Dear Parishioners of St. John Vianney Parish,
The promotional video of the 2023 Bishop's Annual Appeal is being shared here. I encourage all parishioners to watch it, and to share it further (2023 Bishop’s Annual Appeal on Vimeo). Added to it is my own personal note, which was handed out with parish bulletins at Pentecost Masses. As my note shares, I am personally connected to a number of ministries mentioned in the video. I hope you find it inspiring. Please consider a gift to the 2023 Bishop's Annual Appeal.
In Christ,  Father Tim

May 27, 2023 
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, 
Next weekend the parish will launch the in-pew solicitation for the 2023 Diocese of Burlington Bishop’s Annual Appeal. In a somewhat unusual way, I wish to write my own personal letter of support. Mainly, I wish to recount the ministries, programs, and charities in which I have recently been involved that are supported by the Annual Appeal. To this letter of support, I will add some additional note for those individuals who have given generously to the extra initiatives in the parish - the Christ our Hope Capital Campaign, and the quickly planned 2022-2023 Roof Fund – and who are interested in further parish capital projects.

First, Diocesan Ministries.
Diocesan office of Marriage and Family: I have at least a dozen times been spiritual director and teacher at Diocesan Pre-Cana retreat weekends and retreat days. In the last two years I also assisted the marriage office, with a few other priests, in testing a new format for Mentoring of Engaged Couples recently made available to parishes.
Diocesan Youth Ministry: most years my parishes have hosted the Totus Tuus Summer Youth Catechetical Camp. So also, this year, our Totus Tuus Program will enjoy counselors whose excellent training is subsidized by the Annual Appeal. I have also joined Diocesan sponsored youth trips to retreats as Mount St. Mary’s Seminary, and the National March for Life in Washington DC, and am scheduled to accompany about 45 Vermont youth this July to the Steubenville East Youth Conference in Massachusetts.

Vermont Catholic Charities (VCC), Emergency Aid: Countless times I have petitioned Vermont Catholic Charities to chip-in emergency aid funds when people in need asked my parishes for financial assistance. Of course, this is ongoing.
VCC Residential and Assisted Living Senior Homes: I currently sit on the VCC Executive Finance Committee, which advises on the statewide level about the very expensive Ministry of providing senior residences and assisted living at the four Catholic Charities residential homes. It is expensive because VCC will not turn away applicants if they rely solely on Medicaid to fund their living.

Vermont Catholic Schools: at St. Paul’s Catholic School in Barton, where I was pastor, we benefitted from the Annual Appeal. As you also know, I am now the lead chaplain at Rice High School, and so my direct involvement in our Catholic Schools continues.

These describe major functions of Diocesan ministries and VCC services in which I am currently involved. By use of our parish facilities and through a number of parishioners our parish has contact with even more ministries that run through the Diocese. My only comment to add here is that in donating personally to the annual appeal I lean to the side of generosity myself, knowing how blessed I have been in the parishes that I have served.

I give my thanks to all who will again support the Bishops Annual Appeal.

Simultaneously with all of the above, I will outline plans for additional capital projects which will be exclusively St. John Vianney Parish based. The Christ our Hope Capital Campaign is wrapping up, and no solicitations are being made regarding this statewide campaign, from which only a few pledge fulfillments are lingering. At the same time, parishes have actually been encouraged to craft financial appeals for direct donations for capital projects which were named in their 2021 Campaign goals. Therefore, even while we are promoting the 2023 Bishops Annual Appeal, we will try to lay the groundwork to run a 2023-2024 parish appeal for Environment and Efficiency projects: heat pump systems which will include air conditioning abilities for the church, a study of other efficiency measures for heat and electric use, and lastly an environment plan which will include a safer, winter friendly sidewalk layout around the church buildings. At this time, I think a 12-month goal of $100,000 in additional donations is an appropriate amount to consider for completing all these projects. But we will certainly keep everyone updated in subsequent months about the exact costs of bids to do the above work. All individuals can contribute to the conversation about which projects should be covered by donations that 100%-fund each parish project, and which others are appropriate to accomplish with our development fund money on hand. The 2022-2023 Roof Fund was quickly planned, and still it made up 80% of the costs when it became increasingly apparent that our parish center roofing was failing. This success, along with the encouragement of the Diocese to plan such appeals for donations staying 100% for parish projects, make it seem very opportune to tackle these Environment and Efficiency project goals, which had indeed been discussed in 2020 and 2021. “Environment and efficiency” seem the right terms for air conditioning, alternate heating technology capabilities, and outdoor church sidewalks. So those who wish may hereby refer to these proposals as the Double-E Fund, set to launch in July or August.

God bless you, 
In Christ, with Mary,
Father Tim