More than $1 million in overage funds will be directed to parishes
As the Archdiocese of St. Louis celebrates its 200th year, the faithful throughout all 11 counties were invited to support the Annual Catholic Appeal with an attitude of gratitude.
Under the theme “Grateful Hearts Serving Others,” they responded generously.
The 2026 Annual Catholic Appeal raised just over $19 million from pledges and endowment earnings. With corporate matching gifts and estate gifts, the total is $19.4 million. This year’s goal was $16.5 million.
This year’s appeal marks the highest total contributions raised since its inception. The increase over the 2025 appeal — when $17.4 million was raised in pledges and endowment earnings — is also the highest year-over-year increase in the appeal’s history.
This year, close to 30,000 households participated in the appeal. Ninety-seven parishes surpassed their financial goal, and 65 of those met their challenge goal. Sixty-six parishes improved their participation; 56 achieved their new donor goal.
“Our donors should be proud of these remarkable results,” Archbishop Mitchell T. Rozanski said. “Their show of faith allows us to provide more support for our parishes and for good works that minister to the most vulnerable members of our greater community.”
More than $1 million of the overage funds, or money raised beyond the appeal’s goal, will go toward support for parishes, with $1 million going to Ensuring Parish Viability grants and another $200,000 to the Parish Emergency Fund. Another $500,000 will go to Catholic schools.
The Affordable Housing Fund will receive $500,000 of the overage funds. The fund was created in 2024 after the archdiocese’s All Things New social outreach subcommittee identified in a report that affordable housing is among the most pressing unmet needs for struggling families.
More overage money will go to Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, the Religious Assistance Fund, food pantries, Catholic radio, the Augustine Institute, Life Teen’s Camp Cana, both cathedrals, parish incentive programs and the Archbishop’s Charity Fund, which helps make sure families and small organizations serving those in need don’t fall through the cracks.
The continued growth in ACA fundraising allows the appeal to support both longtime and newer ministries and initiatives, ACA chair Merry Mosbacher said. The Affordable Housing Fund is only three years old, and with the overage funds added to what was already allocated, $1.5 million from this year’s appeal will go toward access and support for people in need of housing, she said.
“We’re able to really maintain the contributions to our core organizations, but then to actually increase the number of organizations that we support through these different funds, just through the generosity of our Catholic families,” Mosbacher said.
Serving as the appeal chair has given her the chance to see how many different organizations are touching lives through living out the principles of our Catholic faith, said Mosbacher, a parishioner at Christ Prince of Peace in Manchester.
“The agencies that the appeal supports serve such an important role across our archdiocese, that you just know God’s hand is at work through them,” she said. “Whether it be the food pantries, the St. Joseph Housing Initiative rehabbing neighborhoods, or Regina Cleri (serving) retired priests — you can see faith in action.”
Supporting parishes
Wentzville is one of the fastest-growing cities in Missouri, and St. Patrick Parish is growing in tandem.
About 120 to 140 families are joining the parish each year, bringing the total close to 3,000 families, pastor Father Dan Shaughnessy said. To continue meeting the needs of the growing parish, the parish has undertaken an expansion initiative that began under Father Brian Fischer before Father Shaughnessy was appointed pastor in 2024. The parish received an Ensuring Parish Viability grant to assist with the expansion efforts.
Right now, the parish is in the land acquisition phase, working to purchase land north of its existing campus between Fourth Street and Main Street. Those land parcels include a mix of single-family homes, rental properties and undeveloped land, some of which the parish has already acquired.
Acquiring this additional land will strengthen the parish’s ability to meet parishioners’ needs as it seeks to form them as disciples of Christ in a thriving community, Father Shaughnessy said.
“Many wonderful things are happening throughout the parish — in our school, in PSR and across our ministries,” Father Shaughnessy said. “We also see the joy of faith in our works of charity and service through the Knights of Columbus, St. Vincent de Paul, and our food pantry. St. Pat’s also has a beautiful culture of hospitality, lived out through parish fish fries, chicken dinners and funeral luncheons, to name a few. The parish is vibrant, Christ-centered and filled with joy. Over the next several years, as we have the land to support the vision, we will work closely with our parish community to align our campus facilities with the many inspiring stories already unfolding at St. Pat’s.”
As the parish grows, Father Shaughnessy and the parish staff have introduced the “Renew” initiative that focuses on forming disciples through an ordered mission pathway, retreat opportunities, discipleship groups and the St. Patrick Catechetical Institute, which offers courses throughout the year.
The parish also added an 8 p.m. Sunday Mass to its regular schedule in April.
“It’s already bearing a lot of fruit,” Father Shaughnessy said. “We’re simply trying to meet people where they are — lovingly challenge and accompany them. You might have sports all day, or other commitments, but we’re here to serve your needs and to offer Mass at 8 p.m. on Sunday night.”
In the eastern end of the archdiocese, an Ensuring Parish Viability grant is helping Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Soulard expand the restroom facilities in the church hall. From the second to the 21st of each month, the church hall hosts the meals program each evening, serving people who are unhoused or in need of a hot meal.
In the past few months, the meals program has averaged around 120 people each night, Sts. Peter and Paul senior priest Father Bruce Forman said. The church hall currently has two single-stall restrooms, which are not enough to comfortably serve that many people.
“Sts. Peter and Paul Church is known for the outreach to the poor. It’s been part of the mission of this church from the very beginning, which goes back to 1849,” Father Forman said.
Sts. Peter and Paul and its outreach are supported by grants and by people who are supportive of their mission, Father Forman said. The Ensuring Parish Viability grant was crucial to be able to undertake the restroom renovation project.
“The parishioners are generous, but we’re a small congregation and would not be able to afford the cost,” he said.
Supported by the Annual Catholic Appeal
SERVING OUR PARISHES DIRECTLY $3,140,000
- Elementary School Assistance $2,050,000
- Stewardship and Development Support for Parishes, Schools and Agencies $500,000
- Office of Peace and Justice $185,000
- Parish Emergency Assistance Fund $180,000
- Parish Food Pantries $125,000
- Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis $50,000
- Basilica of St. Louis, King of France $50,000
SERVING OUR YOUTH $3,635,000
- Archdiocesan and Parochial High Schools $1,480,000
- Archdiocesan Seminary $450,000
- Special Education $350,000
- Vocation Programs $300,000
- Newman Centers on College Campuses $295,000
- One Classroom $285,000
- Religious Formation $200,000
- Today and Tomorrow Educational Fund $150,000
- High School Stewardship Essay Program $75,000
- Office of Youth Ministry $50,000
SERVING THE PEOPLE IN OUR PARISHES $2,125,000
- Respect Life Apostolate $450,000
- Adult Faith Formation $370,000
- Evangelization and Discipleship $350,000
- Natural Family Planning $225,000
- Hispanic Ministry $225,000
- Office of Racial Harmony & Black Catholic Ministry $140,000
- Catholic Deaf Ministry $115,000
- Catholic Renewal Center $105,000
- Catholic St. Louis Magazine $80,000
- Elementary Teachers Educational Fund $40,000
- St. Charles Lwanga Center $25,000
SERVING THOSE IN NEED $3,145,000
- Catholic Charities $1,700,000
- Affordable Housing Fund $500,000
- Rural Parish Clinic $400,000
- The Care Service at Sts. Joachim and Ann $175,000
- Criminal Justice Ministry $75,000
- Immigrant and Refugee Ministry $70,000
- Bridge of Hope Lincoln County $60,000
- The Wellston Center $60,000
- Archbishop’s Charity Fund $50,000
- Meals Program at Sts. Peter and Paul Church $30,000
- Messengers of Peace Mission Work $25,000
SERVING THOSE WHO SERVE US $1,370,000
- Care for Active and Retired Priests $750,000
- Regina Cleri Priests Retirement Home $370,000
- Permanent Diaconate $175,000
- Support for Religious Orders $75,000
OTHER $3,085,000
- Annual Catholic Appeal Expenses $1,600,000
- Reserve for Unpaid Pledges $990,000
- Archdiocesan Services $495,000
Approximately 93 cents of every dollar raised back into the community in the form of direct services. None of the money raised by the Annual Catholic Appeal is used to defend or settle criminal or civil lawsuits related to the clergy abuse scandal.
