DAA helps ministries provide programs
Appeal funds support diocesan entities

By KATIE LEFEBVRE, Globe staff reporter
October 6, 2005

The 2005 Diocesan Annual Appeal began in the Diocese of Sioux City the weekend of Sept. 10 and 11.

The appeal is a way for the Diocese of Sioux City to support various ministries throughout the diocese. This year's goal is $1.4 million. DAA packets have been sent out to parishioners for them to fill out and send back to the diocese.

Diocesan entities and ministries that receive dollars from DAA include Catholic Charities, multicultural ministries, adult and family ministries, youth programs, the permanent diaconate, Religious Education Media Center, Catholic schools and parish religious education, the Peace and Justice Action Commission and Tribunal.

Juan Garcia, assistant for Hispanic Ministry in the Diocese of Sioux City, noted that the multicultural ministry benefits from DAA dollars. He extended a thank you to the people that are contributing to the DAA.

"We are growing every year in our diocese," said Garcia. "I think in the near future we need to maybe hire someone else because people keep coming."

The multicultural ministry is currently focusing on leadership formation and sacraments.

"We are dedicating a lot of resources, time and energy in forming the Hispanic leaders," said Garcia. "We are giving different workshops through the diocese."

A workshop for lectors was held on Oct. 2 in Sioux Center. Garcia noted that the office is planning to provide other workshops in different cities in the diocese as well.

"In the church, the Hispanics are becoming the biggest minority," said Garcia. "It is very important for us to focus our resources in the Hispanic community. If we don't, we simply lose a big segment of our church."

The Office of Adult and Family Ministries benefits from DAA funds by allowing the office to provide ongoing programs in the diocese, commented Bev Hurni, director of adult and family ministries for the diocese.

"That would include that we have staff here to do marriage preparation - the programs as well as scoring of FOCUS, the marriage inventory. Those funds support us to be able to do the administrative work required for the church ministries program, the adult retreat that we offer annually and the Welcome Your Child program," said Hurni.

According to Hurni, adult and family ministries is important to the church because adult formation should be ongoing.

"Various documents that have come out from the U.S. bishops as well as the universal church speaks clearly that adult formation needs to be a priority in our church," said Hurni. "That is what we try to do - keep that in the forefront as people address various needs."

The family portion of the ministry is also important because family is the foundational unit of society, added Hurni.

"Just about anything - any need - could be directly or indirectly connected to family," said Hurni. "Whether it is the education of children or how we are going to care for the elderly or disabled in our midst, we try to keep on top of all of those issues and address as much as we can with the staff that we have."