WHO WE SUPPORT
As a Church, we are stronger together. The impact of your gift is essential to the people of our archdiocese and the mission given to us by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
If not for the commitment of parishioners throughout the Archdiocese of Indianapolis to the United Catholic Appeal each year, the ability to provide vital services and ministries in central and southern Indiana would be impossible. The appeal is the primary source of funds for many programs and ministries that go beyond the scope of any individual parish and are only made possible through your collective generosity.
2024 United Catholic Appeal Goal: $6.3 million
Teaching
Jesus was a teacher, and teaching is our foundation. We must be properly formed as catechists for acts of shepherding and service to flow from us. The appeal directly impacts each parish – supporting our current priests, training our future priests and deacons, and teaching children and adults to know, love and serve Jesus. Your gifts to the United Catholic Appeal provide:
-
Education, tuition assistance, and care for seminarians
-
Formation for our deacons
-
Ongoing support and formation for our priests
-
Training for lay ministers and extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist
-
Formation and support resources for Catholic school leaders and teachers, catechetical leaders, and catechists
“There is just no way I could have navigated my journey through the seminary without the support that was given to me by the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. The whole time that I was in formation, I understood that it was the people of God in central and southern Indiana that made that possible. What we offer to our men is extraordinary but necessary. We have committed ourselves as an archdiocese to be present to young men as they walk through the process of discernment. Because we don’t just need priests. We need good, holy, healthy, happy priests. To ensure that people are around them to help them discern and grow in that holiness and happiness, we need the resources of the United Catholic Appeal.”
- Very Rev. Eric M. Johnson,
Episcopal vicar for clergy, religious life
and parish life coordinators;
Sacramental minister, St. Agnes, Nashville
Shepherding
We are called to be a light for all people, responding in faith, hope, and love. It is our time to remember the real and everlasting presence of Jesus Christ in our midst and how our faith brings truth and strength not only to our own lives but to those around us. Our archdiocesan ministries and programs allow us to walk alongside those who are on their faith journey, as well as those who are lost and in need of God’s healing. Your gifts to the United Catholic Appeal:
-
Form and walk beside young adults seeking the faith
-
Celebrate and affirm cultural diversity in our Church
-
Walk with those hurting or in crisis
-
Uphold the sacredness of marriage and support and strengthen families
-
Welcome and include persons with disabilities
-
Promote the dignity of life
“On the 1st evening meeting, I was a little nervous never being involved in a group setting talking about my mental health issues. But the leader, Chuck, put me at ease in sharing personal information with the group and the scriptures tied in perfectly with my struggles! The structure of each meeting also was nice and Chuck's music ended the evening with joy and a feeling of peace! Overall, Project Hope was a wonderful experience and helped me through a tough time in my life!”
- Project Hope mental health ministry member
Serving
We exist to serve. We serve not because the people we are serving are Catholic, but because we are Catholic. Through various agencies, ministries, and programs, including Catholic Charities and our Mother Theodore Catholic Academies, we care for the needs of the whole person, including physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual needs. Your gifts to the United Catholic Appeal:
-
Feed those who are hungry and provide shelter for those in need
-
Offer affordable counseling and mental health services to all ages
-
Reach out to immigrants, refugees, and asylees
-
Assist mothers who have chosen life for their babies
-
Provide low-income and minority students from the heart of Indianapolis the solid foundation of a Catholic Education.
-
Care for priests who have retired from active ministry
“Catholic Charities in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis has served our communities for over 100 years. In the past two years, we have served over 250,000 people through all the areas where we are situated in the Archdiocese. With that, we’ve seen more people needing temporary housing, more people needing food. There has been a great increase in the need for mental health. The one message that we always want to give to the people that we serve is the message of hope. We seek to learn the whole stories of the people we serve and provide comprehensive services.”
- David Bethuram,
Executive Director, Catholic Charities
of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis
