FAQ

• What is the Catholic Services Appeal?

  The Catholic Services Appeal is an annual campaign that raises funds for the Archdiocese of Detroit's ministries, programs, and services that benefit all the faithful in southeast Michigan. This archdiocesan-wide campaign reinforces the fact that the local Church extends beyond church buildings.

  The CSA is an opportunity for the faithful to respond to Christ’s command “to love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12) by helping to fund services throughout the broader area of southeast Michigan. This collaborative, archdiocesan campaign is a way to demonstrate the unity of the larger Church and to fund these vital programs.

• What does the CSA fund?

  The Catholic Services Appeal benefits parishes and people in the Archdiocese of Detroit by helping to fund more than 100 ministries, programs, and services, including: support for men discerning God’s call to the priesthood at Sacred Heart Major Seminary; campus ministry; grants to Catholic schools; and young adult programs. Essentially, CSA dollars help fund the spiritual and corporal works of mercy in the greater Detroit area.

• Who oversees and distributes CSA funds?

  The archdiocesan lay Finance Council oversees the distribution of CSA funds to ensure they reach the ministries, programs, and services for which they are intended.

• How much money is raised and where does this money go?

  Our annual CSA goal for the archdiocese has been an average of $17 million. The campaign itself raises an average of over $30 million, annually, with the amount over goal being returned to the parishes that have exceeded their individual target. The campaign supports the programs, ministries, and mission-support activities that are vital to growing and sustaining the Catholic church in Southeast Michigan.

• What happens when the goal is exceeded – where does that money go?

  Once a parish reaches its individual annual goal, 100 percent of the overage is returned to the parish for its own needs

• How is the fundraising goal for each parish determined?

  The annual goal for each parish is based on the average of its previous three-year offertory and Christmas collections. The parish goal is reduced by 10 percent if it operates an elementary school and reduced an additional 10 percent if it operates a high school. Parishes also may have their goal reduced if they provide tuition assistance to parishioners who attend Catholic schools. In those cases, their goal is reduced by 10 percent of the amount of financial aid they provide.

• What happens if a parish does not reach its goal?

  In this case, the parish is invoiced by the archdiocese for the shortfall and must pay the difference from its own savings.

• Have CSA funds ever been used to settle judgments against the archdiocese?

  No CSA dollars have ever been – or ever will be – used to settle claims of any nature against the archdiocese. These dollars are donor-restricted for the Catholic Services Appeal and cannot be used for any other purpose, other than the programs and ministries the CSA supports.