When Susan and Frank Vietmeier were married on September 12, 1959, in the parish they grew up in, the current church didn’t even exist. More than a half century later, they’re leaving a lasting legacy.
“When Holy Trinity church was built, we were in our 20s and raising our son,” Susan remembers. “We weren’t able to donate then. Now it’s our turn to give. We want to make sure that we pass the faith onto the next generation.”
The Vietmeiers are among more than 32,000 donors who have committed pledges to Our Campaign for The Church Alive! to help address the extraordinary needs in the life of our Church.
Paul Duffer, Ph.D. and his wife Jane made a gift to the campaign through Holy Martyrs Parish in Tarentum. He describes the campaign as “an opportunity.”
“I was happy to receive the request,” Paul said. “I’ve been involved in civic activities and I wanted to devote more time to my parish as a lifetime member. I’m thankful to have the resources to contribute and the campaign made me think about giving back to God for all the blessings I’ve been given.”
In nearly 200 parishes across the Diocese of Pittsburgh, the campaign is working to sustain and strengthen parishes, invigorate evangelization, revitalize sacramental life, support education and formation in the faith, train pastoral and lay leaders, and serve the poor and shut-ins.
Father Aaron Kriss, pastor of Holy Martyrs Parish for more than a decade, is gratified by the strong support of parishioners like the Duffers.
“When I met with people to talk about the campaign I was struck by their willingness to sacrifice,” Father Kriss said. “It reinforces to me how dedicated they are to the parish. The spirit of the people always seems to come through.
“Some parishioners said, ‘Father, I have some financial issues but I want to honor the church—it’s always been a big part of my life,’” Father Kriss added. “I told them, ‘Do the best you can.’ And they did.”
Father Kriss describes the historic fundraising initiative as a “daring, bold move by the bishop. Sometimes you need to do something like this.”
Bishop Zubik asks Catholics to prayerfully consider a multi-year pledge to the campaign.
“Our Campaign for The Church Alive! is an opportunity for us to respond to the trust that Jesus gave to his disciples and all of us who are disciples now, to prove to the world how much God is alive and how much he wants to reach out to us,” Bishop Zubik said.
“There’s a joy that comes in giving to others that is the definition of Christ’s love.”
The campaign seeks contributions that are equal in sacrifice, not necessarily equal in dollar amount.
“Whenever we talk about sacrificial giving, what we’re talking about is not so much denying something for myself, but really taking a look at what it means to give what I might use for myself, to use it for the benefit of the work of the church,” Bishop Zubik said.
The Vietmeiers know about sacrifice, hard work and practicing their faith. They’ve celebrated every sacrament at Holy Trinity—baptism, first confession, first holy Communion, confirmation and holy matrimony.
“We built our own house in 1962,” Frank said. “We still live here.”
Like Holy Trinity Parish, it’s home.
