Called to Renew Brochure

A Message Message Of Hope of Hope

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God created each of us out of love, and He created each of us for a special purpose. This is the beautiful message of Jesus Christ and His Gospel. In following Him, we find the joy God intends for every person.

But we do not follow Jesus alone. We are joined together as sons and daughters in the family of God, the Church. And together in the Church, we carry on the mission of Jesus — sharing the Good News of God’s love and mercy.

It is my great joy and privilege to follow Jesus Christ with you. As your Archbishop, I am humbled and inspired every day by your faith and dedication to our Lord, by the love you show to our families, and by the compassion you show to our neighbors most in need.

As we know, every family must plan and prepare for the future. This is also true of the family of God here in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. We are the largest and most diverse Catholic community in the United States, and we serve millions of people in Los Angeles, Ventura, and Santa Barbara counties.

As our Church continues to grow, so do our needs and our responsibilities. This is why, after many months of research and reflection, consultation, and prayer, we have decided to embark on efforts to renew our Church. Our aim is to ensure our parishes, schools, and ministries continue to grow and are able to make critical investments to serve our children, families, and neighbors for years to come.

Our theme, Called to Renew, emphasizes my desire for this campaign to be both spiritual and material. I pray our efforts will inspire each of us to renew our spiritual commitment and sense of responsibility for the mission and future of the Church.

I ask for your prayers and support as we begin Called to Renew. Please know that you and your families are in mine.

May our Blessed Mother Mary, the Queen of the Angels, go with us as we call our brothers and sisters to renew the family of God here in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and continue the work of building God’s Kingdom of love in our world.

May God grant you peace,

Most Reverend José H. Gomez Archbishop of Los Angeles

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Your Life Has a Purpose Your life has a purpose: to love God and to spread hope and light in a world desperately in need of both. Your faith has the power to change lives, and your faith is meant to be shared with others.

The Church, too, has a responsibility: to boldly witness to the power of grace and healing through Christ — in our families, our parishes, and our communities.

This gift of transformation we have received is also meant to be shared.

Together, we recognize a great need in our cities and communities to renew the light of Christ — a light meant for all people. Together, we invest in hope for the future. Together, we proclaim that the Church is worth renewing. Together, we joyfully acknowledge that we are Called to Renew.

We Respond Together Over the next several years, every Catholic in our Archdiocese will be invited to respond to a call for renewal and participate in this historic effort.

The Called to Renew campaign is an opportunity to renew not only our spirit, but the ways in which we live out our faith in our parishes — through outreach and lifelong faith formation. It is an opportunity to renew and renovate physical structures, ensuring they are safe spaces for families to learn, grow, and worship.

It is an opportunity to renew and reaffirm our support for priestly vocations and formation. It is an opportunity to renew and reinvigorate our ministries to serve those who are sick, dying, and imprisoned, as well as their families. And it is an opportunity to renew and reimagine faith formation so people of all ages can grow in their Catholic faith.

Together, we will boldly bring the Church into a new era.

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A Bold Plan of

Renewal “We — the Catholic faithful — are the agents of renewal for the Church and society. I am grateful for this opportunity to walk alongside clergy and parishioners in strengthening our parishes and ministries, the heart of our Archdiocese.”

Archbishop José H. Gomez

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Strengthening Our Parishes $375 Million Our parishes are more than buildings; they are the spiritual homes for millions in our Archdiocese.

Embracing our mission to be a community of praise, worship, and witness, Called to Renew recognizes the vital role of parishes in the day-today life of a vibrant Church and is dedicated to meeting their needs.

Serving the Vulnerable $30 Million As Christians, we are called to meet the spiritual and temporal needs of others. Called to Renew provides us with an extraordinary opportunity to expand and enhance our ministries to the most vulnerable among us, so we may walk with the sick and dying as well as with the victims and perpetrators of violent crimes and their families.

Supporting Priestly Vocations $30 Million The future of our Church is strengthened when men hear and answer the Lord’s call to serve as his shepherds. The Archdiocese is committed to vocations and the formation of our seminarians and clergy, so they may minister with joyful hearts in the years ahead.

Investing in the Faith of Future Generations $65 Million Our mission to live in greater communion with God and the Church is carried out through our parish and diocesan schools, religious education and faith formation programs, and our presence on college campuses throughout Southern California.

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We renew the things we care about to pass them on to those we love.

Strengthening Our Parishes $375 Million

“My people call the parish home because it’s where they come to be together — it’s where they experience God and where they see God in others. It’s a joy to be their pastor, and I am excited to continue serving their needs.”

We strengthen and renew our parish families and the greater community by directly investing in the potential of our parish - our This is why the largest share of Called to Renew funds hope put into action.

Monsignor John Moretta will be allocated for parish needs.

The Archdiocese is

committed to the economic stability and vitality to these faith communities.

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Our parishes are beacons of hope. They bring light to our neighborhoods and provide opportunities for people from all walks of life to worship God, explore human questions of ultimate meaning, and grow together in community.

Our parishes are our spiritual homes. In these sacred spaces, we join to celebrate the Eucharist, share in the sacramental life of the Church, and experience meaningful fellowship — allowing us to grow deeper in our relationship with Jesus Christ and with one another.

While our faith communities are much more than physical structures, the quality of these buildings speaks volumes about how we prioritize serving and welcoming families and the greater community.

Many parishes have had to defer proper maintenance and upkeep to prioritize more urgent needs.

Given the importance of these spiritual homes, we must unite to invest in necessary improvements.

The largest share of Called to Renew funds will be allocated for parish needs. A general investment fund will be created to help parishes in distressed communities address critical needs beyond their financial resources.

Your Gift Will Renew Our Parish

Address Immediate Needs

Prepare for a Vibrant Future

Allow our parish to address critical needs so we may fulfill God’s mission to serve and love our neighbors

Make urgent, strategic facility improvements and repairs to parishes and schools across the Archdiocese

Provide our faith community with the resources needed to build God’s kingdom for the next generation

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Serving the Vulnerable $30 Million

Ministry to the Sick and Dying “Let us touch the dying, the poor, the lonely, and the unwanted according to the graces we have received and let us not be ashamed or slow to do the humble work.”

ST. TERESA OF CALCUTTA

The Gospel has the power to transform lives, and in Christ, true healing is possible. As we reflect on our role as Catholics, we are called to participate in the renewal of families and our communities by ministering to those whom are suffering.

Many patients and families struggle to hold onto hope in moments of greatest need. While God is certainly with them during illness or the loss of a loved one, we know the healing presence of a priest, chaplain, or lay minister has the potential to bring hope, mercy, and comfort. The sheer size of our Archdiocese and limited resources for this ministry have prohibited our ability to train and send more ministers into our communities.

Through our renewal efforts, we will strengthen and build this critical ministry, which serves a need each of us will one day experience with our loved ones.

Your Gift Will Train Lay Leaders Spread Hope Connect those who are ill or dying with Christ through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, the Anointing of the Sick, and Holy Communion

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Prepare lay leaders to spend time with patients and families, to listen deeply, and to help sort through emotional stress

Hire More Chaplains Enable the Archdiocese to hire additional chaplains and expand to a greater number of hospitals in Southern California

Restorative Justice Ministry “Some say: ‘They are guilty.’ I respond with Jesus’ words: ‘Whoever is not guilty, throw the first stone.’ Let’s look inside ourselves and we will come to see our own guilt. And then the heart will become more human.”

POPE FRANCIS

The despair that exists after a crime is committed is a place of darkness for thousands of individuals and families each year. Patterns of sorrow are common: from a loss of faith in God to a rejection of hope in a restored future.

But as Catholics, we believe Jesus — who was brought to trial, crucified, buried, and brought to life again — offers hope and renewed purpose for every life. Staff and volunteers of the Restorative Justice Ministry reach out to the incarcerated and victims, as well as the families of both. They advocate for changes in the criminal justice system and strive to educate our communities, which often cannot and do not respond to Jesus’ invitation to walk with the prisoner and to comfort those who mourn.

Our efforts for renewal will increase support to the Chaplain’s Ministry, Victim’s Ministry, and Families of the Incarcerated Ministry by providing personnel and training to achieve initiatives beyond our current capabilities.

Expand Services to the Incarcerated Enable those affected by incarceration to walk with Jesus in the principles of love, hope, and mercy through a visitation program, including Mass and Communion services, religious education, and one-onone spiritual support sessions

Comfort Those Who Mourn Help families, often broken by crime, restore themselves and their communities to wholeness

Advocate for and Support Victims Increase support to the Victim’s Ministry, which provides spiritual care, pastoral accompaniment, education on victim’s rights, group therapy sessions, and support group workshops, among other programs 12

Our priests are our shepherds, counselors, and teachers. Our families and parishes are strengthened by these men, who live lives of service and sacrifice.

We have an opportunity to show gratitude by supporting the training and continual formation of the holy men who give so much to us — who lead our spiritual development through the celebration of the Eucharist and the sacraments.

By God’s grace, many men are responding to the call to discern a vocation to the priesthood. Our seminaries and houses of formation are at capacity and require urgent support to meet immediate needs to expand. Although a shortage of priests remains, we are truly encouraged by the strong response and increasing numbers year-over-year. Men are answering the call; we, too, must respond!

Continuous support of our current priests is a powerful way to answer a call for renewal in our parishes and communities. Our Archdiocese is blessed to have a facility dedicated to the spiritual renewal of our priests through retreats and fellowship. We must join together to create an endowment to ensure this ministry’s vitality for years to come. Together, we will support our priests so they may have the opportunity to renew their zeal to ministry — impacting our families, our parishes, and our communities.

“I have visited the House of Prayer for Priests since I was ordained almost seven years ago. It is a sacred place where I can refresh myself spiritually, so that I can be a better and more effective priest.”

Father Abel Loera

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Supporting Priestly Vocations $30 Million

Your Gift Will Enhance our Seminary Help build a multipurpose center at St. John’s Seminary to better accommodate faculty, visiting professors, and seminarians

Endow Programs at the House of Prayer

Provide Financial Assistance to Seminarians in Discernment Create a $10 million endowment for the Queen of Angels Center for Priestly Formation to allow college-age seminarians to discern a vocation to the priesthood without financial stress

Ensure greater financial stability of the Cardinal Manning House of Prayer for Priests by investing in future maintenance and enhanced programmatic experiences for clergy seeking spiritual direction and time for reflection 14

Investing in the Faith of Future Generations $65 Million

“As Director of the Office of Religious Education, We strengthen and renew our I am blessed with the chance to hear people talk about their passion for Scripture and to help parish families and the greater them understand it, so that they can share that passion with others. This is where we meet Christ. community by directly investing We meet Christ in the Word. It all began with the in the potential of through our parish - our Apostles telling the story of Jesus. And This is why the largest share of Called to Renew funds that sharing, peopleput cameinto to faith.” hope action. will be allocated for parish needs. The Archdiocese is committed to the economic stability and vitality to these Father Chris Bazyouros faith communities.

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A faith truly understood and lived in the world has immense power to transform. The vitality and effectiveness of our ministries of formation and education, therefore, are critical to the future of our faith.

Through the work of parishes, schools, and formation programs, thousands of people each year are formed in our faith. They grow closer to Christ and then evangelize, spreading the hope and joy of the Gospel to their families, neighborhoods, schools, and workplaces.

Yet as the world and culture rapidly change, so too should our methods and energies around formation and education in the faith. Through the tireless work of hundreds of educators and leaders, tens of thousands of people have encountered their faith — but more needs to be done.

New approaches, techniques, and innovations must be implemented so future generations of people will better understand and live out their faith boldly.

By investing in parish and diocesan schools, parish religious education programs, and our ministries on college campuses throughout the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, we will inspire young people to learn more about their faith and provide them with the foundation to live vibrant lives as faith-filled adults.

Young people grow into societal leaders who propel renewal through our communities and cities.

A faith understood and lived becomes a joyful witness — a powerful testimony to our hope in Jesus.

Your Gift Will Enhance the Catholic Education Endowment

Train and Empower Those Teaching the Faith

Increase Outreach on College Campuses

Provide increased access to the high-quality education Catholic schools provide, regardless of a family’s ability to pay, through tuition assistance

Train catechists and invest in technologies to more effectively implement evangelization programs and form disciples through new and modern ways to teach God’s love

Enable college students to deepen their relationship with God by having an increased presence on campuses in Southern California

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How to Give

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“‘Behold, I make all things new!’ This is the promise that Jesus makes to us, yesterday, today, and tomorrow.”

ARCHBISHOP JOSÉ H. GOMEZ

We are not here by accident. God created each of us with a purpose and a mission: to bring hope and healing to the world. As we reflect on the current needs and challenges facing our parishes and greater communities, we are convinced that uniting in purpose now will strengthen our parishes, and in turn, the society we live in today and in the future. We are called to lead by example, both in our words and by our actions.

We are all invited to participate, and each of us is faced with a unique opportunity to boldly answer, to place our hope in the Lord, and to respond to a great call of renewal in our families, our parishes, and our communities through action. Only unified will we be strengthened in our ability to respond in the fullness of our call to be a Church fully alive!

Join Us in Making a Gift Pledges payable over five years will allow donors to consider more substantial commitments than are possible with one-time gifts. Donors who pledge may determine payment schedules to meet their own charitable or tax needs. Payments can be made by check, credit card, e-checks, or gifts of stock. If you are able, please include an initial payment with your pledge.

Gifts of Stock

Matching Gifts

Planned Gifts

Gifts of stock to Called to Renew provide a significant tax benefit because they eliminate capital gains taxes.

The Archdiocese of Los Angeles will sell your gift of stock, and the value of your gift will be determined on the day of transfer.

Many companies have matching gift programs, enhancing employees’ charitable contributions.

Please contact your company’s human resources department for the paperwork to attach to your pledge card. Your company’s contribution will be recognized as a special gift.

Please call (213) 637-7555 for more information.

Bequests, charitable gift annuities, and life insurance policies are just a few examples of options for making long-term commitments to the Church.

If you are interested in planned giving, please call (213) 637-7512.

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