St. Francis Catholic Church in Traverse City shared a reflection from the pastor on the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time in its weekly bulletin.

“What a crazy few months it has been! I hope and pray that some normalcy is returning to your lives in whatever way that may be possible. If you are back to Mass, or drive by the parish property, you can see the great progress we are making on the building project,” Rev. Don Geyman wrote. 

Rev. Geyman wrote that it was only because of the generosity of the faithful that the church has been able to make so much progress on the project. 

Rev. Geyman explained that the Catholic Services Appeal is a way in which the diocese helps to fund a number of important ministries in the community. 

“This year, due to the pandemic, the diocese decided to adopt a softer campaign. Also, in recognition of the economic challenges many people are facing, the diocese reduced our target by 20% this year,” Rev. Geyman wrote. 

The target of the fund this year is currently missing about $30,000 but those who are interested in giving to the fund can be encouraged that it is a tax-deductible contribution. 

“Part of this year's CARES Act allows for an extra $300 federal income tax deduction for charitable contributions, even if you don’t itemize. Just one hundred new or additional gifts of that size would get us to our target (100x$300=$30,000),” Rev. Geyman wrote. 

As followers of Christ, it is important to remember that we are called to be stewards of what he entrusts to us. There are many ways to do this, but one of the ways that perhaps is most helpful to the physical church is providing funds so that the church can in turn fund the ministries that are reaching out to the poor and impoverished.