Development

The Catholic Diocese of Santa Rosa, a family of Catholic Communities, is called to deeper discipleship and stewardship in the mission of Jesus Christ.

Established in 1962, the Diocese of Santa Rosa includes:
40 parish communities,
22 missions,
14 schools and numerous centers across six counties of California’s sweeping North Coast.

* STEWARDSHIP
* ANNUAL MINISTRY APPEAL
* CAPITAL CAMPAIGN
* PLANNED GIVING
* SECOND COLLECTIONS
* WAYS TO GIVE
* CONTACT US

STEWARDSHIP

Stewardship is a spiritual concept that defines and describes our personal relationship with God. It expresses our gratitude for all of God’s gifts to us and acknowledges our dependence on God’s love and mercy . This spirituality motivates us to live our lives for God and to actively use all that He has given us to serve Him.

Our Bishops encourage four key steps to stewardship:

  • ACCEPT GOD’S GIFTS IN GRATITUDE
    All that we have, our lives, health, family, friends, financial capability, creative or physical attributes, come from a loving God. We should accept them while always giving HIm thanks.
  • NURTURE THESE GIFTS LOVINGLY
    Musicians study and practice – as do athletes – we should, too. Every gift can likely be enhanced – we should also take care of our bodies, and the environment – the air that we breathe, the water that we drink.
  • SHARE OUR GIFTS GENEROUSLY
    These were not given us for our sole enjoyment; rather, we have been put in charge of them and it’s up to us to see that we, our family, and others benefit from them.
  • RETURN ALL TO GOD AT THE END OF TIME – WITH AN INCREASE
    Increase occurs when we enhance the basic gifts God gave us (through study and practice), and it happens when we use a gift for someone else and our act inspires that someone to live their life more for God. (USCCB Pastoral Letter; “Stewardship – A Disciple’s Response” 1992)

  STEWARDSHIP IS MORE ABOUT  THE DISCIPLE’S NEED TO GIVE THAN ABOUT  SOMEONE ELSE’S NEED TO RECEIVE!


ANNUAL MINISTRY APPEAL

The ministries of the Diocese of Santa Rosa provide education, enrichment, hope, care, social services and opportunities for spiritual growth to over 160,000 men, women and children. The Annual Ministry Appeal, One Family in Mission, helps to support these important ministry efforts.

Bishop’s Message

My dear friends in Jesus Christ,

I am writing this letter to ask for your help in enriching the lives of others in the Diocese of Santa Rosa. Christ has entrusted you with a mission of service. By your Baptism, you are called to serve God through serving your brothers and sisters in Christ. I invite you to engage personally in this mission by supporting the 2020 Annual Ministry Appeal of the Diocese of Santa Rosa. Your prayerful and financial support positively impacts countless souls.

The work of the Annual Ministry Appeal is your work. Your prayers and monetary contributions, joined with that of faithful men and women throughout the Diocese, touch lives. Your support provides ministries ranging from education for our seminarians to catechetical training for religious educators in all six counties of our Diocese.

I urge you to affirm your commitment to the mission of Christ in our Diocese by contributing to the 2020 Annual Ministry Appeal. Please visit our online giving site to support this mission. A complete list of supported ministries is posted below. Our Lord is never outdone in generosity, so I pray with confidence that He bless you with a rich outpouring of His grace.

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord be gracious to you.

Sincerely yours in Christ Jesus,


The Most Reverend Bishop Robert F. Vasa
Bishop of Santa Rosa


Annual Ministry Appeal Information and Resources
The success of the Annual Ministry Appeal is essential for the continued functioning of the ministries of the Diocese. Roughly 50% of the operating costs of the offices and ministries is raised through the AMA. All donations to the AMA are treated as restricted funds to be used only for the ministries and the costs of operating the Appeal. 

Parish Goals
Each parish is assigned a goal to be raised each year. For 2020, 95% of that goal must be reached by each parish, or the parish will make up the difference. Any contributions OVER the goal are returned to the parish. Click here for a list of the parish goals

We encourage 10 month pledges. This enables each donor to pay off the pledge over an extended period of time, thus enabling a larger contribution without incurring a financial hardship. Simply print off the pledge card, complete it, and mail to the Diocese at P.O. Box 4077, Santa Rosa, CA 95402. Click here for pledge card.

This annual drive helps support the ministries of the Diocese which provide services to the parishes and schools. Click here for a brief description of each of the ministries that benefit from the Appeal.

There are a variety of ways to give and to make payments on pledges (see below)

Click here to view the 2020 Annual Ministry Appeal brochure.


CAPITAL CAMPAIGN

“My wish is that all of us, after these days of grace, will have the courage, yes, the courage, to walk in the presence of the Lord, with the Lord’s Cross; to build the Church on the Lord’s blood which was poured out on the Cross; and to profess the one glory: Christ crucified. And in this way, the Church will go forward.” – Pope Francis

The spirit of generosity and service among the people of the Diocese of Santa Rosa is unwavering. Five years of dedication on the part of numerous donors throughout the Diocese has born fruit. In response to Pope Francis’ call to action, the Diocese and parishes raised funds for:

  • The direct financial support of parishes
  • Expanded infrastructure and operational support for Catholic Charities to continue serving the most fragile of our sisters and brothers
  • Added support for our seminarians, continuing education of our priests and deacons, and support of our retired clergy
  • Increased access to education in our Catholic schools
  • New and expanded Diocesan Ministries
  • Support of the Marian Sisters of Santa Rosa

The campaign was designed to allocate 35% of all funds raised before expenses to parishes. However, owing to the combined campaigns, funds restricted for parish use, and earthquake relief, parishes received 45% of total donations, while the remaining 55% made up the Diocesan share. To see the allocation of the Diocesan share, see the August 2019 issue of the North Coast Catholic.


CATHOLIC EDUCATION

Catholic schools educate children with strong academic curriculum to help them grow to understand their faith and to develop and use their God-given gifts and talents as servant-leaders – serving God by serving others. This is the three-fold mission of Catholic education: teach the Gospel message, build community, educate for service. This mission has a profound effect on individual lives, in families, and in our society.

The generosity of the greater Catholic community is integral to our ability to accomplish this mission by making the cost of Catholic education more affordable to the families who desire this for their Catholic schools educate children with strong academic curriculum to help them grow to understand their faith and to develop and use their God-given gifts and talents as servant-leaders – serving God by serving others. This is the three-fold mission of Catholic education: teach the Gospel message, build community, educate for service. This mission has a profound effect on individual lives, in families, and in our society.  The generosity of the greater Catholic community is integral to our ability to accomplish this mission by making the cost of Catholic education more affordable to the families who desire this for their children. Benefactors and generous donors support Catholic education in our Diocese in general through contributions to (1) the Aquinas Fund which provides scholarships for Catholic students with financial need; and (2) direct gifts to the Diocese.   children. Benefactors and generous donors support Catholic education in our Diocese in general through contributions to (1) the Aquinas Fund which provides scholarships for Catholic students with financial need; and (2) direct gifts to the Diocese.   

Every contribution, whether large or small, can change the life of a student.

For further information please contact the Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Linda Norman at 707.566.3393 or dcssrosa@srdiocese.org


PLANNED GIVING

We encourage the use of planned approaches throughout one’s life, and especially at one’s death, to transfer accumulated assets to family members and charities. This ensures that a person’s own wishes are followed and that the cost of such disposition is minimized, providing the maximum benefit to the intended heirs.

The Advancement office has been growing its support and education for planned giving by offering the A Graceful Farewell seminar in various parishes to teach the basics about wills, trusts, power of attorney, and health care directives. The seminar is designed to give you and your loved ones peace of mind and ensure that your hard earned assets go to your family and favorite charities rather than to taxes and unnecessary probate costs. These seminars are casual meetings conducted by qualified attorneys and certified financial planners. There is no charge. For more information, contact Russ Ferreira at 707-556-3396.


SECOND COLLECTIONS

Throughout the United States, Catholic dioceses support a variety of Catholic causes through Special Collections requested by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. In addition, our Diocese will from time to time request the parishes to take up a second collection to benefit some portion of our population; examples would be the support of parishes in Napa following the earthquake, or the support of parishes and people in following the devastating fires. Parishes add their own special collections to meet the needs of their school, their St. Vincent de Paul Society, or other local needs. (CLICK HERE) for a list of USCCB requested special collections.


WAYS TO GIVE

  There are several ways to make your gift to the Diocese, and in each case, your chosen parish will be credited for your contribution to the Annual Ministry Appeal.
All unidentified donations will benefit the Priests Benefits and Welfare Fund of the Diocese of Santa Rosa 90 days after receipt.ONLINE GIVINGClick HERE. You’ll be transferred to our Online Giving Site hosted by Our Sunday Visitor.  You can make a pledge to the Annual Ministry Appeal or to The Marian Sisters of Santa Rosa, and arrange to use either a debit card or a credit card to make the payments. You can also establish the frequency and amount of your gifts or pledge payments.You can also direct the system to transfer money directly from your bank account to the account of the Diocese by providing your bank’s Routing and Transit info, your account number, the amount and frequency that you desire to give.PAYING BY CHECKFor the Annual Ministry Appeal -Make your check out to “AMA” or “Annual Appeal” and mail to P.O. Box 4077, Santa Rosa, CA 95402.PAYING BY CREDIT OR DEBIT CARDPrint out and complete a pledge form for the Annual Ministry Appeal (Click here for pledge form) and mail to: P.O. Box 4077, Santa Rosa CA 95402.The pledge form will require your credit card number and expiration date as well as the total amount of your pledge, your choice of frequency of payment, and the amount to be paid each time. That information is entered into a secure computer system, and used until your pledge is completely paid, or you provide us a change of instructions.You can also arrange to have an automatic transfer made from your checking account to the Diocese, by providing us the Routing information for your bank, your account number, the desired frequency of gifts and the amount of those gifts.MAKING GIFTS OF NEGOTIABLE SECURITIES (Broker to Broker Transfers)(FEDERAL TAX ID NUMBER 94-1530038) DTC Clearing Number 8862
Merrill Lynch 1435 Riverpark Drive, Suite 100 Sacramento, CA 95815
Merrill Lynch contact: Katie Kelly (916) 648-6333 or katie.kelly@ml.comTo the Benefit of: The Roman Catholic Bishop of Santa Rosa Account Number 284-04A15Please specify as to any restrictions on the gift:
______ Annual Ministry Appeal
______ Capital Campaign
______ Catholic Charities
______ Catholic Community Foundation
______ Catholic Education
______ Parish __________________ (name/city)Other: __________________________________ (please specify)All unidentified donations will benefit the Priests Benefits and Welfare Fund of the Diocese of Santa Rosa 90 days after receipt.
Please send a copy of this form and other restrictions relating to the donation directly to: Diocese of Santa Rosa Accounting Department P O Box 1297 Santa Rosa, CA  95402 Email:  ksampietro@srdiocese.org
Phone (707) 566-3383 Fax (707) 542-9702Please specify any restrictions to the gift and please state which parish is to be credited:
e.g., “Annual Ministry Appeal” for St. Rose Catholic Church.

CONTACT US

Telephone:      (707) 566-3344

FAX:                 (707) 566-3360

Email:              Development@srdiocese.org

Thank you for your generosity and for including the Diocese of Santa Rosa in your charitable giving.

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