Annual Diocesan Appeal expands opportunities for parishes, schools, and ministries

Sister Catherine Mary Nguyen, OP, school nurse, chats with a student on the first day of school at St. Rita Catholic School in Fort Worth Aug. 13. The Appeal provides school funds for teacher salaries, security, and tuition assistance. (NTC/Juan Guajardo)

Each year, the Diocese of Fort Worth invites the faithful to unite their resources and collectively support ministries, programs, and services beyond their own parish community by participating in the Annual Diocesan Appeal. 

The mission is clear: to witness to God’s grace in our lives by together sharing the Gospel message of faith, hope, and charity with parishes, schools, and ministries in need.

For last year’s campaign, which ended June 30, 2025, Catholics from 92 parishes in 28 counties across North Texas generously responded to Bishop Michael Olson’s call to participate. 

When the 2025 campaign was complete, the Advancement Foundation, which conducts the Annual Diocesan Appeal, raised $6,024,945 and achieved two significant milestones: donations totaled $6 million for the first time and surpassed the 2025 goal by $1 million. 

The generosity of local Catholics allowed the Advancement Foundation to grant funds to each parish and school that applied. Additionally, more than $1 million from the Appeal helped support security measures including personnel and technology at the schools. 

“We were also able to give tuition assistance grants to all 17 [diocesan] schools,” said Renée Underwood, CFRE, chief development officer of the Advancement Foundation, the fundraising non profit supporting the Diocese of Fort Worth. 

She credited larger donations and a surge in continuous giving as reasons for this year’s fruitful results. “We saw lots of increases in our recurring monthly donors that we call our St. Francis Circle, the people that give to the appeal every single month the same way they give to their parish every single week,” Underwood said. “Those generous, faithful stewards stepped up.”

Rachel Martinez, CFRE, director of annual giving and grants for the Advancement Foundation, noted pastors emphasized the importance of each parishioner’s involvement more than the goal of a specific amount of money. “It was more about everybody in the parish participating and supporting the ministries and the other parishes that are in need,” she said. 

This year, 9,467 households across the diocese made a gift to support the Appeal and nearly 20 percent of parishes reached their goal. “Everybody’s goal was higher, so that’s amazing,” said Martinez. 

Heart for schools

Kindra Johnston, principal of St. Rita Catholic School in Fort Worth, is delighted to receive a $35,000 grant for teacher salaries and benefits for the 2025-26 school year.

Having worked there for 13 years, including seven years teaching middle school and three years as a school counselor, she is excited to provide some of her educators a salary boost. 

Johnston wanted to improve the salaries of several seasoned teachers who have taught for many years but have not received an increase in compensation. “My goal with this grant was to get them at least at a more competitive salary so that they feel valued,” she said. “They are the cornerstone of the school. I want them to feel that appreciation.”

According to Johnston, these grants are especially important for inner-city schools who do not receive enough funding from tuition to support their annual budget. 

“It opens up that door of opportunity to be able to do things that we may not possibly be able to do without it,” she said. In addition, it allows for other important needs to be met. “While this grant is specifically for teacher salary and benefits, it also [opens resources] in other areas so that I can help [families] with tuition assistance.”

Johnston believes the Annual Diocesan Appeal is a unique chance for parishioners who have a heart for Catholic education but do not have an affiliated school at their parish, to support something that is important to them. “There are parishes not connected to schools that can still actively participate in our students’ faith formation,” she said.

Fire for the faith

In rural parts of North Texas, smaller parishes seeking a share in the Annual Diocesan Appeal hope to offer the kind of ministries and services that are typically a mainstay at larger suburban parishes. 

Olivia Olvera can attest to the spiritually transformative effect these funds can have on forming the next generation of Catholics. She is the family and youth minister for St. Theresa Parish in Olney and St. Mary Parish in Graham, and her salary is funded through one of the annual grants. 

“In bigger parishes or those in the city, it is difficult to imagine managing a parish that has no paid staff other than an administrative assistant, working only [through] volunteers who have limited time to take the lead and guide the ministries,” she said. “Rural churches sometimes do not have enough parishioners to support expenses and needs, not being able to provide what people need to grow in their faith,” she said.

While Olvera wears many hats for both parishes, including safe environment coordinator, annulment advocate, and translator, her primary mission is to evangelize the youth. Her efforts have led to more participation at youth group meetings, church retreats, and other faith-enriching activities. 

Compared to last year, more than double the number of parish teens registered to attend the Steubenville Lone Star High School Conference in Irving. She said these opportunities for youth and teens can be life-changing. 

“One girl, who had been away from the Church for a couple of years, came back on fire for the faith. [She gave] her testimony at a Sunday Mass with such passion and enthusiasm that many of the parishioners left with tears that day, having felt what she expressed,” Olvera said. 

“This young lady joined the young adult women’s group after graduating high school, became a lay reader, assists in Sunday school, and posts in her social media about the love of God,” she continued. 

She recalled another high school student who started regularly attending parish youth events and sharing his love for God. “He speaks about his faith and is trying to get all of his peers to come to youth group,” she said.

Olvera also supports family formation at both churches by providing opportunities for parents to learn about their faith in their own language and become equipped to teach their children. 

“Many of our parish families are Spanish-speaking migrants who come from a background of very minimal faith formation,” she said. “If we are not able to provide services in Spanish and help the families in their needs, they are at a loss and disconnect from the faith.”

Three years ago, Olvera made the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults program available for any adult in the parish to attend, whether they sought full initiation into the Church or wanted more instruction. She shared that one mother begrudgingly started attending formation classes several years ago while her child was preparing for confirmation. 

“It awakened in [the mother] a need to learn more about her Catholic faith,” Olvera said. “She is enthusiastic to attend and hardly ever misses the class. This is her third year in the process of formation and she keeps coming.”

Father Eugene Nyong has served as pastor since 2016 and affirmed how vital Olvera’s work is for both parishes. 

“It is important to make contact with the youth and also family catechesis programs for parents to bond with their children through faith formation,” he said.

“Somebody here to speak with and help them come together shows that they are not alone, but part of a larger body.”

Olvera has witnessed the impact Annual Diocesan Appeal support has on rural parishes for individuals and families alike. “It is proclaiming the fullness of the Gospel in a place where it was not yet shining,” she said. “Building community completely transforms the livelihood of the Church.”

Hope for vocations

Father Bose Jujuvarapu, HGN, pastor of Sacred Heart in Seymour and St. Mary of the Assumption in Megargel since 2019, recently received a grant for $15,000 for the latter church. 

“St. Mary is a small parish in a very vibrant traditional farming community,” he said. “The reason behind asking for the grant is specifically for the youth and their catechism. Who knows, maybe for some, it will support their faith and [lead to an] increase in vocations, according to their discernment of their call.” 

He was delighted when he learned that St. Mary’s grant request was approved. 

“I’m so grateful to our bishop and the Advancement Foundation for considering our application and supporting St. Mary Parish,” he said. “It helps our young children in the formation of their faith, and I hope they will understand what God is calling them to be.

“The bishop’s appeal is well received from both parishes in these farming communities,” Fr. Jujuvarapu said of his parishes’ response. Sacred Heart surpassed its goal for the 2025 Appeal, and St. Mary of the Assumption came within a few hundred dollars.

The pastor explained his parishioners’ outlook on the Annual Diocesan Appeal, saying, “We are a parish of families. Each one is called to participate in the mission of the Church and share in the ministry.” 

In addition to operating grants for parishes and schools, the Annual Diocesan Appeal supports:

• Tuition assistance
• Catholic school learning specialists
• Teacher salaries
• School security
• Retired priest care fund
• Diaconate formation
• Evangelization
• Youth ministry
• Seminarian education
• Campus ministries
• Sacramental preparation
• Stewardship education
• #iGiveCatholic campaign
• Gabriel Project
• Marriage and family life ministry
• Parish fundraising support
• Poverty intervention
• Respect Life ministry
• Correctional ministries