“The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a person took and sowed in a field. It is the smallest of all the seeds, yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants. It becomes a large bush, and the ‘birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.’” MT 13: 31-32

The annual Catholic Ministries Appeal (CMA) will begin in parishes later this month. “The CMA is the annual archdiocesan effort to provide operational funding for six regional ministries that work to teach, feed, and heal,” said Ryan Lopez, director of operations for the archdiocesan stewardship office.

The six ministries include: miami St. Rita School for the Deaf; Seminary and Vocations; Catholic Charities and Social Services; Campus, Hospital, and Prison Ministries; Retired Archdiocesan Priests; and the New Evangelization.

St. Rita School for the Deaf

For over 100 years, St. Rita School for the Deaf has met the educational and social needs of children who are deaf or have communication needs. Students are provided educational opportunities and language development to become successful within the path they choose. The school educates students in grades pre-K through 12.

Seminary and Vocations

The Athenaeum of Ohio, which is also home to Mount St. Mary’s Seminary of the West, is the premier center of Catholic formation sponsored by the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. In addition to seminarian education, the Athenaeum offers diaconate formation and lay pastoral ministry programs.

This year eight new seminarians began their journey toward becoming a priest. This spring, God willing, nine men will be ordained to the priesthood.

Retired Archdiocesean Priests

Many priests continue their ministry for years after retirement by assisting pastors with weekend services, hearing confessions, visiting the sick, and more. The CMA assists retired priests through contributions to the Priest Retirement Plan.

Catholic Charities and Social Services

People served by these organizations are witnesses to your generosity. These organizations feed the hungry, provide disaster recovery and emergency relief, pregnancy counseling, mental health counseling, Su Casa Hispanic services, senior services, and more.

Catholic Social Services of the Miami Valley serves: Auglaze, Drake, Greene, Mercer, Miami, Montgomery, Preble, and Shelby counties.

Catholic Charities Southwestern Ohio serves Adams, Brown, Butler, Clark, Champaign, Clermont, Clinton, Hamilton, Highland, Logan, and Warren counties.

Campus, Hospital, and Prison Ministries

Hospital Ministry: Catholic chaplains and lay pastoral ministers at local hospitals offer prayer, the sacraments, companionship before surgery, and a listening presence to those in need.

Campus Ministry: Catholic Campus Ministry helps keep those in college connected with their Catholic faith. The CMA supports Campus Ministry at the University of Cincinnati, Miami University, and Wright State University.

Prison Ministry: The incarcerated receive support through RCIA classes, the celebration of Mass, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and other faith-based programs. The ministry serves at Lebanon Correctional, Warren Correctional, and Dayton Correctional Institutions.

New Evangelization

The Church exists to evangelize. Your support of the CMA is vital to continuing evangelization and discipleship ministries throughout the Archdiocese. Programs such as the School of Faith for our Catholic school teachers and staff and the Contagiously Catholic Parish Alliance assists people to encounter Christ in their own lives and equip them to walk with others in their journey of faith.

Lopez said that within each of these six “umbrella” ministries are other efforts – programs and ministries that serve people in need in the archdiocese in many ways. Parishioners from every parish in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati participate to make the annual appeal a success.

The goal for the 2019 CMA is $5 million. Last year, just over $5.3 million was pledged to the appeal.

For more information about the CMA, visit www.CatholicAppeal.info.

2019 CMA Retired Priests Video from Archdiocese of Cincinnati on Vimeo.