Dear Friend of Catholic Exchange,
Do you want a dramatic part in reclaiming our culture and media for Christ and the Church? Do you want to provide an antidote to the media's anti-Catholic bias? Do you want to change the secularization of our culture with Christian truth?
Now you can… by participating with and praying for the ministry of Catholic Exchange.
Cut the Cake!
As many of you know, Catholic Exchange is a worldwide culturally influencing ministry, and this month we turn six years old! Yeah, I know, we're just a little kid — which means we have a lot of growing to do. Whether you've been a friend of ours from the beginning or you're new on the team, I want to thank you personally for your prayers and support. These past twelve months have been our most exciting and blessed year yet, and I'm grateful to be able to share the good news with you.
What is Catholic Exchange?
We're best known for our website, CatholicExchange.com, which is updated daily with faith-enriching content. But, we're also:
Catholic Exchange Radio: Now on over 31 stations nationwide plus Sirius Satellite Radio's The Catholic Channel, as well as on our website;
Catholic Exchange Publications: Informative, low-cost evangelization tools like our best-selling A Guide to the Passion: 100 Questions About The Passion of The Christ;
Parish Portals: Custom parish websites that become daily destinations for learning and building fellowship locally;
Film Producer: Creating powerful programs about life and faith such as our new hit film, Champions of Faith: Baseball Edition;
Catholic Scripture Study (CSS): The world's fastest-growing Catholic Bible study program.
Yes, we are a media organization, with a worldwide influence, which creates and disseminates informative, dramatic and timely communications about the Catholic Faith, using the most effective and wide-reaching communication tools in the history of mankind (the best message with the best tools).
In short, we are evangelists who proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ and his One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, and in the process meet your needs.
For example…
Do you have family members who have fallen away from the Faith? Help us reach them. Our web presence at CatholicExchange.com is helping to reverse that trend. Best described as a "daily Sunday newspaper for Catholics," our team of editors assembles a wide range of articles from favorite bishops, priests and other Catholic authors every day and makes it available to the world at no charge. This daily sowing of the seeds of faith continually bears rich fruit. We get letters regularly from folks telling us how reading CatholicExchange.com helped them find or re-discover the Catholic Church, or influenced a child or spouse to return to the Sacraments or seek reception into the Church.
Do you see friends leaving the Church for various sects or, worse still, nothing? Help us catechize them. Our Catholic Scripture Study (CSS) program, written by Scott Hahn, Mark Shea and others, continues to satisfy the hunger for solidly Catholic Bible study. Now in over 400 parishes, and hoping to add 100 more this year, Catholic Scripture Study is still the only group program to teach the Bible in the context of the Catholic Catechism, the writings of the Saints and Doctors of the Church and Papal encyclicals. The CSS program strengthens Catholics in their faith and understanding of the Scriptural roots of the Church. It also attracts non-Catholics to the Church, many of whom end up entering into the fullness of the Faith.
Are you heartbroken to see TV, newspapers and the Internet filled with militantly anti-Catholic messages? Help us reach our culture, especially our youth, with the Truth. Our most exciting achievement of 2007 has been the release of Catholic Exchange's first movie — Champions of Faith: Baseball, a pioneering sports special that shows how the Catholic faith inspires and motivates some of the top players in Major League Baseball. Have you had a chance to see this groundbreaking film yet? If so, then you know how powerful this DVD is as an evangelization tool. We just heard from a young man who, after watching Champions of Faith, went to confession after 15 years away from the Sacraments. Stories about how our work is touching souls, like this one, keep pouring in.
Do you see a decline in morality in your community as more people embrace the culture of death? Rather than cursing the darkness of division, sin and death, we want to help you light a candle of faith and hope, a light that will guide others to the true Light of the World, Jesus Christ. The media content we produce with your help presents the fullness of the Faith in all its truth, beauty and goodness to "turn men's minds devoutly toward God" (CCC 2513). The Church calls us to that. Has God called you as well? We need financial partners and prayer partners to help us carry this mission forward.
Will you join us…
…in our mission of evangelization using media? We can't do this alone. We are a lay-run organization that does not receive one penny from the Church. Can you help us continue to produce quality Catholic media that will bring lost souls to Christ?
We need to raise $120,000 in this appeal to continue these effective, culture-changing programs. We're a very efficient organization, but producing quality media is not cheap. Quality is important because it's effective and reaches our culture with truth.
Special Gifts as Our Thank You
We have a special gift for everyone who joins the Catholic Exchange team with a generous offering of $50 or more: A special first-edition copy of the Champions of Faith DVD! Enjoy it and then pass it along to your pastor, a favorite teacher or coach, a friend or family member — anyone who could benefit from its powerful and inspiring message about our Faith in action.
For anyone who gives $200 or more we will send you the best-selling Catholic book of the year, Pope Benedict XVI's Jesus of Nazareth. This new masterpiece of spiritual reflection is perfect summer reading for either the beach or the chapel. Our beloved Holy Father shares his personal meditations on our Lord, and reaffirms the Church's faith in Him as true God, true Man and our divine Redeemer.
Three Ways to Give
Your tax-deductible, birthday gift is urgently needed so our work can continue:
1) You can use your credit card to securely send your much-needed gift online. Just click here to visit the the DONATE TO CE page on the Catholic Exchange website. Catholic Exchange will instantly receive your gift and put it to work winning souls for Christ and bringing them to the Sacraments! Consider a monthly gift, which could help us all year round.
2) You can give your tax-deductible gift over the phone. Just call us toll-free at 1-888-477-1982.
3) You can mail your gift to Catholic Exchange at P.O. Box 231820, Encinitas, CA 92023.
Please be generous
Help us continue our work of evangelization, especially among the lukewarm and fallen away. Please pray for us, pass the word about our programs, and make the largest gift you can afford today! Our work for the Church depends on your help!
Yours in Christ,
Tom Allen
Editor & President
Catholic Exchange
P.S. Please remember that if we continue working together, we will meet this enormous and exciting challenge and bring more souls to the Church than ever before, using the powerful tools of media in the way the Good Lord desires them to be used! So please help us today, and be as generous as you possibly can.
Catholic Exchange is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) public charity. We rely on donations from the general public for our support and maintenance. Catholic Exchange was organized exclusively for religious, charitable, and educational purposes.
