The next four days offer an important opportunity to give a financial boost to Catholic parishes and schools in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis particularly hard-hit by the economic downturn caused by coronavirus pandemic.
An anonymous donor is giving $200,00 in matching funds to the Catholic Community Foundation of Minnesota’s relief fund for parishes and schools. The match is being made dollar-for-dollar, so money raised up to $200,000 will be worth up to $400,000 through April 26.
In partnership with Archbishop Bernard Hebda and an Economic Impact Task Force for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the relief fund already has raised more than $1 million. A special advisory committee for the St. Paul-based foundation is helping determine which parishes or schools might qualify for the emergency assistance.
Donations can made to Minnesota Catholic Relief Fund.
In a post on the foundation’s website, Archbishop Hebda addresses the importance of the fund:
“I urge you to continue tithing regularly to your parishes,” the archbishop says. “Then, if you are able, please consider making a contribution to the Minnesota Catholic Relief Fund.
“The MCRF provides a beautiful opportunity for us all to be like the Good Samaritan, tending to our neighbors most in need. Through the MCRF, we can steward our charitable resources prudently, collaboratively, and efficiently, helping our parishes and schools financially distressed by the pandemic.“
