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January 1, 2015As required by Canon Law, Most Reverend Plácido Rodríguez, CMF, will submit his letter of resignation as Bishop of Lubbock to Pope Francis on his 75 th birthday, October 11, 2015. The average time before the Vatican designates a new diocesan bishop is approximately 18 months, meaning that our beloved bishop will likely retire sometime in 2017.
When Bishop Rodríguez made the people of the diocese aware of this timeframe for an episcopal transition, the response from board members of The Catholic Foundation was immediate. They formally established an endowment fund in the name of our bishop, who desires that it provide funds for the education of seminarians studying to become priests in the Diocese of Lubbock.
The Path to Reaching Our Goal
The Catholic Foundation uses earnings from its invested assets to provide generous grants to the Diocese of Lubbock, its parishes, schools, ministries and Catholic organizations – more than $1 million since the foundation was created in 1987.
Bishop Rodríguez has longed desired to see the assets of the foundation grow to $5 million, so the establishment of this new fund in his honor will move The Catholic Foundation closer to that goal.
The lay and clergy board members of The Catholic Foundation have established a goal of $500,000 for the Bishop Plácido Rodríguez, CMF, Seminarian Education Fund and hope to be able to announce that the goal has been reached during events celebrating our bishop’s tenure as shepherd of the Church of Lubbock in 2017.
To achieve this goal, we are asking generous stewards to make new, three year pledges to the fund. These may be paid on an annual, quarterly or monthly basis. Gifts to the endowment are restricted for seminarian education, are tax deductible and will be acknowledged on the foundation website, in South Plains Catholic, and in the various printed materials used at the bishop’s retirement celebrations.
A $50,000 Challenge from Catholic Church Extension Society
To kick start the first year of the campaign, Catholic Church Extension Society has issued a $50,000 challenge grant to The Catholic Foundation. We must receive at least $1,000 each from fifty different donors by December 31, 2015 in order to receive the challenge. CLICK HERE TO DONATE TODAY
Pledge Scenario
Your 2015 payments will receive a 1:1 match from Catholic Church Extension Society, up to $1,000. For example:
Your Participation is Vital
To achieve our goal, we must have broad based support from the many who love our bishop and support the vital need to educate those men who discern calls to the priesthood.
Please send your pledge or donations to the Catholic Foundation at
P O Box 98700 Lubbock TX 79499-8700
4620 Fourth Street Lubbock TX 79416
(806) 792-3943
Or give online here