Contributors say that it is our 'responsibility' as Catholics to support others through the Catholic Services Appeal

Rosemary Walsh

St. Peter, North St. Paul

A retired teacher, Rosemary Walsh has been giving to the Catholic Services Appeal and the former Archbishop’s Annual Catholic Appeal for as long as she can remember.

“I’m very interested in education,” Walsh said. “I have all these students at heart. I think I have most everybody at heart. I think that with that money they are doing so much good for people, people who would really suffer. And in the end, we would all suffer because of their lack of knowledge and health and everything else that goes with it.”

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Marilyn and Chris Christensen

Our Lady of the Lake, Mound

The Christensens, who have served as Appeal representatives for about 10 years, are serving, this year as area and deanery representatives of the Catholic Services Appeal.

“The more you see of it, it grows on you,” Chris said. “When we got married, we got involved in foster care because we weren’t having children. Later, Marilyn taught in the parochial school.”

“I think we were guided by Catholic Charities to Hennepin County to serve as foster parents,” Marilyn said. “I feel that as Catholics . . . we are called to do the work of our Lord, reaching out to every one of his children.”

When the Christensens had their own children enrolled at Our Lady of the Lake School, Marilyn transitioned from being a volunteer to working at the school full time. During those years, she attended archdiocesan education workshops and retreats supported through the Appeal.

“I saw how valuable that was to me as a teacher and to our administration and our goals of what our mission is as a Catholic school,” she said. In addition, she has seen the benefits in her parish of marriage preparation and support programs for couples.

“Those ministries have been valuable to parishioners. And, of course, the education of our priests,” Marilyn said.

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Eileen and Jerry Perra

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Hastings

The Perras, who have one child at Cretin-Derham Hall and two at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School, have supported the archdiocesan Appeal for six years, ever since they moved to the Twin Cities from Spirit Lake, Iowa.

“I feel that I have been blessed and my husband and I have both been blessed with our health and our lives,” Eileen said. “It’s our way of continuing to support our faith. The church has always been strong in our lives. I believe in education and educating our young children. It’s so important to us to serve others. It’s our responsibility.”

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Susan and Mike Fannon

St. John the Baptist, Excelsior

“We have donated to Catholic Services over the years, and I think it’s our responsibility as Catholics to do so,” said Susan Fannon, who works at Minnetonka LifeCare Centers. “I just really trust Catholic Services. I know some of the different things it does, and I like every single thing it does.”

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Chad Trochil

Cathedral of St. Paul, St. Paul

Chad Trochil, who has been giving to the Appeal for about seven years, said that by supporting the archdiocese he also is supporting his parish, because a portion of the Appeal funds are returned to each parish.

“Together, they accomplish a lot,” he said. “It also helps to know that the funds will be used in a way that is in line with Catholic social teaching, so it’s not supporting anything that I would be morally opposed to.”

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