Catholic Arkansas Sharing Appeal 2021

Published: February 6, 2021

Bishop Anthony B. Taylor recorded the following homily to be played at all Masses in Arkansas on Feb. 6-7, 2021.

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Bishop Taylor

Last February, when I spoke with you about our annual CASA appeal, our annual Catholic Arkansas Sharing Appeal, I had no idea how difficult things would become just one month later when the coronavirus struck Arkansas, shutting our churches for seven weeks starting in March, confining us in our homes, causing for many a reduction in income due to closed businesses or reduced hours at work.

And of course, for far too many, severe illness and death. I am very proud of the generous spirit with which our people made the sacrifices necessary to comply with all the protocols, which none of us like — especially mask wearing and physical distancing — but so necessary for the common good.

And I can report that due to these protocols, there has not been a single case of known transmission of the virus during Mass in any of our 130 churches. Your generous spirit is also obvious in your response to last year’s CASA campaign, to which you gave as much as in other years, despite the pandemic and its effects, thanks to which we have been able to continue operations amid all the restrictions imposed on us by COVID-19.

Today I come before you to ask you to do the same this year. CASA funds the operations of the diocese, including the offices that support ministry that occurs in your parish, plus services and programs that go beyond what any parish could ever do on its own. For instance, we have 40 men in training for the permanent diaconate and 30 men studying for the priesthood.

In last year’s message I gave you a long list of offices and services that are funded each year through CASA. There has been no change in that list, which you can also find in this week’s issue of the Arkansas Catholic, so in the interest of brevity I will not repeat that list now. Instead I will just ask you to be generous with your tithe, giving 10 percent back to the Lord.

Our rule of thumb is 1 percent of your annual income to CASA, 5 percent to your local parish and 4 percent to other charities, for instance Catholic schools or Catholic charities.

Also this year, since we have so many vulnerable people still attending Mass virtually in their homes due to COVID-19, we have also sent out a mailing to everyone on last year’s mailing list in addition to this in-pew solicitation. I trust that everyone will give to CASA in this unusual year if they possibly can.

Thank you so much for your faithfulness and for your generosity.  And let us all pray that life will soon return to normal!