WASHINGTON, D.C. — Supporters of the free exercise of Catholic faith in the U.S. Military will have an opportunity on Tuesday to show their support. The Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA (AMS), will participate in #iGiveCatholic. Now in its eleventh year, #iGiveCatholic is a 24-hour online giving event for the faithful in multiple archdioceses and dioceses worldwide to unite and raise as many charitable dollars as possible in a single day, known as “Giving Tuesday.”
This year, thanks to a $62,000 matching gift, your donation on Dec. 2 will be doubled. Visit https://www.igivecatholic.org/organization/Milarch or #GiveCatholic!
Proceeds will go to fund pastoral care for Catholics in all branches of the U.S. Military, those receiving treatment in the nation’s Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Centers, civilians working for the federal government beyond U.S. borders, and the families of these populations.
Specific needs include seminary expenses for prospective chaplains to relieve a shortage of priests on active duty; evangelization programs for Catholic U.S. Military families scattered all over the world; a robust religious education program for the children of these families in grades K-through-12; sacramental record-keeping for marriages, first communions, confirmations, and other sacraments performed on U.S. Military installations; a fully functional tribunal; a busy international travel schedule for AMS bishops; and much more.
The AMS is the Catholic Church’s only jurisdiction responsible for endorsing priests to serve the U.S. Military or VA Medical Centers. Its annual operating budget is more than $10 million, not counting the rising expense of forming future military chaplains at seminaries throughout the country, projected to exceed $5 million over the next five years alone.
The AMS receives no funding from the military or the government. The AMS has no network of parishes to provide regular support. The AMS depends entirely on private giving to support pastoral care for Catholics in uniform or hospitalized in the VA Medical Centers.
Mr. Sal Perez, AMS Director of Advancement, said, “We ask our supporters to visit our Facebook page on #GivingTuesday and join the AMS in sharing the posts in their social media accounts. A simple share or tweet can help increase awareness of this great campaign and help the AMS raise critical funds to sustain her $10 million operating budget. Sharing the post is easy and you are more than welcome to create your own with your own reasons for supporting the AMS!”
For more information, please contact the AMS Office of Advancement by e-mail at AMS-Advancement@milarch.org or 202-719-3622.