LCRA News 2015 - Lithuanian Catholic Religious Aid

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR 2016!
Dear Friends of Lithuanian
Catholic Religious Aid,
We wish you a very Merry Christmas
and blessings in the New Year!
“And this is what will prove it to you: you will find
a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Suddenly a great army of heaven's angels appeared
with the angel, singing praises to God:
“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on
earth to those with whom he is pleased!” Lk 2, 12-14.
LCRA Chairman of the Board Msgr. Edmond Putrimas,
LCRA Board members and Staff
For a full 2015 Financial report (2/1/2014-1/31/2015) please contact the LCRA office. Please remember LCRA in your estate
planning so that your important work supporting Catholic educational, religious and social outreach projects in Lithuania and
its diaspora might continue. Please send us your email address to get more often information about LCRA projects and work.
All donations are tax-exempt to the full extent of the law. LCRA‘s Tax ID: 11-2326652
LCRA NEWS
Newsletter of Lithuanian Catholic Religious Aid
2015 spring - winter
64-25 Perry Ave. Maspeth, New York 11378
tel. 718-326-5202 • info@lkrsalpa.org
Skype: LKRSalpa • www.LCRAid.org
Love one another Jn 13, 34-35
Dear Friends of Lithuanian Catholic Religious Aid,
As the Year of Consecrated Life draws to a close, we are reminded how Pope Francis wrote in an Apostolic Letter on
November 21, 2014 that “The Year of Consecrated Life concerns the whole Church, not just the clergy”. All of us in our
daily lives, as loving members of a family and community are witness to Christ’s living Church.
Many of you may have stopped by the LCRA information table at the Song Festival in Chicago and the Lithuanian Picnic in
Putnam, CT. We are reaching out at these Lithuanian community events to spread the news of the good works that LCRA
donors have done supporting Catholic educational, religious and social outreach projects in Lithuania and its diaspora.
Some of you may have picked up the LCRA bracelets with the reminder “Love one another” , that we handed out as
a reminder of our goal. It gives me great pleasure to share with you that LCRA’s donors granted $969,990 to worthy projects
in Lithuania and its diaspora! Thank you!
Please support us with every purchase through Amazon Smile.
http://smile.amazon.com/ch/11-2326652
Between February 1 and November 1 of this year, LCRA received $34,633 in donations. We are also grateful for the generous
bequests of Cecilia Marie Zitkus ($956,889), Vincent Waraske ($58,000), Alfred Russas ($2,204). May the Lord welcome
all of LCRA’s benefactors who have left this world. Their donations to LCRA will bear fruit for many years.
Attention! It is a new way to donate – Corporate Matching Gifts.
For more information go to www.LCRAid.org.
At this year’s annual members’ meeting two new LCRA directors joined the ranks. We welcome Gintaras Jonikas, Pastor of
Divine Providence Parish in Detroit and Jūratė Žukauskienė, active in the Lithuanian community and in “Ateitis”, sister of
Aux Bishop Kęstutis Kėvalas, from Rockaway Park, NY.
To donate by credit card or PayPal please go to www.LCRAid.org.
If you are a Federal Employee, please donate to LCRA through the „Combined Federal Campaign” program.
LCRA code: 10019
If you would like to get LCRA‘s newsletter electronically,
please send an email to info@lkrsalpa.org
This year LCRA received 371 grant requests. 71 from the Archdiocese of Vilnius, 60 from the Kaunas Archdiocese, 27 from the Panevezys diocese, 20
from the Siauliai diocese, 15 from the Telsiai diocese, 7 from the Vilkaviskis diocese, 4 from the Kaišiadoriai diocese, 48 from the Orders, 15 from
Diaspora groups, 104 grant requests from all of Lithuania. Greater demands are put on LCRA’s resources to support this excellent work.
Join us in remembering that we must “Love one another” Jn 13, 34-35, in this coming Jubilee Year of Mercy.
Sincerely yours, Salvijus Kungys, LCRA administrator
LCRA`s NEW BOARD OF DIRECTORS (2015 – 2016) AND ADMINISTRATION: Rev. Gintaras Jonikas, Salvijus Kungys LCRA Administrator, Josephina
Senken LCRA Administrator’s Assistant, Msgr. Edmond J. Putrimas LCRA Board of Directors Chairman ex-officio, Lithuanian Bishops’ Conference Delegate
for Lithuanian Catholics Abroad, Aldona Lingertat, Vida Jankauskas, Dr. Algirdas Lukoševičius LCRA Treasurer, Vita Matusaitis, Archbishop Gintaras Grušas
II Vice-President ex-officio, Bishop Paul A. Baltakis, OFM I Vice-President ex-officio, Rev. Aurelijus Gricius, OFM, Dr. Milda Palubinskas III Vice-President,
Jūratė Žukauskienė Recording and corporate secretary, Monika Sabalis Nominating Committee Chairperson. (Missing Rev. John Puodžiūnas, OFM
Finance Committee Chairperson, Rev. Vytautas Volertas and Rev. Jonas Šileika OFM).
facebook: Lithanian Catholic Religious Aid • www.LCRAid.org
facebook: Lithanian Catholic Religious Aid • www.LCRAid.org
2015 LCRA GRANT DISTRIBUTION
L C R A
A I D
G R A N T S F O R C AT H O L I C E D U C AT I O N , R E T R E AT S A N D M E E T I N G S
In 2015 LCRA granted $289,090 for 104 Catholic
educational projects, retreats and seminars. Of
special note are a $4000 grant to the Engaged Couple
Alfa program run by the Kaunas Archdiocese,
a $10,000 grant to the Vilnius Archdiocese chapter of
“Caritas” to support their work with the addicted, and
a $4000 grant to the Lithuanian Catholic Women’s
Association’s work with youth centers.
L C R A
2015 grant distribution: fulfilling LCRA’s mission
US dollars
A I D
SUPPORT FOR
CATHOLIC MEDIA
In 2015 LCRA provided financial
support to 16 media and 13 publishing
projects. Due to the wide reach of
these projects the grant total reached
$160,400. The Catechetical Center
for Lithuania received a grant of
$75,000 to provide textbooks for
religious education programs in
Lithuanian public schools. The
internet news portal “Bernardinai.lt”
continued to receive your support
with a $50,000 grant. The popular
radio program „Mažoji studija“
received a $10,000 grant. The
Catholic children’s magazine ”Bitutė”
received $5,000. „Draugas News“ targeting a Lithuanian-American audience in English received a grant for
$4,000. "Lietuvių godos", which supports the Catholic Lithuanian community in Belarus received a grant for
$3,000.
L C R A
2015 LCRA GRANT DISTRIBUTION
L C R A
GRANTS
TO
A I D
SUMMER
CAMPS
60 summer camps received total LCRA grants of $146,600
in 2015. Nearly 5,000 children enjoyed a happy and
spiritually strengthening experience thanks to your support.
The family camp of the Church of St. John the Baptist and
St. John the Apostle and Evangelist (Vilnius) received a
grant of $4000 for 200 campers. Father Gintaras Vitkus S.J.
Provincial of the Jesuit Order of Lithuania sent a lovely thank
you, saying: Summer camps are key to forming team spirit
and gaining strength for evangelization of others”. Franciscan
Sisters of Divine
Heart of Jesus
organized children's
summer camp,
which was attended
by 36 Žaliakalnis day care center children, received $1.500 grant from
LCRA. 120 choir members and acolytes of the Vilkaviskis diocese
participated in a special camp that received a $2,500 grant from LCRA.
Many happy campers are grateful to our generous LCRA donors!
L C R A
AID
TO
A I D
CLERGY
AND
SCHOLARSHIPS
The Lithuanian Pontifical College of St. Casimir in Rome, Italy received $30,000 to support the priests and
seminarians staying there during the course of their studies. LCRA also supported 70 Catholic university students
with scholarships of $500. One of them, Regina Raciūte, writes: "Dear LCRA Donors, Sincere thanks for your
warm and generous hearts. Your financial support is a great help to me in my studies. It is proof that your
donations change people’s lives. You are in my prayers. May God bless you and keep you!”
A I D
S U PPO RT FO R C ATH O LI C EVE N TS
In 2015 LCRA provided $85,300 in financial
support to 33 Catholic events. LCRA gave a
grant of $25,000 to the 7th Lithuanian Youth
Days in Alytus, attended by 6000 youth. For the
9th annual mass Kaunas Archdiocese event
“Another kind of Valentine’s Day” LCRA
provided a grant of $6,500. The new Archbishop
of Kaunas Lionginas Virbalas says, “It is one of
our most successful events, attracting many
young people. Evangelization of this group is key.”
LCRA also distributed $89,100 through 32 grant requests for equipment. „Draugas News“ and
“Draugas” received $5,000 for new computers. The Lithuanian Conference of Bishops received
$65,000 for various projects.