The Bishop’s Lenten Appeal (BLA), the annual major diocesan fundraiser, was launched last weekend by Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde with a goal of $5.5 million.

The BLA supports a wide-range of diocesan ministries, programs and social services. This year’s theme is "United through the Eucharist, we pray and serve."

A new part of this year’s campaign is an online video presentation by Bishop Loverde that can be viewed at www.arlingtondiocese.org.

"As one of the fastest-growing dioceses in the country, we face a tremendous responsibility to plan for a burgeoning family of faith, together with our responsibility to provide for and protect the poor, the elderly and the unborn," said Bishop Loverde.

"This appeal is a tangible way for the nearly 400,000 members of our diocese to express their concern for those in need and to support the many ways our diocesan church is impacting lives for the better," the bishop said.

These ministries include the following:

• Youth Ministry programs which assist adult leaders in enhancing parish-based programs for over 15,000 young people in our diocese;
• Catholic school programs and initiatives which assist pastors and principals in administering the 37 elementary and three diocesan secondary schools with over 16,000 students;
• Catechetics Office, which supports parish-based religious instruction for more than 35,000 children and young people;
• Financial assistance for 24 diocesan seminarians, including more than $20,000 per student each year for room, board, and tuition expenses;
• Catholic Charities services and counseling directed to nearly 30,000 Catholics and non-Catholics each year, including programs providing food for the hungry, counseling, immigrant assistance, adoption services, emergency assistance and care for the elderly;
• Catechetical, sacramental, vocational awareness and lay ministry formation programs for the growing Spanish-speaking population in the diocese, as well as support for the diocese’s two mission churches in the Dominican Republic.

Additional ministries and programs which receive support from the BLA include: continuing education for parish priests, insurance benefits and long-term care for retired priests, vocations awareness, evangelization, Theology on Tap for young adults, marriage preparation, Gabriel Project, Project Rachel, new parish land acquisition and a chaplaincy office at INOVA Fairfax Hospital.

On average over 12,000 Catholics join the diocese each year. Some parishes experience over 30 new families a month, or over 360 families per year. The number of registered Catholics has increased 42 percent over the past 10 years.