Archdiocese Receives Happy Birthday Gifts in Annual “Day of Giving” for Young Adult Ministry

Tuesday, the  Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA (AMS), celebrated its 34th birthday, and it has received a big present from generous benefactors: more than $48,000 in  donations for the  Young Adult Ministry program. The gifts poured in from all over the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, Europe, and Korea to the second annual AMS “ Day of Giving,” a fundraising  opportunity now held each summer on July 21. On that day in 1986, the military vicariate officially became an independent Archdiocese based in the nation’s capital, formally separating from the  Archdiocese of New York, where it had been administered for decades prior.
 
Mr. Sal Perez, AMS Director of  Advancement, said the Day of Giving “is a day of celebration in which the AMS asks for prayers and almsgiving for those who are entrusted to her pastoral care.” This year, he said, the AMS easily surpassed its single-day fundraising goal.  “A generous group of donors came together to create a matching gift pool of $12,815.00,” he said, adding that this matching gift opportunity "established a foundation for the Day of Giving and allowed others to double their donation throughout the day. The Goal of the Day of Giving was to raise $45,000 and as of now, the AMS has received over $48,000.”
 
Proceeds will support the AMS’s  Young Adult Ministry which serves the pastoral needs of military Catholics between the ages of 18 and 29. That age group is by far the U.S. Military’s largest, according Dr.  Mark Moitoza, Th.D., D. Min., AMS Vice-Chancellor of  Evangelization. “Young adults comprise the majority of the population of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA,” he said. “Donations help to sustain evangelization efforts that focus on outreach, small groups, and service. Enabling communities of faith to embrace the need to welcome and invite peers help young adults to engage in the sacramental life of the Church when they are far from home. These opportunities encourage young adults to be agents of faith. Their input, through efforts such as Evangelical Catholic’s Reach More Initiative, enliven the faithful serving around the world. Additionally, the AMS Young Adult Ministry Symposium planned for August 2021 will be an opportune time for young adults in the military to share their insights with Archbishop Timothy Broglio and inspire other military communities to grow in faith too.”

It’s not too late to give in support of the ministry to military young adults. The Day of Giving campaign will continue for the next week through Tuesday, July 28. To give, visit  givingday.milarch.org. No contribution is too large or too small, Mr. Perez said.