2021 Annual Lenten Appeal
Volume XXV, Number 4 – March 11, 2021
Call it spiritual warfare, but tens of thousands of you missed our annual appeal kick-off last week due to a web-related glitch and now we're way behind this year's goal...
We only ask for your help once a year so we can reach countless souls together.
This Lent, please help us stay online so we can continue to offer our free "tools for evangelization" to the millions of people who will visit CatholiCity.com in 2021 and beyond.
We need just 700 more contributors to reach our goal, and despite everything, the good news is we're almost halfway there!
Will you join the 700? Have you given alms this Lent?
This Year's Thank You GiftIf you can afford to give $50 or more, I would love to send you a beautiful Icon Crucifix that has been touched to my Relic of the True Cross. (More on this below.)
Dear CatholiCity Citizen,
I want to begin by sincerely thanking everyone who has already contributed. I have many thoughts to share with you this year. As always, I don't mind if you read, skip, skim, or delete.
I'm sure there's a nugget in here for you somewhere.
Let's go back to one year ago. Instead of cowering when the Coronavirus hammered the entire world and shut down our Catholic churches, we decided to go all out by investing in creative new tools for evangelization, including our life-changing Warning book, the powerful Purple Scapular, and our always-welcome Relic Prayer Medals.
Then, under the direction of Father John Anthony Boughton, Vicar General of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, we traveled over eleven thousand miles during the height of the shutdowns to "pin" the Mantle of Mary over America while starting the worldwide Divine Mercy Movement.
In fact, we were so busy that we skipped our annual Christmas appeal, (which we moved to Lent). My crew worked endless second shifts to overcome unprecedented logistical and postal delays. (And that was awesome!)
In summary, your generosity and hard work made an otherwise darkly oppressive 2020 our best year ever, together, in terms of reaching otherwise unreachable souls.
It's exciting! We've influenced tens of millions of souls over our first three decades, and have the opportunity to reach tens or hundreds of millions more over the next three.
And so I cheerfully present two options for you to become one of the 700 heroes we need to keep our doors open.
1. Make a one-time donation of any amount (and receive the optional Icon Crucifix pictured below for your gift of $50 or more):
Our theological premise has always been that money sitting in a bank does nothing to save souls, and so, as we do every year, we prudently, boldly, and efficiently invested just about every dollar you sent us.
As a result, no apostolate in America or Canada influences more souls per dollar, including the several million people who surf into CatholiCity.com every year due to our outstanding search engine placement.
Before the Holy EucharistEvery Friday I pray the Stations of the Cross with you in my heart, and after making my annual Holy Hour for this year's appeal, I am truly peaceful (despite the glitch last week that prevented tens of thousands of you from learning about this appeal). This is because I trust in God's providence.
And I trust that you care about souls you don't even know.
Mail-In Donations WelcomeIf you're more comfortable donating by mail, here's the address. Please let us know if you want an Icon Crucifix if you give $50 or more. Make checks payable to "CatholiCity":
CatholiCity Annual Appeal
PO Box 26101
Fairview Park OH 44126
As you know, the proper focus of our fasting, prayer, and almsgiving during Lent is the Passion of Jesus. His crucifixion defines what our imitation of divine love should strive to emulate: His selfless willingness to sacrifice everything.
His "body, blood, soul, and divinity," given up for us, is why I chose this unique crucifix as this year's Thank You gift.
Take a moment to look closely at what divine love is.
Full-Size, Matte Finish, Ready to Hang
With Gift Box. Made in the USA
10" x 7.5" x 3/4"
If you can afford to donate $50 or more, we will send you this unique crucifix featuring an integrated leather tie (pictured above our Lord's feet) which I hand-carried to the Holy Land to the precise locations where Jesus was conceived, died on the Cross, and rose from the dead!
Blessed by a priest and doused with genuine Lourdes water, each one is touched to my rare Relic of the True Cross and to my first-class relics of Saints Joseph, Jude, Anthony, Thérèse, Maximilian, Benedict, and Francis Xavier.
And it arrives in lovely gift box if you intend to give it to a loved one.
You can skip down to below my signature for a detailed explanation of the profound iconography.
Crucifix No Longer Available
Nine Reasons to Donate Today
1. Conversion Tool for MillionsSince the dawn of the Internet, we've been there for you in good times and bad, for every minute of every day, 365 days a year.
And crucially, we are there for the millions of curious, lukewarm, or devout surfers, young and old, who find our website every year, ready to offer them free Catholic books, prayer medals, recordings, and booklets.
2. The Golden RuleWe treat every person who joins our work with kindness. You have experienced this from dealing with us (or me) personally, so you know we treat the fallen-away souls who come to us with decency, generosity, and understanding.
We never have and never will give your personal information to anyone, ever. We hate spam and junk mail! (Same as you.)
3. Tens of Millions of RosariesWith your help we have distributed over twenty million free recordings, books, relic medals, booklets, and novels since 1991.
As just one example, you have helped us distribute more Rosary recordings than any organization in all of human history. Thus, countless tens of millions of Holy Rosaries and Divine Mercy Chaplets have been offered to heaven as a result of your generosity.
4. Pilgrimages and Your IntentionsIn Summer 2020, using exercised salt blocks and by the grace of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, during the height of the Coronavirus pandemic, we pinned the Mantle of Mary over the four corners of America and now eagerly await heaven's response.
If you have been with us since 2015, then you participated spiritually when we physically (and permanently) delivered your intentions to dozens of holy places in Rome, the Holy Land, Fatima, and all over France.
5. Reaching Unreachable SoulsEverything we offer -- every book, every prayer medal, every webpage -- is specially designed to reach the luke-warm and the fallen-away.
You thirst for souls. That is why I believe Our Lady herself sent you to us. Your thirst is her thirst.
6. Our Lady's "Little Project"I believe all this miraculous activity happens because the Mother of God is the true founder of this little project consecrated to her Immaculate Heart.
You and me: we are merely simple Catholics, humble believers that a godless world would mock if it even knew we existed. We have no earthly power, standing, and relatively speaking, very little money (because, like I said, we spend it...). We are a living miracle because...
This is her apostolate.
For three decades running, via my father's amazing Marian Apparitions Explained talk, my novels, and this CatholiCity Message, we are one of the only Catholic organizations that consistently and fearlessly echoes the Mother of God and Her Son's own words to numerous approved visionaries regarding the Coming Tribulations.
God bless them, but most mainstream Catholic periodicals, radio shows, and websites are embarrassingly silent on the subject. Not us, and certainly not Saint John Paul II. Here are his words in Philadelphia in 1976:
"We are now facing the final confrontation between the Church and the anti-church, between the Gospel and the anti-gospel, between Christ and the anti-christ. It is, therefore, in God's Plan, and it must be a trial which the Church must take up, and face courageously...
We must prepare ourselves to suffer great trials before long, such as will demand of us a disposition to give up even life, and a total dedication to Christ and for Christ.
With your prayers and my prayers, it is possible to mitigate the coming tribulations, but it is no longer possible to avert it because only thus can the Church be effectually renewed."
My tech guys estimate that two or three times as many people will visit our website over the next three years than over the last three years. People find us through excellent search engine placement for over 18,000 subpages.
For example, did you know that we have:
- the #1 Catholic Baby Name page
- a top "Catholic Prayer" page
- a top Latin Mass Explained page
- the entire Catholic Encyclopedia
- and The Catechism Simplified?
Not to mention (but I guess I will--ha ha!) the oldest and most popular Catholic Email Message, from yours truly.
9. Something Big Up Our SleeveIf you join the 700 to help us reach our financial goal, this summer we will be able to release something extraordinary. We will offer an ancient tool for evangelization and make it affordable for everyone. (Hint: you may be wearing one right now.)
Okay, nine reasons are enough. I could write nine more, then nine more after that. ("Please don't," I hear you beg!)
Monthly Supporters: Our BackboneOur monthly donors form "the backbone" of our day-by-day operations by helping to cover absolute necessities such as the rent, the electric bill, shipping costs, and fair wages for those new workers:
Many folks like to mail us a check and use the reply envelope in our Thank You letter for the next month's gift. Even just $5 or $10 per month helps more than you know.
Should You Even Make a Donation?Every year I encourage you to ask yourself, "Does God even want me to make a donation?" I certainly don't assume He does. Perhaps He needs you to support other worthy Catholic charities.
I do know this: there is a tendency to assume that everyone else is donating. This simply is not the case. Less than 4% of our readers take part in our annual appeal.
So if you have never donated before, please consider contributing just $5 or $10. Our Lord, after all, taught the tremendous spiritual value of the "Widow's Mite."
I also know that some of you can only afford to donate prayers. That is the most priceless gift of all, and it will inspire others who the Father has blessed financially. Thank you.
Called to Make a Large Gift?A small number of you can afford to make a larger gift. Whether it's $500 or $5000, I simply recommend that you consult with Immaculate Mary and discuss this with your loved ones.
I believe you are sent to us by Our Lady in a particularly special way because you allow us to invest in new projects (the initial cost of which we rarely recover). "The grace that saves souls never comes cheap," an old nun once wrote to me.
Adding a ZeroIf you can, try adding a zero to your donation. (When was the last time you added a zero?)
I assure you that we will stretch every dollar until it screams. For example, every $1000 allows us to print 10,000 "Going Back to Confession" booklets. You can help so many souls return to a state of grace by funding this one particular tool for evangelization!
If you live in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Europe, the Philippines, or other parts of Asia, please consider becoming one of the 700 donors we need to reach our goal.
We have many thousands of benefactors from dozens of countries and we have shipped materials all over the world, especially our otherwise-impossible-to-find Purple Scapular. (Even with the added cost of shipping, our materials are still ridiculously inexpensive.)
Praying to Our Lady TogetherWith a particular emphasis on the powerful word now, please join me and tens of thousands of your fellow CatholiCity Citizens from all over the world, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost...
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou amongst women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners, now,
and at the hour of our death, amen.
Thanks for being a part of my crazy life. Thank you, once again, for helping keep our doors open.
As promised, what follows is a deeper explanation of the beautiful wall crucifix I would love to send you as our Thank You for contributing $50 or more during this year's appeal.
By the way, same as our Purple Scapular, books, and CDs, it's made in USA. That's me and my saintly mom, Pat. What a smile! My dad, Bud Sr., 87, is having heart surgery soon, so please pray for them both.
With Saint Joseph,
Bud Macfarlane
Founder
The CatholiCity Icon Crucifix
The peaceful image of Jesus' broken body on this crucifix was meticulously scanned from a local Catholic parish in Steubenville, Ohio, by the brilliant designers at Nelson Gifts.
Below the full Latin text (translated "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews"), take note of the embedded Saint Benedict Exorcism Medal and know that this crucifix has been touched to a first-class relic of Saint Benedict himself. It is powerful protection against evil wherever it is placed.
Now gaze upon the sublime icons of on either side of Our Lord's pierced hands of an elderly Saint John, and, of Mary with her infant child.
Recall that John was a young man when Jesus suffered his passion, yet behold now the learned bishop, Saint John the Evangelist, who wrote the most deeply mystical Gospel. It has now been decades since John welcomed the Mother of God into his home after the crucifixion, and later, witnessed her glorious assumption into heaven.
Thus, as it adorns your home, all these images together thereby span the very lives of Jesus and Our Lady from his infancy into eternity, where they reign as King and Queen of heaven!
Also unique to this sturdy, full-size 3/4"-thick crucifix is the integrated leather tie, pictured just above our Lord's feet. Inspired by the leather lashes of His scourging, I carried it by hand with my son Jude to Israel in 2018. We precisely placed each spool of leather at the following holy sites (among others):
Mary's home in Nazareth, where Jesus was conceived.
The Garden of Gethsemane, on the very rock upon which He sweat blood.
Calvary (Golgotha), where He was crucified to atone for our sins.
Inside the Tomb of the Holy Sepulchre, where He rose from the dead!
After being blessed by a priest, each CatholiCity Icon Crucifix is doused with genuine Lourdes water, and then touched to my first-class relics of Saints Maximilian Kolbe, Joseph, Jude, Thérèse, Anthony, Francis Xavier, and Benedict.
Suggested Placements
- Office
- Guest bedroom
- Near or above TV
- Over a bed
- College dorm room
- Home entryway
- Kitchen
- Common area of nursing home
- Near or above computer
