Overage funds from 2025 Annual Catholic Appeal will support affordable housing, food pantries, more
Catholics in the archdiocese gave a record $21.9 million in this year’s Annual Catholic Appeal to support important ministries across the archdiocese.
The appeal raised $17.4 million from pledges and endowment earnings. The appeal also received a large estate gift of more than $4 million, which will go into the Perpetual Light Society Endowment, helping provide funds for appeal grants in future years. Including that endowment gift and anticipated matching gifts, the total raised is just shy of $22 million. The 2025 goal was $16 million.
Appeal funds go toward safe, stable and affordable housing; support for active and retired priests; adult faith formation and evangelization efforts; Catholic education assisting children with a sense of purpose and value; parish food pantries serving people who are hungry; housing, medical and dental care for uninsured low-income residents in rural areas; programs that teach respect for human life; vocations programs to help youth and young adults discern a vocation to the priesthood or religious life; support for youth ministry; and more. Approximately 91 cents of every dollar raised goes back to the community in direct services.
The Affordable Housing Fund will receive $500,000 of the overage funds, or money raised beyond the appeal’s goal. Overage money will also go toward parish food pantry grants, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, the parish emergency assistance fund, elementary school assistance, religious orders assistance and the archbishop’s charity fund.
Nearly 30,000 households participated in this year’s appeal, according to data from the ACA. Eighty-seven parishes surpassed their financial goal; 46 achieved their new donor goal, and 41 reached their challenge goal. Forty parishes improved their participation over last year.
Ascension Parish in Chesterfield once again gave the highest amount of any parish, surpassing the $1 million mark for the second consecutive year with a total of $1,085,510.
This year’s theme was “Messengers of Hope,” inspired by Psalm 9:19: “For the needy will never be forgotten, nor will the hope of the afflicted ever fade.”
Annual Catholic Appeal chair Loretta Charleston had the opportunity to visit many ministries that receive grants from the appeal. She saw hope in action through the good work being done, citing One Classroom, which helps create inclusive educational opportunities for children with special needs in Catholic schools, and the Rural Parish Clinic, which brings medical and dental care to people without health insurance in rural areas, among many others.
The needs are greater than she imagined, but the generosity of the people of the Archdiocese of St. Louis helps ministries continue to rise to meet those needs, said Charleston, a parishioner at St. Norbert in Florissant.
“The biggest part of meeting our goal every year is the amazing donors that we have in St. Louis,” she said. “They give from the heart every year, and it couldn’t be successful without them.”
Feeding the hungry
As the clock struck 8 a.m. on a sunny Thursday morning, food pantry volunteers were at their stations, ready to serve the long line of cars wrapped through the St. Joseph Parish parking lot in Imperial.
As a gentleman in a blue pickup truck made his way through the series of food stations, volunteers leaned in the car window to chat and talk about food options for the day. Would you like mushrooms? What kind of milk? Which crackers are your favorite?
Sr. Christine’s Food Pantry at the parish serves an average of 100 families each week, offering a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, milk and dairy products, bread, snacks, meat, dry goods and treats. It’s one of several parish food pantries that have received grants from the Annual Catholic Appeal.
In an inside office, food pantry co-director John Balsman was placing an order with the St. Louis Food Bank for 1,983 pounds of food to pick up the following week. The food pantry also receives food from grocery stores through Operation Food Search; donations from parishioners, students and annual collection drives help fill the shelves, too.
Balsman has noticed that the list of free items available to order from the Food Bank has shortened significantly in the past few months, he said. “It seemed like things were kind of drying up there for a little bit, but we got what we could get, and we had to make purchases that we didn’t plan on.”
“We’re running pretty lean,” he added. “We’ve gotten some nice donations out there, but there’s not a lot to go around…we don’t have a lot of extra; we don’t buy any frills. We’re always looking for the best deal.”
At the same time, the need has “increased dramatically,” since he started as co-director four years ago. In 2021, the pantry served around 50-60 families each week. On his desk that morning were almost 30 applications for assistance for people coming for the first or second time, he said.
The Annual Catholic Appeal grant has mostly gone toward food purchases, but the food pantry also has costs to maintain its building and vehicles and replace worn-out equipment, among others.
“The opportunity to get that kind of a benefit is a game-changer for us,” he said.
Supported by the Annual Catholic Appeal
SERVING OUR PARISHES DIRECTLY $2,915,000
Elementary School Assistance $2,000,000
Stewardship and Development Support for Parishes, Schools and Agencies $425,000
Office of Peace and Justice $140,000
Parish Emergency Assistance Fund $100,000
Parish Food Pantries $100,000
Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis $100,000
Basilica of St. Louis, King of France $50,000
SERVING OUR YOUTH $3,437,000
Archdiocesan and Parochial High Schools $1,480,000
Archdiocesan Seminary $450,000
Vocation Programs $300,000
Newman Centers on College Campuses $272,000
One Classroom $250,000
Religious Formation $200,000
Special Education $200,000
Today and Tomorrow Educational Fund $150,000
High School Stewardship Essay Program $75,000
Office of Youth Ministry $60,000
SERVING THE PEOPLE IN OUR PARISHES $2,128,000
Respect Life Apostolate $450,000
Evangelization and Discipleship $400,000
Adult Faith Formation $370,000
Natural Family Planning $221,000
Hispanic Ministry $215,000
Office of Racial Harmony $130,000
Catholic Deaf Ministry $112,000
Catholic Renewal Center $85,000
Catholic St. Louis Magazine $80,000
Elementary Teachers Educational Fund $40,000
St. Charles Lwanga Center $25,000
SERVING THOSE IN NEED $3,035,000
Catholic Charities $1,650,000
Affordable Housing Fund $500,000
Rural Parish Clinic $360,000
Sts. Joachim and Ann Care Service $165,000
Criminal Justice Ministry $75,000
Immigrant and Refugee Ministry $60,000
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 $1,545,000
Care for Active and Retired Priests $750,000
Regina Cleri Priests Retirement Home $370,000
Continuing Formation for Priests $200,000
Permanent Diaconate $150,000
Support for Religious Orders $75,000
OTHER $2,940,000
Annual Catholic Appeal Expenses $1,500,000
Reserve for Unpaid Pledges $960,000
Archdiocesan Services $480,000
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.
