Your gift to the Bishop’s Services Appeal makes a difference in the ministries it supports and the thousands of people it impacts.
Some of those ministries include Catholic education, youth ministry, vocations/seminarians, Catholic Charities of Southwest Louisiana, family life, diocesan counseling, communications, Saint Charles Center and Camp Karol, annulment and other tribunal fees, services to maritime personnel, and evangelization throughout the Diocese of Lake Charles. 
The 42nd annual Bishop’s Services Appeal (BSA), a fundraising campaign to aid in the operation of these various ministries and programs, kicked off the weekend of September 17-18 in church parishes throughout the Diocese.
This year’s campaign, which continues until the end of the fiscal year — June 30, 2023, with a goal of $824,000 — has as its theme: “For this reason, it depends on faith so that it may be a gift,” a scripture reference from Romans 4:16.
In his annual BSA message, Bishop Glen John Provost acknowledged the generosity of the faithful people of the Diocese in the past to the needs of the Appeal.
“I am extremely grateful to you for opening your hearts to our services and those who benefit from them,” he said in a letter to the faithful. “Faith makes possible the gift, and we respond. In doing so, we share in Christ’s mission.”
With this perspective and your support, the BSA continues to make visible a variety of ministries, particularly:
- Office of Religious Education that oversees the parishes’ Religious Education Program and the Catholic Religion Studies at the six Catholic schools in the Diocese providing for the consistency in the presentation of our Faith.
- Catholic Education that offers rigorous academics grounded in teachings of service to others and serving as a vital tool of evangelization.
- Seminarian Education that supports the education and welfare of diocesan seminarians with a vision to secure celebrations of the Sacraments into the future.
- Vision of Catholic Charities to help ensure that we, the Catholic Church, care for both bodily and spiritual needs. Catholic Charities continues to expand locations (currently 11) making ever-evolving resources available to all areas of the Diocese.
- The work of Saint Charles Center offers the opportunity for priests and lay faithful to get away from the world and be alone with Christ and allow Him to speak to us and regain His vision.
- Office of Communications continues to share vital information in a wide array of formats through printing of the Catholic Calendar diocesan newspaper; online via the diocesan website; and through social media on the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lake Charles Facebook page.
His Excellency noted that continuing the mission of Christ is carried out in two important ways: teaching and healing.
“In teaching, the Diocese of Lake Charles strives to imitate our Lord,” said Bishop Provost. “We teach students in our parish religious education classes. We form converts in the solid teachings of Christ and His Church through our Christian Initiation for Adults programs.”
The bishop also noted the valuable contribution of Saint Charles Center and Camp Karol to Christian formation of both adults and youth. He went on to emphasize the importance of encouraging vocations in our youth.
“To provide for the future, the Diocese fosters vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life and contributes to the formation of men in our seminaries who will serve in your parishes,” he said. “To nurture those vocations, the Diocese maintains the Vianney House for men discerning the priesthood prior to entering the seminary.”
As of June 2022, there are 13 priests in active ministry in our Diocese who were ordained by Bishop Provost since his installation on April 23, 2007.
The Diocese of Lake Charles shares in the mission of Christ through healing as well, the bishop continued.
“We work with Christ to bring healing through our Pro-Life ministries and retreats. Individuals come to a Rachel’s Vineyard retreat and find healing for the pain and loss of a child through abortion,” he said.
“The Diocese offers counseling and continues to expand its services to an ever-larger group of recipients through Catholic Charities of Southwest Louisiana,” Bishop Provost added. “We have also reinstituted a Catholic medical society, under the patronage of St. Luke, to minister to our health care professionals.”
The bishop concluded his BSA message by reminding people that all this we do — through teaching and healing — because of our faith in Jesus Christ, our Lord.
“I ask that you join me this year in the Bishop’s Services Appeal through your gift given because of faith,” he requested. “May the world see that we truly belong to Christ through our manifest living out of the Gospel call.”
Donors can choose from the following options to make their contribution:
- By check or cash in your parish’s designated BSA collection envelope
- By designating a donation at any time in your parish’s collection
- By credit card or electronic check (ACH) through the Diocese of Lake Charles website at http://www.lcdiocese.org/resources/support-the-diocese.
The first weekend of collections in church parishes will be at all Masses September 24-25.
