As you know, we have many second collections here at St. Austin. There are MANY worthwhile and worthy causes that we come to you, week after week, asking for your support. It would be wonderful if you could support all of them. But in the real world that is just not realistic. So what do you do?
Well, you could just throw a couple of bucks in each one, and leave it at that. But Jesus tells us to be not only “as innocent as doves” but also “as wise as serpents” (Mt 10:16). In the case of second collections, I take this to mean that we not only have to be generous, we also have to use some discretion in our giving. There may be three or four special causes or collections that you want to especially support, and give more generously in those collections (say, the annual Paulist Appeal!). There may be a few that you frankly are not at all excited about, and on these you simply pass the basket without making a contribution. This is what I do. I would rather give more generously to causes I am particularly concerned about and less generously about causes I care less about. This involves more thought and planning, but I think it is a more involved approach than simply placing a dollar or two in the basket each time it is passed.
So to assist you in your planning for the rest of the year (we have already had a couple of second collections), I am providing you with the list of collections that are scheduled for 2012. There may be additions. If there is another horrible natural disaster, like the fires in Bastrop or the tsunami in Japan last year, we very well may take up a special collection in that case. But what you see below is pretty much what the second collections will be for 2012. I do not publish this to discourage you, but to urge you to be both generous and thoughtful in your giving. Be both innocent and wise.
God Bless!
January
8 – Persons in Need
22 – Paulist Appeal
February
12 – Persons in Need
22 – World and Home Mission (Ash Wednesday-second collection -- Offertory Collected First)
26 – Diocesan Masters in Theology and Campus Ministries (Diocesan)
March
4 – Persons in Need
18 – Catholic Relief Services (CRS)
25 – Grand Tour Collection (for St. Austin School - Grand Tour is April 14.)
April
1 – Persons in Need
6 – 12 noon, Stations of the Cross–Offertory Collection
6 – Holy Land (Good Friday)
8 – Bishop’s Diocesan Easter Collection (second collection – Easter)
22 – St. Austin Pledge Weekend
May
13 – Persons in Need
27 – Seminarians and Priest Education and Formation (Diocesan) June
10 – Persons in Need
24 – Peter’s Pence
July
8 – Persons in Need
August
12 – Persons in Need
September
9 – Persons in Need
October
7 – St. Austin’s Affirmation of Membership W/E
14 – Persons in Need
21 – World Mission Sunday / Propagation of the Faith
November
4 – Catholic Services Appeal (CSA) (Diocesan)
11 – Persons in Need 18 – Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD)
December
9 – Persons in Need
16 – Retired Clergy and Religious
25 – Bishop’s Diocesan Christmas Collection (second collection – Christmas)
30 – Feast of the Holy Family / Family and Pro-life activities and Maternity Homes
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