UPON THIS ROCK AND CATHOLIC CHARITIES

                Last week it was made known that Bishop Malone unveiled a new initiative in the Diocese of Buffalo called Upon This Rock. St. Louis Church has already been working toward our goal for this program. We are part of what is known as the Block 1 Parishes.  We began this program before Christmas and have received a good deal of support from our parishioners thus far. Over the course of the next several weeks we will be inviting all of our parishioners to participate in this initiative which is not just for the Diocese but also for our parish.

                For the time being there may be questions about Catholic Charities. As one of the Block 1 Parishes participating in the Upon This Rock Program, we will not be conducting a separate appeal for Catholic Charities this year. Our Catholic Charities Appeal is a part of the Upon This Rock Program. Therefore, the first $129,000 of the Upon This Rock Program at St. Louis is going directly to Catholic Charities. Catholic Charities is guaranteed to receive our donations through the Upon This Rock Program.

                For this reason you have not received any letters from Catholic Charities or myself asking for a separate donation to Catholic Charities. It was decided rather than attempting to do two large Appeals at the same time they would be combined.

                There are those who have chosen to give directly to Catholic Charities outside of the Upon This Rock Program. Those donations are being sent to Catholic Charities and go toward our goal of $129,000 for Catholic Charities this year. If anyone would like to donate to Catholic Charities outside of the Upon This Rock Program, a donation can be made directly to Catholic Charities or by putting your donation into the collection in a clearly marked envelope for Catholic Charities.

                Thank you once again for your generous support of the Church in Western New York and the Diocese of Buffalo. Please keep us in your prayers as we continue to prepare for the future of the Church in Western New York.