April 26, 2026 : The Annual Catholic Appeal
Jesus Christ is Risen – Alleluia!
Who’s the leader of the Lutherans, Methodists, Seventh Day Adventists, Southern Baptists, Mormons, Judaism, Hinduism, Islam, etc.? I bet you couldn’t name a single one, but I bet you could name the Pope, and so could most people around the world (Pope Leo XIV). We are so fortunate to belong to the one universal Church established by Jesus Christ two thousand years ago. We are in communion with the Church stretching back to the original twelve Apostles, as well as being in communion now with the Church throughout the world, and into the future until the end of time, and even with the Church in Purgatory and Heaven. That’s a lot of universal communion. That’s what it is to be Catholic—a Greek word meaning universal or whole.
Closer to home, there is another communion that we have because of our universal nature, that of belonging to the local Church, the Archdiocese of Seattle. Recently you received a letter from Archbishop Etienne introducing you to this year’s Annual Catholic Appeal (ACA). Each year at this time we pause and consider all the good that is accomplished because of your support of the ACA: the homeless are sheltered, retired priests and nuns are cared for, our seminarians are prepared to serve as our future priests, and so much more. If you haven’t already done so, I pray you will join me in affirming your universal communion with Christ’s Church, by supporting the Catholic Church in Western Washington by donating to the 2026 Annual Catholic Appeal. It's your generosity that will make the ministry of the Archdiocese and our parish family projects possible.
The financial goals and the projects of our three Columbia River Catholic communities this year are as follows:
· Holy Redeemer’s financial goal this year is $289,393. Of that amount, $219,393 will go toward the Church in Western Washington, and $70,000 will go towards drawing up architectural plans for our new parish hall which we plan to build where our existing parish center stands. Each year we experience growth and continue to strain the capacity of our current facilities to accommodate the many ministries of our parish. The new parish center will be essential for our future as a thriving Catholic community. If you are familiar with Marian Hall at St. Joseph’s parish, then you’ve got the idea. Building the new parish center will require a future capital campaign, so detailed architectural drawings will be very helpful for everyone to visualize the goal. The rebate from two years ago paid for our new storage building, and the rebate from last year has gone a long way to eventually revamping our north parking lot, which is a must if we ever want to build a parish hall that has twice the capacity of our current parish center. Meeting our goals down through the years has enabled us to do amazing things with Holy Redeemer’s campus.
· St. Thomas Aquinas’ financial goal this year is $132,542. Of that amount, $82,542 will go toward the Church in Western Washington, and $50,000 will go towards a new commercial range for the kitchen. Our parish hall currently relies on an aging commercial range that has become difficult to operate safely. It still uses several standing pilot lights, designed to burn constantly to provide a ready ignition source. But these can allow unburned gas to leak into the area. In recent months, there have been multiple incidents where our degraded range has leaked gas throughout the space. If a pilot light blows out, which has also happened, even more gas is released. Newer stoves have electronic ignition systems to remove this risk. For the safety and wellbeing of our parishioners and students, replacing the range has become a critical need. Any funds remaining after the purchase of the new range will be applied toward fixing the exterior concrete and seal along the south wall of the church, where water is seeping down the interior wall of the parish hall.
· Our Lady Star of the Sea’s financial goal this year is $26,007. Of that amount, $11,007 will go toward the Church in Western Washington, and $15,000 will go towards repairing and repaving the parking lot. Every dollar received over $11,007 will come back to Our Lady Star of the Sea for the parking lot project.
With all of this said, the most important goal is participation, and we have set that goal at 100%. I invite you to join your fellow parishioners, along with thousands of other Catholics across Western Washington, to make a difference by making a pledge today.
I am asking every household in the parish to commit 1% of your annual household income, or $1.50 a day ($550) over the course of the next year (whichever is more). Some of us can commit to more than that, and we depend on you to do that if you can, yet every gift will make a difference, so please commit to something. If you haven’t already contributed to the 2025 ACA please do so today by scanning the QR code below, or going to https://archseattle.org/giveaca, or filling out the form you received from the Archbishop in the mail. For any questions call the Holy Redeemer parish office at 360-885-7780 or the Archdiocese at 800-809-4921. For those of you who have already made a commitment—thank you for your generosity!
Of note: I know that some parishioners don’t want to donate to the Archdiocese of Seattle for any number of reasons. If that is the case, then that donor is only hurting their parish. If a particular community doesn’t meet the goal the Archdiocese set for them, goals that we can all achieve if we participate, then the Archdiocese will dip into that community’s income to meet their goal. We all belong to one Catholic Church, and the Church extends well beyond us. We have our needs and the Church in Western Washington, which is our Church, has needs too.
Importantly, you will receive a letter from me in an envelope marked Columbia River Catholic. As a parish family, we are centralizing the administrative work behind the ACA. However, your pledge will go to support the location where you are registered—Holy Redeemer, St. Thomas Aquinas, or Our Lady Star of the Sea respectively—in meeting the ACA goals and projects specific to the community where you are registered.
Finally, please remember your Parish with a legacy gift in your will. Bequests are so helpful in funding large projects. If you haven’t yet included your parish in your will, please do so. It is a gift that keeps on giving long after we’ve parted this world, a gift for which generations of parishioners will be eternally grateful.
May the Risen Christ Bless You,
Fr. Thomas Nathe
ACA 2026 Give Here
