Archdiocese starts fundraiser for World Youth Day debt - World - Ottawa, Canada campaign - Brief Article

National Catholic Reporter, Oct 18, 2002 by Gill Donovan

CANADA: The Ottawa archdiocese has launched a campaign to pay its share of the $23.8 million deficit of World Youth Day 2002 and to eliminate the diocesan debt for the Days in the Diocese education program that preceded World Youth Day. The goal is to raise nearly $801,000-$691,000 to pay the diocesan share of the World Youth Day debt and the remaining $109,000 for the Days in the Diocese shortfall.

Ottawa Archbishop Marcel Gervais announced the launch of the campaign following a meeting with parish priests Oct. 3. "Many people moan and groan over this debt, but World Youth Day has had a wonderful effect in our country and in our diocese," he said. He said the Canadian bishops had agreed that any deficit would be apportioned to the nation's dioceses based on the number of Catholics in each diocese.

The plan calls for each parish to have a fundraising objective based on overall revenue. Any surplus will be returned to the parishes that took part in the overall campaign, he said. The fundraising campaign concludes Nov. 24.

In January the archdiocese announced a campaign to raise $1.3 million to pay for Days in the Diocese but was only able to raise $251,000.