DAA Weekend set for Sept. 10 and 11

By RENEE WEBB, Globe editor
September 8, 2004

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Diocesan Annual Appeal.

According to Msgr. Roger Augustine, diocesan administrator, DAA enables the diocese to reach out to parishioners with various ministries and programs that positively impact individuals and groups.

"The Diocesan Annual Appeal offers a great way for parishioners to see the church from a larger viewpoint, greater than the parish perspective," he noted. "It is one way that we as church look at and see this is something that brings us together."

Msgr. Augustine was a pastor at St. Joseph Church in Schaller when Bishop Frank Greteman initiated this diocesan-wide appeal in 1975.

He recalled that even in the first year people responded well to the appeal.

"It was an opportunity in the beginning to have people work together in bringing about success to the program by its many volunteers who worked in parishes," said Msgr. Augustine.

Msgr. Louis Kollasch, a retired pastor of the diocese who resides in Fort Dodge, recalled that he was a pastor at Sacred Heart Church in Fort Dodge at the time Bishop Greteman started the appeal.

He recalled that the only other diocese in the Midwest that offered a diocesan-wide appeal was the Diocese of Lincoln. A priest from the Nebraska diocese that headed up that program came to the Diocese of Sioux City to explain how the program worked and tell of its success.

"Our program was patterned after that," said Msgr. Kollasch. "Once it was explained, we could see the advantage of it. I remember Bishop Greteman was proud to start it because he could see the advantage of it to the diocese."

Msgr. Kollasch added that parishioners were fairly receptive to the appeal after they learned of all the good it would do in the diocese. He added that parishes with Catholic schools through the years have especially benefited by DAA.

"It certainly was a big help for us in parishes with schools because we had some additional income coming back periodically through the years," he said. "Although we know it came from our parishioners - but had it not been through DAA we perhaps would not have received the additional help."

In time, the appeal became a routine part of the year - something parishioners knew would happen each year and something where people had a pretty good idea of how it worked.

Through the years, he said it appears that the people who are supportive of their own parishes are the ones who donate to DAA and the ones who do not are usually not good contributors at the local level either.

Father Jeff Schleisman, pastor at St. Mary's in Larchwood and Holy Name Church in Rock Rapids, was ordained in the summer of 2000. In his five years as a priest, he has seen the positive impact in DAA and he has sought various information and advice from numerous diocesan offices.

"I've seen the positive impact in the support it gives me, starting out as a new priest," he said. "It is helpful to me to get that support. There is always someone that I can call up for help or advice."

Father Schleisman mentioned that he frequently calls the marriage tribunal to seek information about marriage cases and annulments. He also has sought information from the Office of Stewardship and Development to develop a stewardship program in his two parishes.

In addition to things that help him as a priest, he pointed out that some of the diocesan personnel have helped others in his parish. For instance, Linda Anderson, director of catechesis, presented a workshop to the DREs and catechists of his two parishes.

Another time when he was working with a couple on marriage prep, one of the individuals was deaf. Father Schleisman contacted the Office of Adult and Family Ministries and they lined up a sign language interpreter for an Engaged Enrichment.

Also, his secretaries have attended diocesan workshops on such things as Quickbooks and they have called the Office of Personnel and Benefits as well as the finance department for assistance.

"We have several people interested in attending the Diocesan Ministries Conference - taking advantage of that resource," he said. "There are so many things the chancery offers."

He is aware that parishioners from both Larchwood and Rock Rapids have been supportive of DAA as the annual goal is surpassed each year.

Msgr. Augustine sees DAA not only as a means to raise money but also a chance for people to work together.

"There are many, many families in a parish and for a parish to be healthy families need to work together just as for a family to be healthy, individuals must work together. For a diocese to be healthy and grow and be able to reach out to all people, parishes need to be cooperative," he said.

The diocesan administrator stressed the importance of DAA.

"It is very important because it is one way in which we as a diocese are able to provide different programs through the generosity of the people," said Msgr. Augustine. "If we didn't have the diocesan appeal, in order to offer the various programs that serve the diocese, we would have to have a greater (parish) assessment."

The diocesan administrator pointed out that the appeal is set up in such a way that parishes can use it as an individual fundraiser of sorts as all parishes receive part of the money that is raised and 100 percent of all funds raised over the individual parish goal is returned back to the parishes.

"Especially when we look at our society today, we need to be concerned about looking at the church as being a unit - something that works together to achieve things that most individual parishes could not by itself," said Msgr. Augustine. "We need to reach out to others."