Catholic Stewardship Appeal (CSA) 2024

August 2024 Letter from Fr. Steve

My Fellow Parishioners,

This afternoon, we just received word from the Archdiocese of Las Vegas Finance Office that we have met and exceeded our 2024 Catholic Stewardship Appeal, or CSA, goal. Thanks to the generosity of our parishioners, we have exceeded the goal by $2,754.74. Your contributions have made a significant difference. 

This is a momentous occasion for St. Anthony of Padua. For the first time, we have met our CSA goal in August. This is a significant achievement, especially considering our situation last year. Just a year ago, we were over $100,000 short of our goal, with less than 300 families participating. But this year, we have not only met our goal but also achieved the highest number of family participation in our parish’s eighteen-year history. This is a testament to the generosity and commitment of our parishioners. The Holy Spirit moves through your hearts!

What does this milestone mean for us now? What should you do if you have pledged but have yet to contribute toward that pledge?

Your continued support is crucial. Fulfilling your pledge (promise) is not just a moral commitment, it is a way to directly impact our parish. Every penny over our goal is rebated back to the parish. This means that, as of this afternoon, we will receive a rebate of $2,754.74. This money will be used for special projects that will enhance our parish community.

CSA funds the recruitment and education of our future and current priests, faith formation for Catholics of all ages, outreach to the homebound, and critical services to the poor. This all happens on the archdiocesan level. To borrow a microeconomic term, it’s about “economies of scale” regarding those apostolates. We have now met that obligation as a parish. At this point, everything above and beyond that funds special projects at the parish.

The rebated money will be earmarked for special operational projects. Due to economic uncertainty, we have several deferred maintenance projects at the parish hall and rectory that we have been putting off for several years. In addition, we ultimately still owe close to $9 million for both the land and the building. As we approach the parish hall’s tenth anniversary in February 2026, we will begin full mortgage payments. Rebated money beyond the cost of our deferred maintenance will be spent to snowball paying down this debt.

As always, I am so thankful to be beside you on this spiritual journey. I thank the Lord for the opportunity to serve alongside so many dedicated and passionate priests, lay staff, and volunteers. I am eager to continue spreading the Joy of the Gospel with you throughout our small corner of the world here in northwest Las Vegas.

Fr. Steve

Give Online

To safely and securely give online, please click here. You will then need to click on the CSA button on the next page.

So what exactly is the Catholic Stewardship Appeal, or CSA?

How does the CSA benefit me or my household with hard financial times right now? These are very fair questions.

• 27% of CSA pays for vocations – the recruitment and education of our future priests.
• 15% goes into faith formation for children, teens, and adults.
• 17% pays for the continuing education of clergy in everything ranging from theology, pastoral, and liturgical concerns to finance and accounting.
• Right now, 59% subsidizes costs that benefit everyone in the parish, from as young as our infants to seniors.
• The rest of CSA funds campus ministries, education, and pastoral outreach to our community’s poor, needy, and vulnerable living rights. Supporting these initiatives is a form of spiritual and corporal works on mercy. None of the money raised is used for settlements or fees. 

Because of the critical work, CSA does to sustain our faith and its work providing for the poor, it is obligatory for all churches in the Archdiocese. Even the Newman Center at UNLV, Guardian Angel Cathedral, and the Shrine of the Most Holy Redeemer, two 100% tourist parishes, have CSA goals.