Catholic • March 9, 2018 2017 Catholic Sharing Appeal Allocation My Brothers and Sisters in Christ, As the 2018 Catholic Sharing Appeal gets underway, I would like to take a moment and extend my gratitude for your prayers and support of the 2017 Appeal. Over the course of 2017, our diocesan community continued to reach out to God’s people through the various ministries of His Church. Your prayers and financial support has made this work possible. Below is a summary of how the generosity of your stewardship has become a blessing to many people in our Southern Mississippi communities. As missionary disciples of Jesus, I ask for your continued prayers and support of these important ministries. I have received many, many Mass intentions for this year’s Appeal and I want you to know that they are being kept in prayer at the Masses offered daily at the Pastoral Center. I will offer a Mass specifically for your intentions at the Cathedral later this year. Please be assured of my prayers of thanksgiving for your prayers and financial support of this annual Appeal. Sincerely in Christ, Most Reverend Louis F. Kihneman, III Bishop of Biloxi Support for Families and the Poor - $297,620 Support for Families and the Poor is the primary support for ministering to those in our community who are in the most need. Catholic Charities, formerly known as Catholic Social and Community Services, ministers to our brothers and sisters in the diocese through the “Twelve Baskets Food Bank,” diocesan-wide food pantries, social services for our elderly, disaster relief, refugee resettlement and education services, pregnancy support, and family and children basic needs support. Support for Clergy - $207,500 Support for Clergy provides help to our clergy in various ways and at various stages of the vocational lives of our priests and permanent deacons. It helps provide for the care of retired, disabled and elderly priests. It provides for the continued professional growth of our clergy through continuing education, vocations development, and seminary training. It is also provides for the men in training and formation for the diocesan Permanent Diaconate Program.