FAQs about the Archbishop's Annual Appeal

En Español

Q: What is the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal (AAA)?

A: The AAA is a unified appeal conducted in the fall of each year in parishes and missions throughout the Archdiocese of Atlanta. Although the Appeal seeks to raise dollars, the Appeal is not just about money. The money that you give provides programs, ministries, and services that aid the Church throughout North Georgia. As Catholics, we are sent forth to carry the light of Christ into the world and to transform it. Your gifts to your parish and to the Archdiocese help to carry out this work. The money raised by the AAA provides the means to teach, to heal, and to serve. These monies are not used for the administrative functions of the Archdiocese.

Q: How is each parish goal determined?

A: It is an objective formula: Each parish goal is 8% of the previous years’ total offertory collection. One-hundred percent of any money collected for the Archbishop's Annual Appeal over the goal will be returned to the parish to be used for local needs. That refunded money will not be part of the following year’s formula. However, if a parish does not reach its goal in collected money, then the pastor will have to write a check from parish offertory funds to make up the difference.

Q: I’d like to know how my gift will benefit the rural areas of the archdiocese?

A: If you have a priest that celebrates mass each weekend it is very likely his entire seminary education was funded by the Archbishop's Annual Appeal. If you have had couples go through Pre-Cana, Engagement Encounter or Retrouvaille, those programs are all subsidized by the Appeal as well. There are four Catholic Charities offices in outlaying areas: in Gainesville, Athens, Cobb & DeKalb counties where many educational and information & referral services are provided. Catholic Charities Atlanta also provides mental health counseling for families, children, couples and individuals in more than 30 parishes in the Archdiocese, many located in rural communities. The catechists that are passing their faith on to the children of your parish were likely to have received training through our Office of Religious Education and Faith Formation.

Q: I live on a fixed income. Why should I support the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal?

A: Archbishop Gregory is inviting all Catholics in the Archdiocese of Atlanta to help the Church carry out essential programs and services. The amount of your gift is not important. The Archbishop believes that if each individual and family gives what they can afford, according to their means, we can make a big difference in meeting the spiritual, educational, and social service needs of our community.

Q: I’m a full-time college student. How can I help with the Archbishop’s Appeal?

A: Get involved in your parish or your school’s campus ministry program. Give generously of your time and talent – and consider giving up an occasional pizza or movie to help someone who is less fortunate. Your gift will make a difference! Get into the habit of giving – of yourself, your talents, your time and your treasure. It is never too soon to practice being a good steward!

Q: I’ve never used Appeal Ministries, so how do I benefit from the Appeal?

A: Four personal benefits flow from your Appeal gift:

Seminarians are educated to continue to staff our parishes and missions to provide the sacraments and preach the Gospel for years and generations to come. It costs approximately 40 thousand dollars per year for each seminarian. Most men are in the seminary for 6 years before they are ordained to the priesthood.
Your gift shows your thanks for God’s gifts to you by ensuring that Christ’s mission continues in our own day and time. The Appeal offers an opportunity to be a good steward.
Your gift enables the Church to do God’s work throughout North Georgia by supporting a variety of programs and services that strengthen parishes and benefit all individuals, including yourself.
Your gift fulfills a portion of your responsibility to make the Church what God wants and needs it to be. We are responsible for providing the resources of time, talent, and treasure that the Church needs to carry out its mission of salvation for all. Nothing relieves us of this responsibility.

Q: I already support my parish. isn’t that enough?

A: There are many wonderful privileges in Church membership: receiving the sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist, Confirmation, Marriage; being educated in the Catholic faith through religious education programs; nurturing religious vocations; enjoying friendships and belonging to a community; as well as even celebrating the entrance of a loved one into heaven. These privileges are not truly a function of a single parish. They flow from the fact that we are part of the Universal Church which traces its roots back to Christ and His Apostles.

Every time we say the Creed, we reaffirm the fact that we are members of the “one, holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.” We are saying that every parish and every parishioner is responsible not only for his or her parish, but also for the well being of the Church throughout the Archdiocese and throughout the world.

The Archbishop’s Annual Appeal provides the opportunity to support our larger Church family, the Archdiocese of Atlanta, as well as our own parish ministries.

Q: What should I give to the Appeal?

A: Jesus Himself gave us a guideline, “Share from your substance, not from your surplus.” You are the best judge of what this means for you – not just what you can afford, but what God is calling you to do. This is not a magic number – one size does not fit all.

If your gift has remained at the same level for a couple of years while your circumstances have improved, please prayerfully consider a step-up to a higher level of sharing. One way to increase your gift may be to make a 10-month pledge instead of a onetime gift. Small monthly affordable payments can add up to a sizeable gift, enabling even more ministries and services in the Atlanta Archdiocese and in your parish. The needs of the Church in North Georgia are growing, and the Church needs your help in responding to these increased cries.

We do offer a guide: at least 1% of your income to the Archdiocesan Appeal, 5% to your parish and 4% to other charities and/or second collections, but always, giving according to your means.

Q: What about lawsuits?

A: Gifts to the AAA are used solely for the ministries and services specified in the Appeal budget. Appeal funds are specifically designated to fund this budget and have not and will not be used to pay for any lawsuits. Thankfully, the Archdiocese of Atlanta has not experienced the catastrophic lawsuits that have plagued other dioceses and we have strong safeguards in place to guard against such tragic events.

Q: How do I know what percentage of my treasure is right for me?

A: In the area of stewardship of treasure, some Christians choose the biblical tithe of giving 10 percent of their treasure. Some, because of circumstances, give more than that. Others might start at two, three, or four percent, and annually try to increase. When you are at peace about the size of your gift, when you do not find yourself making excuses for its size, when you know in your heart that you have been completely honest with God and yourself, then your gift is the proper size.

Q: Am I expected to give all of my time, talent, and treasure to the church?

A: No, giving is not limited to the Church. Many people give their time and talent as volunteers to human service agencies in the community in addition to ministering in the Church. Volunteer charitable work in the community can still be done in the spirit of the Gospel as the Lord asks us. Many people give money to other community groups in addition to supporting the Church. The proportion of your gift which is offered to the Church and to the community is part of your prayerful decision.