How Your Gift Is Used

Catholic Social Services Your financial contribution to the ABA provides needed resources for Catholic Social Services to provide compassionate service to the least among us.  Services are provided to nearly 12, individuals and families annually throughthe following programs: Catholic Housing Services Foster Grandparents Assissi Bridge House St. Lucy's Day Care Adoptions and Maternity Counseling Lafourche and Terrebonne Food Banks And Many Other....

Care for Retired and Infirmed Priests We gratefully acknowledge the hard work and dedication of our priests who are now retired.  The diocese recognizes its obligation to provide for their financial and health care needs.  We currently have 17 retired priests living in and around our diocese.  Many of whom, have simply retired from administrative duties of being a pastor.  Many are still seen around the diocese celebrating Mass, performing baptisms, joyfully celebrating weddings, and visiting the sick in hospitals and retirement homes.

Bayou Catholic      The Bayou Catholic is a very large part of our evangelization ministry here in the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux.  Your support of the ABA helps to distribute the Bayou Catholic to every registered Catholic's home.  If for some reason you are not receiving the Bayou Catholic and would like to add your name to the list please call 985.850.3132.

Education To Ministry      In every significant sacramental event, the priest plays a powerful and irreplaceable role.  In the celebration of the liturgy and the sacraments, the priest represents Christ and serves on behalf of the entire church.  Pope John Paul II has relate that a priest is a gift of Christ to the community.  The tuition for seminarian training and formation is underwritten from Appeal funds.  Although costly, it is a lifelong investment in the future of our faith.  Today's seminarians will be tomorrow's pastors.

Lumen Christi Retreat Center      Located on fifty acres, the two building retreat center is considered to be a real treasure of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux by many who utilize the facility. Lumen Christi welcomes approximately 8,000 visitors a year through different types of retreats ranging from confirmation retreats, priests' retreats, marriage preparation, marriage encounter, days of prayer, community outreach and many other retreats and programs. Without the support of the Annual Bishop's Appeal, Lumen Christi would have difficulties remaining affordable for the many who use the Center.      If you or your group would like to use Lumen Christi or would like more information on the many services offered by the Retreat Center, please call 868-1523 for assistance.

Parish Grants The beauty of our mostly rural area is simply that; we are blessed with beautiful bayous, grassy marshes, lake, and beaches.  Many of our church parishes are dotted along these rural paths and lack the funding to make major repairs like damage caused by hurricanes, or replacing a 40 year old heating and cooling system.  As a family, we are there for one another and the same goes for these parishes.  They are able to apply for grant money funded by the ABA for their needed repairs.

Other Needs  Although this area of funding from the Annual Bishop's Appeal is not as specific as the others, these funds are just as important. A wide variety of people and programs such as diocesan programs, capital improvements to diocesan buildings, grants for diocesan high schools, partial funding for the diocesan Annual Bishop's Appeal office and other unforeseen needs as they arise, receive funds from this area.

 Click Here to open up a PDF of the most current % of Parish Goals report.