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allocation and accountability committee meets

Story and photos by LIZ QUIRIN
Messenger editor

The Allocation and Accountability Committee of the Catholic Service and Ministry Appeal met on Nov. 15, in the Mt. Vernon Catholic Social Services office. The purpose of the meeting was for the committee to continue to become knowledgeable about the diocesan ministries/agencies and to develop the most responsible process for recommending allocation of funds for the Catholic Service and Ministry Appeal (CSMA).

The committee has arrived at a working definition for the CSMA.

“The Catholic Service and Ministry Appeal (CSMA) is an annual call for contributions directly from the people of the Diocese of Belleville.

CSMA funds are used to support diocesan ministries/agencies whose scope of services and programs could not be duplicated by an individual parish.

These diocesan ministries/agencies provide parish support, educational support or address social concerns to either the whole diocese or to one area of the diocese where needed. CSMA is an opportunity for giving and a challenge for stewardship. This call comes from “the love of Christ. (He) urges us … to love our neighbor as Christ has loved us.”
Committee members have been assigned to meet with each ministry/agency before Dec. 31, 2008.

About one half of these site visits have been completed. Two-member teams meet with the ministry/agency leadership to review goals, plans, accomplishments and needs. This information will be used by the whole committee in final allocation recommendations to the finance council and Bishop Edward K. Braxton.

Other business discussed at the Nov. 15 meeting was the semi-annual report for 2008-2009.

Just as the annual report focuses on the how the ministries/agencies used the CSMA funds, the semi-annual report will focus on how the committee took on its responsibility for allocation and accountability

The committee also developed a plan to fill the vacancies of members whose terms end in December 2009.
The 2008-2009 year CSMA is in its final stages.

About 1.448 million dollars has been pledged by 10,395 donors in the diocese. The 1.75 million dollar goal for CSMA has not been met. An Advent appeal is underway to reach this goal.

Committee members are: Father Joseph Rascher, Father Gary Gummersheimer, Father Dan Friedman, Father Robert Zwilling, Sister Catherine Wellinghoff, ASC, Kappy Scates, Rose Hogan, Yvonne Shepherd, Margie Spezia, Bill Weber, Phyllis Dumstorff, Don Bierman, Father Robert Gore, Bob Shaw, Father Jack McEvilly and Msgr. Jerome Hartlein.