Development

Stewardship is a spiritual concept that defines and describes our personal relationship with God. It expresses our gratitude for all of God’s gifts to us and acknowledges our dependence on God’s love and mercy . This spirituality motivates us to live our lives for God and to actively use all that He has given us to serve Him.

Our Bishops encourage four key steps to stewardship:

• ACCEPT GOD’S GIFTS IN GRATITUDE
  All that we have, our lives, health, family, friends, financial capability, creative or physical attributes, come from a loving God. We should accept them while always giving HIm thanks.

• NURTURE THESE GIFTS LOVINGLY
  Musicians study and practice - as do athletes – we should, too. Every gift can likely be enhanced - we should also take care of our bodies, and the environment – the air that we breathe, the water that we drink.

• SHARE OUR GIFTS GENEROUSLY
  These were not given us for our sole enjoyment; rather, we have been put in charge of them and it’s up to us to see that we, our family, and others benefit from them.

• RETURN ALL TO GOD AT THE END OF TIME - WITH AN INCREASE
  Increase occurs when we enhance the basic gifts God gave us (through study and practice), and it happens when we use a gift for someone else and our act inspires that someone to live their life more for God. (USCCB Pastoral Letter; “Stewardship – A Disciple’s Response” 1992)

  STEWARDSHIP IS MORE ABOUT  THE DISCIPLE'S NEED TO GIVE THAN ABOUT  SOMEONE ELSE'S NEED TO RECEIVE!

The ministries of the Diocese of Santa Rosa provide education, enrichment, hope, care, social services and opportunities for spiritual growth to over 160,000 men, women and children. The Annual Ministry Appeal, One Family in Mission, helps to support these important ministry efforts.

Bishop's Message

My dear friends in Jesus Christ,

I am grateful to you for being a witness of Christ through your fidelity to the faith and your support of the Annual Ministry Appeal (AMA). Dedicated gifts to the Diocesan Ministries supported by the AMA allow you to accompany the people of God on their faith journey from catechesis as a child through the entirety of their lives by:

• Educating our seminarians.
• Assisting with ongoing formation for our priests and deacons.
• Supporting the work of evangelization in our schools and parishes.
• Providing communications platforms for Diocesan news.
• Strengthening the identity of our Catholic Schools by providing catechetical formation and resources.
• Furthering the reach of the other ministries, each of which impacts lives in an irreplaceable manner.

I urge you to affirm your commitment to the mission of Christ by contributing to the 2023 AMA. Please visit our online giving site, or call the Development Office at 707-566-3344.

Over twenty years ago, the AMA was initiated to provide restricted funds to operate invaluable Diocesan Ministries. Through the most turbulant times of our Diocese, these funds have been used for no other purpose than to share God's love with others through the identified ministries. A full list of Diocesan ministries can be found here. Thank you for being a part of this mission. While God has no need of our assistance, He chooses to use us to help our brothers and sisters. His return for our small efforts is immeasurable and His generosity is unbounded.
 
Asking every grace and blessing upon you, I am,

Sincerely yours in Christ Jesus,

The Most Reverend Bishop Robert F. Vasa
Bishop of Santa Rosa

Annual Ministry Appeal Information and Resources

The success of the Annual Ministry Appeal is essential for the continued functioning of the ministries of the Diocese. Roughly 40% of the operating costs of the designated ministries is raised through the AMA. All donations to the AMA are treated as restricted funds to be used only for the ministries and the costs of operating the Appeal. 

Parish Goals
Each parish is assigned a goal to be raised each year. Any contributions OVER the goal are returned to the parish. Click here for a list of the 2023 parish goals.

We encourage 10-month pledges, or continuous gifts. This enables each donor to pay off the pledge over an extended period of time, thus enabling a larger contribution without incurring a financial hardship. Simply print off the pledge card, complete it, and mail to the Diocese at P.O. Box 4077, Santa Rosa, CA 95402. Click here for pledge card.

This annual appeal helps support the ministries of the Diocese which provide services to the parishes and schools. Click here for a brief description of each of the ministries that benefit from the Appeal.

There are a variety of ways to give and to make payments on pledges (see Ways to Give below)

Click here to view the 2023 Annual Ministry Appeal brochure. Click here for the Spanish-only brochure.

Click here to view the 2023 Parish Support Packet.

There are several ways to make a gift to the Annual Ministry Appeal. In each case, the parish you indicate will be credited for your gift. 

All unidentified donations, e.g., those not marked "Annual Ministry Appeal" or "AMA", will benefit the Priests Benefits and Welfare Fund of the Diocese of Santa Rosa 90 days after receipt.

ONLINE GIVING

Click HERE. You’ll be transferred to our Online Giving Site hosted by Our Sunday Visitor.  You can make a pledge to the Annual Ministry Appeal, the Marian Sisters of Santa Rosa, or the Aquinas Fund for Catholic Schools via either a debit or credit card. Here you can establish the frequency and amount of your gifts.

You can also direct the system to transfer money directly from your bank account to the account of the Diocese by providing your bank’s Routing and Transit information, your account number, the amount and frequency that you desire to give.

PAYING BY CHECK

Make your check out to “AMA 2023” or "Annual Ministry Appeal 2023” and mail to P.O. Box 4077, Santa Rosa, CA 95402.

PAYING BY CREDIT OR DEBIT CARD

Call the Development Office at 707-566-3344, or print and complete a pledge form for the Annual Ministry Appeal (Click here for pledge form) and mail to: P.O. Box 4077, Santa Rosa CA 95402.

The pledge form will require your credit card number and expiration date as well as the total amount of your pledge, your choice of frequency of payment, and the amount to be paid each time. That information is entered into a secure computer system, and used until your pledge is completely paid, or you provide us a change of instructions.

You can also arrange to have an automatic transfer made from your checking account to the Diocese, by providing us the Routing information for your bank, your account number, the desired frequency of gifts and the amount of those gifts.

MAKING GIFTS OF NEGOTIABLE SECURITIES (Broker to Broker Transfers)

Please download and fill out and send in the fillable PDF document found HERE (contact information on where to send it can be found at the bottom of the form). 

Catholic schools educate children with strong academic curriculum to help them grow to understand their faith and to develop and use their God-given gifts and talents as servant-leaders – serving God by serving others. This is the three-fold mission of Catholic education: teach the Gospel message, build community, educate for service. This mission has a profound effect on individual lives, in families, and in our society.

The generosity of the greater Catholic community is integral to our ability to accomplish this mission by making the cost of Catholic education more affordable to the families who desire this for their children. Benefactors and generous donors support Catholic education in our Diocese in general through contributions to (1) the Aquinas Fund which provides scholarships for Catholic students with financial need; and (2) direct gifts to the Diocese.   

Every contribution, whether large or small, can change the life of a student.

For further information please contact the Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Adrian Peterson at 707.566.3393 or dcssrosa@srdiocese.org

We encourage the use of planned approaches throughout one’s life, and especially at one’s death, to transfer accumulated assets to family members and charities. This ensures that a person’s own wishes are followed and that the cost of such disposition is minimized, providing the maximum benefit to the intended heirs.

The Advancement office has been growing its support and education for planned giving by offering the A Graceful Farewell seminar in various parishes to teach the basics about wills, trusts, power of attorney, and health care directives. The seminar is designed to give you and your loved ones peace of mind and ensure that your hard earned assets go to your family and favorite charities rather than to taxes and unnecessary probate costs. These seminars are casual meetings conducted by qualified attorneys and certified financial planners. There is no charge. For more information, contact Russ Ferreira at 707-556-3396.

Throughout the United States, Catholic dioceses support a variety of Catholic causes through Special Collections requested by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. In addition, our Diocese will from time to time request the parishes to take up a second collection to benefit some portion of our population; examples would be the support of parishes in Napa following the earthquake, or the support of parishes and people in following the devastating fires. Parishes add their own special collections to meet the needs of their school, their St. Vincent de Paul Society, or other local needs. (CLICK HERE) for a list of USCCB requested special collections.

Campus Newman Centers (Rev. Francis Gayam, Rev. Fabian Nwokorie, Rev. Jeffrey Keyes)
These centers provide a Church home away from home for college students and provide some of the amenities of parishes. Most of all, they provide students with access to a priest to hear confession, celebrate Mass, meet their spiritual needs, and support them in their faith journey.

Child & Youth Protection (Ms. Fatima Jimenez)
Begun in 2002 to implement and support the Bishops’ Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, the US Church’s response to the child abuse crisis, this Office continues to provide and oversee programs to fingerprint all adults given access to children on behalf of the Church and to train those adults (and the children they work with) on effective ways to keep our children safe.

Clergy Formation (Rev. Moses Brown, JCL)
Formation is the process of preparing a man to serve us as a priest. His preparation does not end with ordination, but continues throughout his life. This largely involves the cost of post-graduate study and clergy on-going education.   
     
Communication (Mr. Chris Lyford)
This Office is responsible for interfacing the Church in Northern California with the public – both Catholics and non-Catholics. The Office publishes the “North Coast Catholic” magazine, maintains the Diocesan website, and interacts with members of the public media. This is truly about spreading the Good News.  
         
Catholic Schools (Dr. Adrian Peterson)
Our Catholic schools help prepare our children for their future. Even though parents are the first and most important teachers of their children, not enough can be said about the good done by our Catholic schools. We would like these schools to be more available to all the children of our Diocese.  
 
Diaconate and Diaconate Formation (Deacon Russ Bowden and Deacon Sergio Velazquez)
Deacons are men ordained for the service of all. They teach, preach, baptize, and witness marriages, but, unlike priests, they do not say Mass, hear confessions, or anoint the sick. Like priests, though, they need on-going training and education, and require time to reflect on their own spirituality. Deacons are formed by a five-year curriculum in theology, ministry, liturgy, and much more. Their wives (most are married, but not all) take part in this training as well, to ensure the family’s ability to support the Deacon’s ministry.  
       
Hispanic Ministry (see Department of Religious Education)
Nearly 50 % of the people of our Diocese are people whose primary language is Spanish. Their numbers are increasing faster than the growth of the area as a whole. It is very important that the Church be able to minister to them in their own language and from a basis of their culture during their time of transition to a new language and a new culture.

Marian Sisters of Santa Rosa (Reverend Mother Teresa Christe, MSSR) 
Founded for the service of our Diocese, this rapidly growing community of consecrated women serves in our Chancery, parishes, and Catholic schools. They provide a valuable witness to the otherness of the Kingdom of God through their gift of consecrated life.

Marriage and Family Life (Deacon David and Carlin Gould)
This Office provides support to parishes and directly to families when requested. They are charged with the duty of implementing the revised policy on Marriage Preparation and work to support Marriage Preparation programs in the parishes as well as programs designed to enrich Family Life in general.

Religious Education (Deacon Dr. Dennis Purificacion and Carmen Aanenson)
Most of the children of our Diocese learn the faith at home and in parish-based Religious Education programs overseen and guided by this Office. The Office also supports adult faith formation programs and trains parish catechists.

Respect Life (Deacon David and Carlin Gould)    
As Catholics, we believe in the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death. We oppose abortion, the death penalty, euthanasia, and other practices that demean the value of anyone’s life.     

Restorative Justice (Deacon John Storm)
This Office recruits and trains volunteers to minister to the people who are incarcerated in our Diocese from the State Penitentiary system to local jails. They minister to the prisoners, their guards, and to the families of both groups. They cooperate with other support groups to ensure that this experience is one of true rehabilitation preparing those incarcerated to re-enter society upon their release.  
     
Seminarians (Rev. Frank Epperson)
Seminarians are men who have already made a commitment to study for the priesthood, but who have not yet been ordained. We help pay for their education and we support them while they attend seminary.  
 
Stewardship (Mr. Russ Ferreira)
Mr. Ferreira advises Pastors and Finance Councils concerning administering parish investments in a manner in accord with principles of Catholic Social Teaching. He also assists underfunded ministries such as the Catholic School’s scholarship fund and the Marian Sisters of Santa Rosa with fundraising.        
 
Tribunal (Rev. Fergal McGuinness, JCL, Rev. Abel Mena, JCL, and Sr. Philomena Marie, MSSR)
Church law requires that the Bishop maintain a Tribunal to oversee the proper application of Church law in the Diocese. Although Canon (Church) Law covers many areas, parishioners most commonly encounter its application in the Marriage Tribunal. In the Marriage Tribunal, applications for declaration of nullity are investigated, reviewed, and decided by a Canon Lawyer. It is not possible for every parish to have a Canon Lawyer, so this Office becomes very helpful to pastors and parishioners.      
       
Vocations (Rev. Raul Lemus)
Vocations may be calls from God to the priesthood, to the Diaconate, or to consecrated life (both religious sisters and brothers). This Office organizes ways to interest people in these vocations and to guide young people in discerning whether they are experiencing such a calling from God. The Office assists them through that discernment process and helps them find their way into a seminary, a religious order, etc.     

Youth Camps/Youth Ministry/Young Adult Ministry (Mr. Stephen Morris)
Our young people and our young adults are our greatest resource. This Office provides opportunities for young people to gather with others their age, to live out their faith through service activities, and to reflect on the role God plays in their lives and in their futures.
 

The success of our ministries depends on all of our support.

As a Catholic Family, we can do together what no ONE parish can do alone.

YOUR GIFT, REGARDLESS OF SIZE, MAKES A DIFFERENCE.