From the Pastor

Dear Parishioners,

On May 1, 2021, our parish begins its Catholic Services Appeal for 2021 on behalf of the Diocese of Gaylord. It offers us both an opportunity to make a return to God for the many gifts given to us, and to assist in the essential works of service and ministry in our Diocese.

Our CSA target this year is $141,628. You may have noticed that it is a 10% increase from last year. However, please remember that the Diocese reduced all CSA targets last year by 20% due to the hardships brought on by the Coronavirus. Even though it may seem like a very high increase, in all actuality, it is still 10% less than what our target was two years ago. I truly believe that the Diocese is doing all that it can to not burden the parishes or the people.

CSA will be done a little bit differently this year. Your pledge card will be mailed directly from the Diocese. There will be three ways in which you can give your gift or make a pledge.

• The first would be to simply mail your pledge card/gift directly to the parish.
• The second would be to make your pledge/gift directly on the Diocesan website at https://dioceseofgaylord.org/catholic-services-appeal-2021-22 (If you choose this option, please make sure that you designate your gift/pledge to go to Immaculate Conception Parish CSA.)
• The third would be that on the weekend of May 1 & 2 we will have volunteers in Centennial Hall who will be available to help you with your CSA gift/pledge.

As individuals and parishes, we are called upon to ensure that the religious, educational, and charitable efforts in our Diocese continue. Many of these needs are beyond the scope and resources of any individual or parish. Through CSA we can meet these needs as a united community of faith and we support the ministries of the Church on a worldwide level, on a Diocesan level, and right here at Immaculate Conception, on a local level.

As I stated last year, I simply ask that you do the best you can. If you are in a position to give as much as you gave last year, or perhaps more, that would be great; if your financial situation has changed this past year due to the Coronavirus I certainly understand. If we have an overage, it is my hope that when things get back to whatever the normal, the first thing that will have to be done is to refurbish all our church pews; all the cleaning and disinfectants have done quite a number on the wood finishing. It is also my hope to upgrade some of our security features.

With your support and God’s Blessings, I am sure we can reach our target. If you have any questions, please call the office and we will be more than happy to assist you.

Thank You in advance for your consideration of this request

Sincerely Yours in the Lord,

Fr. Anthony Citro

Pastor