How will the Diocese of Victoria satisfy its commitment to the $30 million pledged by the Canadian Bishops for healing and reconciliation? Will there be another collection or campaign?
There will NOT be a separate collection nor another campaign to satisfy the $30 million financial commitment in the Diocese of Victoria. Every diocese across Canada will make their own decisions regarding how best to fulfill their commitment to the $30 million pledge. The Diocese of Victoria would like to take tangible and concrete action to satisfy the financial commitment and not burden individual parishioners with additional special collections or financial requests. The Diocese of Victoria does not have many surplus properties; however, after appropriate consultation, Bishop Gary Gordon has determined that the Diocese of Victoria will sell a residential property that was being held to build a bishop’s residence. This sale will help fund the Diocese of Victoria’s portion (yet to be confirmed) of the amount pledged by the Canadian Bishops.
How is the Diocese of Victoria’s Bishop’s Annual Appeal different from the BC Bishop’s Appeal announced on July 26, 2021?
The BC Bishops’ Appeal was announced in response to the discovery of the unmarked graves by Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc in Kamloops and the need for the Catholic dioceses in BC to take immediate action to improve Indigenous relationships. The BC Bishops recognized the need for a province wide initiative to raise funds to support healing and reconciliation and show solidarity in action by all five dioceses in BC. All funds raised for the BC Bishops’ Appeal collected and disbursed are to be used within each diocese to fund local programs and initiatives in consultation with Indigenous peoples.
The Diocese of Victoria had already refocused our Annual Appeal – Spirit of Hope - Healing & Reconciliation. Therefore, our Diocesan Appeal is our local plan to fulfill the BC Bishops’ Appeal initiative. All funds received over the summer, during the initial BC Bishops’ Appeal, will be used for the same goals, projects and initiatives stated in our Annual Appeal literature. The difference between the two appeals are that 100% of donations to the BC Bishops’ Appeal will be allocated to healing and reconciliation initiatives, whereas donations to our Annual Appeal will have 80% allocated to healing & reconciliation and 20% retained by the parish for their goals and needs.
If you already donated to the initial BC Bishops’ Appeal and would like your gift redirected towards your parish Annual Appeal total, we would be pleased to make that adjustment. Please contact Catherine Minvielle at 250-479-1331 or via email at cminvielle@rcdvictoria.org.
How will past Appeal projects continue to be funded if 100% of the proceeds of the 2021 Appeal are going to healing & reconciliation projects and initiatives?
Over the past eleven years the Appeal has supported a variety of programs and needs. During Covid some of the Appeal funds were kept in reserve for emergency requests. The remaining unspent Appeal funds from prior years will be used to help support past Appeal commitments, including: Catholic Schools’ capital needs, faith formation programs and support for missions and rural parishes for the next fiscal year.
