Beginning at 12 noon central time and continuing as long as it lasts, an anonymous donor is matching all donations up to $1,000. If you act now, you can double your money. Please donate now. It is such a humbling experience. To ask people for help and they reach into their pocket and respond. Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this webathon so far.
Earlier today I said we need a "loaves and fishes" moment. We need to raise a minimum of $20,000 today. We don’t expect one donation to cover that or even three or four. What we expect is the enthusiastic support of the small donors. We have had records numbers of visitors to the website this year. If everyone who as visited this website this week would give $5 we would exceeded far our goal.
We’ve carried a lot of news on the website this week, that might give you pause: Tensions over communion rules in Austria, the struggles of Catholics in Platteville, Wis., the ongoing abuse trial in Philadelpia. The Vatican’s decree on the Leadership Conference of Women Religious. These are all serious and important stories. To read them is why people visit NCRonline.org.
But these are not the full story of the Catholic church. I know that. You know that. Here’s my favorite story from the past week: The diocese of Lafayette, La., is burying the unclaimed bodies in the Lafayette Parish corners office. Can you get more basic for a church of compassion and service than that. Burying the dead. One of the corporal works of mercy.
That is the other side of the church’s story that we tell that doesn’t always get trumpheted. You will find plenty of stories like that, stories that inspire, here on NCR as well. To keep those stories coming your way, you have to give now.
Please help us today. If you have already given, please send this appeal to your family, your friends, other people you know in the church you attend. Send the appeal to your prayer group, your discussion group. Pass the plate for a "loaves and fishes" moment.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdLstcByHC4&feature=plcp
