About the

Catholic Appeal

The Catholic Appeal is the annual fund that puts faith into action to support our parishes, schools, and communities.

My Dear Friends in Christ,

The Catholic Appeal is an exercise of love.

It strengthens the Archdiocese’s essential ministries, bringing awareness, care, and compassion into our parishes and communities. For many, the line between hope and despair is thin. The Appeal serves as a tangible sign of our concern for those in need and allows us to bring them the presence of the Lord, to heal brokenness and restore hope. For so very many, our outreach is the light that helps them find a way forward.

Each year, I am humbled and thankful for your generosity. I see how your gifts are carefully utilized to serve thousands of people across the Archdiocese through ministries like our hospital chaplaincy programs that bring pastoral care, spiritual guidance, and sacraments to patients and staff in dark hours of crisis. Appeal contributions also sustain vocation and youth ministry programs where the next generation is formed and prepared to lead our Church. And importantly, the Catholic Appeal strengthens our parishes so that they can flourish and grow in vibrancy as they serve the local community.

Thank you for supporting the work of the Church through your generosity and compassion.

Asking God’s blessings upon you and all whom you hold dear, I remain,

Devotedly yours in Christ,

Cardinal Seán O’Malley, O.F.M., Cap.

Your Generosity

At Work

Funds raised through the Catholic Appeal provide approximately 50% of the budget for Archdiocesan Central Ministries. These ministries make programs and services possible both within and beyond the walls of our parishes. 

Below is a list of allocated priorities you made possible in 2023.

$7,937,000 Vibrant Parishes

Services needed to ensure parishes have the resources and expertise to assist with issues of HR, IT, benefits, as well as pastoral planning; parish emergency services including risk management and property management.

$2,467,000 Faith and Formation

Support for youth, young adult and adult faith formation programs; respect life, college campus, CYO ministries, permanent diaconate program.

$2,269,000 Help for Those in Need

Chaplaincy programs in hospitals and prisons; bereavement support; palliative care; healing ministries; spiritual care for those touched by addiction.

$2,017,000 Schools and Education

Central office support for the 93 Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Boston. Formation for our Archdiocesan priests. Encouraging and fostering vocations to the priesthood, and relisious life; clergy personnel; support for seminaries.

$1,500,000 Rebates

Did you know $1.5M is returned to parishes each year as rebates to be used for their local programs?

The annual independent audit of the Archdiocese of Boston is available here.

Note: The Catholic Appeal does not provide financial support for priests on administrative leave, or the financial settlements and counseling/medication costs for victims of clergy abuse.

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The mission of the Church is to build a community of faith around the Word of God and the Eucharist… In a community of faith, we learn to worship our God, to forgive one another and to serve those around us… we must take care of each other.
Cardinal Seán O’Malley, O.F.M., Cap.

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