The F Word in Catholicism 

Fundraising.

                What a scary word for us sometimes. I have organized a fundraiser, fundraised for a healthcare project in Guatemala, am currently fundraising for NET, and am attending a fundraiser this weekend and this word still terrifies me. I am probably the worst at receiving anything, so the very idea of actually going out and asking for money makes my stomach do somersaults. There is always a fear of a negative perception. Even worse: indifference. Next year I will be with NET Ministries traveling around Ireland and putting on retreats for high school youth. Many of these young people have never really encountered Christ, so I have an incredible mission for next year. I know it, God knows it, but sometimes it takes a little while for people for realize.

                I began to realize this mission was important when I was in Europe myself a few years ago. Most churches served more as tourist traps than places to encounter God. I remember going to Sunday masses and there being so few people. As a committed Catholic… especially as one who is looking very seriously into religious life, this made me very sad. I wanted to do something. I wanted to any and every talent I have to make a difference. I felt drawn to Ireland, the Catholic country that only has ten to twenty percent Mass attendance with those under thirty. I felt drawn to go and spread the Good News to the people of this beautiful country.  Now that I am done with my college degree, I have the time to do this.

                But that brings up an interesting point though… as Catholics we are all called to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). God has given us a time, talents, and treasure that help us do this. As individuals we rarely have all three at once. Thankfully we are not trying to change the world as by ourselves… we are trying to change it as a Church. If there is a member who has the time and talent, there is an entire world of treasure to back them up. In this way every single one of us has the opportunity to change the world.

                Yes, I will be the one going to Ireland next year, but you will be with me. Through prayers and donations you will be joining me in this important work of Evangelization. That is why I wanted to start this blog, so that you can stay up to date with this mission and see the people who your treasure is directly impacting.

                For me this journey begins now with raising money for the program. NET has emphasized that the most important part of fundraising is getting the word out there and letting people know that a) this is a need and b) this is an opportunity. I will be doing several things between now and August to do just that, and I wanted to share! What works… what does not work… you’ll know it all! Then maybe sometime if you have an amazing opportunity like this one, you can have an idea of where to start.

                Thank you for reading, and I’ll update as I have more fundraising stories! If you have not done so yet and wish to join me in this incredible mission, go to https://mission.netusa.org/giving/ministry-partnership-development and put “Courtney Holbrook with NET Ireland” under the “I’d like to join the mission of” section. To find out more about what I’ll be doing go to http://www.netministries.ie/ . Help me encourage young people and embrace the life of the Church!