Giving Back - Treasure

Sunday Offering Envelopes provide a means for parishioners to financially provide for parish operating expenses and our many parish ministries and programs.  Packets of contribution envelopes are mailed every two months to all registered households.  The weekend offertory is usually reported the following weekend in the Guardian, along with the budget assumption for reference. Many people use envelopes each week and find that the act of making the offering—dropping their envelope with its support for their parish community in the basket—is an important part of their worship and discipleship.  Others prefer to use their envelopes bi-weekly, or monthly, to coordinate bookkeeping with income and expenditures. However members and friends of the parish may offer their support, the symbolism of the collection—our offering back to God a portion of what we have received—remains strong and important.  Some choose to use empty offertory envelopes to signify participation when donations are handled otherwise.

Automatic Electronic Offering Plan is an option some parishioners use to make their donations. This program is administered by our office personnel and does not incur fees associated with some electronic programs; 100% of the donation is received by Sacred Heart Parish.  Those who choose the Automic Electronic Offering Plan authorize the parish to receive their specified contributions for the weekend offertory, archdiocesan and national collections, and other collections, according to a schedule set up by the parish household.  The enrollment form is available on this web site. The form must be completed, signed and returned to the Parish Office to be processed.

Children's envelopes are not provided by the parish, but are very welcome from families who choose to use them and are a simple means to pass along principles and habits of good stewardship. Children are encouraged to make or decorate their own envelopes. These envelopes might have space to note time, talent and/or treasure offerings, and include a picture or description of their offering, or a small amount of money which they have earned. Funds received from children's offerings are specifically used to feed the poor in our community.

The Society of St. Vincent DePaul has collection boxes in the church at all times. Sacred Heart has a very active  St. Vincent de Paul chapter meeting the needs of the poor in our local community.

Seasonal Projects highlight opportunities to contribute time, talent and treasure in many areas. Information is published regularly in the Guardian and announced at weekend Masses.

The Catholic Services Appeal (CSA) is part of the life of the Archdiocese of Detroit and the life of Sacred Heart Parish.  As members of the parish, we also belong to the larger church of the Archdiocese of Detroit which is, of course, part of the universal Catholic Church.  The Archdiocese is committed to a multitude of services and ministries which are funded by two main sources of income.  The first source is the assessment on most of its income which each parish pays to the Archdiocese of Detroit.  (The Christmas collection and any CSA income over our target are exceptions to this rule; they are not taxed by the Archdiocese.)  The second main source of income for the Archdiocese is CSA itself.
 
CSA supports Sacred Heart Major Seminary, training candidates for priesthood, the diaconate and lay ministry.  It funds the work of vocations in the Archdiocese.  CSA supports programs and ministries for the deaf, Project Life, parish nurses, youth ministry, family life, evangelization, worship and education. The Metropolitan Tribunal, which processes applications for annulments, is supported by CSA contributions so that in the Archdiocese there are no fees for the annulment process.  Six annual, national collections are paid directly from CSA funds (such as Catholic University, Catholic Communications, and the Holy Land), meaning that those six collections are not taken up in our parish. The CSA touches the lives of every member of the Archdiocese and beyond.  The CSA campaign is conducted annually in each parish.  You will find much more information about the Catholic Services Appeal here.  To contribute to the Catholic Services Appeal, click here.