ARCHDIOCESE OF NEWARK LAUNCHES UNPRECEDENTED FUNDRAISING EFFORT IN SUPPORT OF COMMUNITY PARISHES
During Pandemic, Cardinal Tobin Encourages Parishioners to Aid Local Churches and Ministries

Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R, Archbishop of Newark, has announced an unprecedented fundraising initiative specifically aimed at supporting continued outreach and archdiocesan parish communities during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The effort, coordinated with GoFundMe, a global online fundraising platform, will enable parishioners to provide direct support to local churches throughout this challenging time. A dedicated website, at www.rcan.org/parishsupport, has been established for this program.

“The first place people often go in time of need is the local parish,” said Cardinal Tobin. “Under the current conditions brought on by the coronavirus epidemic, parishes are limited in the services they can offer to the faithful and those in need. Please consider a tax-deductible contribution to our special Parishes in Need fund, which will be used to support those communities struggling to pay their employees, conduct outreach, and cover church utility bills through this crisis.”

Catholic parishes rely on weekly contributions from parishioners, known as the offertory collection, to support the work of each community, including staff wages and daily operations. In addition to Masses, many parishes provide services beyond their membership, such as counseling, meeting spaces, and charitable drives for families in need. While some churchgoers send contributions by mail, many prefer to place donations in collection baskets each Sunday during worship services.

All public celebrations of Mass throughout the Archdiocese of Newark are temporarily suspended during the crisis, and the Archdiocese and many community parishes have transitioned to live-streaming services online.

Cardinal Tobin emphasized that all donors can designate their contributions specifically to benefit of their own parish, and that all monies raised will be sent directly to those churches for which they are earmarked. The Archdiocese will temporarily waive its assessment (an administrative fee charged to parishes to support archdiocesan operations and ministries), and GoFundMe will charge only a small fee per donation to cover payment processing, as is typical for online fundraising platforms.

The Archdiocesan-wide parish support initiative, specially focused on supporting local parishes, is the first of its kind. Cardinal Tobin hopes that other dioceses and ministries will follow suit.

“The faithful may also contribute through their usual channels, such as mailed envelopes, other online giving, and, especially, our Annual Appeal which is now in progress,” the Cardinal said, adding that many within the Archdiocese have already reached out with generous offers of support and questions about how to give. “Together we will navigate these uncharted waters, provide assistance to those in need, and secure the road ahead for the Catholic Church of the Archdiocese of Newark. We are grateful for the generosity of our faithful, and we will work together in prayer to move past this and prevent the suffering of the most vulnerable among us.”

To learn more and contribute online, visit www.rcan.org/parishsupport.

For the most up-to-date resources and information about the Archdiocese of Newark’s continued handling of the COVID-19 crisis, visit www.rcan.org/covid19.

About the Archdiocese of Newark

Cardinal Tobin to Livestream Sunday Mass Online at 12 p.m. Eastern Time

Cardinal Tobin will celebrate Mass this Sunday, March 22, 2020, at 12 p.m. Eastern Time. The livestream can be accessed on the archdiocesan parish support website: www.rcan.org/parishsupport and on archdiocesan social media @NwkArchdiocese. As many parish communities establish live streaming services online, these streams will become available on this website under the “Parish Support” tab.