On behalf of the entire Catholic Exchange team, I’d like to thank everyone who contributed to our Fifth Birthday Appeal earlier this year. Thanks to your generosity, we can continue to fund a number of important projects that will expand our ability to touch the lives and souls of millions around the world. We are enormously grateful that we can count on the regular support of loyal friends like you to make our work possible.
Broadcast, Bibles, and Major League Baseball
We have great news to share about some of the wonderful blessings that the Lord has granted to Catholic Exchange. Our new radio program, Catholic Exchange Today with John Morales, is now on 29 radio stations nationwide, as well as being available for live listening and downloading on our website. And we’re very happy to announce that we will be one of the first weekly shows featured on the new “Catholic Channel” on Sirius Satellite Radio, hosted by the Archdiocese of New York!
Our Catholic Scripture Study (CSS) program is starting its biggest year ever with over 8,000 students in nearly 500 groups. We’re also expanding our CSS China outreach, our prison ministry, and our program for people displaced by natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina. A word about CSS: People around the country and worldwide are embracing this deeply Catholic Bible study with great enthusiasm. In fact, many of our groups now have 100 or more students. And best of all, most groups start in September or October, so it’s not too late to start your own group, or join a group near you!
With the baseball playoffs underway, we’re happy to report that Champions of Faith, our groundbreaking documentary on faithful Catholics in Major League Baseball, is moving forward and surpassing our expectations at every turn. We’re now editing the film and are planning a February 2007 release date, just in time for Lent (and Spring Training). Please pray that this powerful story of modern-day Catholic heroes realizes its full potential by breaking out in the culture and touching the hearts of many who yearn for God’s truth.
You Will Love Our New Website!
And for those of you who visit the Catholic Exchange website regularly, we’re just a few weeks away from launching the all-new version of our website! It will still have all the features you know and love, but will also include a variety of new and updated features such as video, discussion forums and personalization which will make Catholic Exchange the most technically advanced, yet easy to use, Catholic website in the world! (Sorry, no weather control or time-travel features in this update. But breakthroughs are happening daily, so stay tuned!)
Thank you again for your help, dear friends. As you can see, your dollars are being put to good use and bearing considerable fruit.
We Count on Our Friends
If you didn’t get a chance to give during our appeal, we still very much need your help! The monthly cost of producing our popular daily website alone, not to mention our other cutting-edge projects, are ongoing and completely dependent on your continuing support. During the appeal, we offered a gift copy of the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church to those who made a contribution of $125 or more. We were humbled by, and grateful to, the over 100 friends of Catholic Exchange who qualified for this special gift. I’d like to extend that offer during the month of October to anyone who gives $125 or more, or to any new contributor who signs up for a monthly gift of $25 or more. Please click here to contribute securely online ci5op1l47p-staging.wpdns.site/donations, or call 888-477-1982.
Some of our viewers asked me after our last appeal if Catholic Exchange was doing all right financially. The answer is that we (CE) are like the family that lives paycheck to paycheck. So technically, yes, we're stable. However, if the dad suddenly loses a contract or two, or the working mom suddenly has her hours cut back, then drastic changes need to take place. We are in the same precarious situation. There’s precious little wiggle room in our budget. Our accountant continually reminds us that we’re out on the edge of the branch in faith with no safety net below us, and that we need to be ready to make cuts at a moment’s notice. In spite of these sobering warnings, I prefer to carry on with the confidence that we stand on a solid rock of supporters. After all, faith is what the apostolate is all about! Together we will reach the millions of souls who are out there far from Christ and His Church. We will continue to go forth each day to love and serve our Lord by transforming and building up the Catholic media in our world. Thank you again for the key role you play in this vital mission.
Yours in Christ,
Tom Allen
Editor and President
Catholic Exchange
PS: Whether or not you're a baseball fan, we're all part of a bigger team, the Church, that's striving towards an eternal prize. Please join with us today, to help the millions who need to hear Christ's message of hope, by clicking here ci5op1l47p-staging.wpdns.site/donations. We sincerely appreciate your loyal prayers and support.
