Christ's Mission Appeal funds approximately 50 percent of the ministries, services, and programs offered within the Diocese of Saginaw. Many of these are listed below, and some have no other means of financial support besides the appeal. Their reach extends well beyond what any parish or school could provide on its own.
Administration
- Bishop, Chancellor and Vicar General
- Delegate for Religious
- Victim Assistance Coordinator
- Finance Office
- Cemeteries
Catholic Schools
- Professional development of staff
- Curriculum development and implementation
- Religious education for students
- Michigan Association of Non-Public Schools (MANS) accreditation
- Formation for Catholic school staff
Center For Ministry - Venue available for Parish and Diocesan events
Office of Parish Life and Evangelization
- Respect life ministry
- Natural family planning
- Grief ministry
- BeFriender Ministry
- Marriage ministry
- Marriage preparation
- Divorce ministry
- Parish mission projects
- Legislative advocacy
- Community outreach
- Post-abortive ministry
- Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat
- Disability/inclusion ministry
- Parish Christian service commissions support and training
Church Ministry
- Ministry to priests, pastoral administrators, parochial vicars and religious
- Coordinate priests’ assembly
- Permanent diaconate formation
- Commission for women
Communications
- Media relations
- Parish print directory
- Diocesan website, Saginaw.org
- Great Lakes Bay Catholic magazine
- Great Lakes Bay Catholic magazine online.
- Event photography
- Daily Mass Livestream
- Print and digital media
- Social media
Development
- Stewardship education
- Parish capital campaigns
- Christ's Mission Appeal promotional materials
- Planned giving program
- Major events coordination
Evangelization
- New Evangelization Summit
- Evangelization training
Facilities and Construction Services
- Assistance to parishes with construction and renovation
- Caretaker of diocesan properties
- Assistance to merged parishes
Faith and Catechist Formation OCIA
- Lifelong faith formation
- Retreat and enrichment opportunities
- Parish leadership formation
- Catechist formation
- Ongoing parish faith formation support
- Training for parish faith formation leaders
Multicultural Ministries
- Assistance to Hispanic community with evangelization
- Liturgical and cultural celebrations
- Family and youth ministry
- Translations
- Outreach
- Advocacy
- Migrant ministry
Lay Ministry
- Four-year formation process
- Ongoing education and evaluations
- Retreats
- Annual meetings
Liturgy
- Formation for all liturgical ministers
- Certification of extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion
Consultation and Coordination of:
- Parish and diocesan liturgical arts
- Building and renovation of worship spaces
- Catechumenate process (RCIA) leaders
- All diocesan liturgies
- Diocesan choir and musicians
- Liturgical rites and rituals
- Liturgical resources materials for pastoral leadership
Tribunal
- Train advocates
- Clarification of marital status and, when appropriate, granting a decree of nullity
- Offers parish support for nullity process
Vocations
- Recruitment
- Vocation discernment
- Seminarian formation and support
Youth Ministry
- March for Life
- Y.E.S. (Youth Encounter Service)
- World Youth Day
- Feed the Fire
- Parish youth ministry formation
- Youth leadership formation
- Middle school retreat
Special Donations And Subsidies
- Black and Indian Missions
- Catholic Family Service
- Catholic Communication Campaign
- Catholic Home Missions
- Catholic University
- Church of Africa
- Church of Latin America
- Holy Father (Peter’s Pence)
- Holy Land
- Holy See
- National Human Life Amendment
- National Rural Life Amendment
A portion of the appeal's funds is used to fund a variety of domestic and international organizations, some of which had previously been “second collections” in parishes. The Finance Council for the Diocese of Saginaw sets each year’s target and oversees the distribution of funds to ensure they are used to finance the ministries, services and programs for which they are intended.
Learn more about how Christ's Mission Appeal Helps our Parishes and Diocese