Watch this short film, below, as Father Joshua Fons of Saint Patrick in Brighton recounts a humorous Diocesan Services Appeal story of his youth – which also makes a profound point about the importance of this year's Diocese of Lansing DSA.
“I just want to remind us, what this appeal makes possible,” said Father Fons in his Sunday homily, March 8, “it funds the great work of many pro-life ministries, helping mothers to say no to an abortion, to say yes to life; it funds seminarian education and formation, promoting vocations and helping priests be formed to be able to preach the gospel; it also cares for the needs of the poor in our own area, in our own diocese.”
The Diocesan Services Appeal or DSA is an annual appeal which is used to sustain the ongoing, day-to-day work of the Church within the Diocese of Lansing. Contributions are put to work, right away, in a multitude of ministries and activities that offer direct assistance to individuals and families and to our parishes, schools, and affiliated Catholic organizations.
The theme of this year's DSA is "What we give is what we have from the Lord". The text, taken from the Book of Chronicles (29:14), recognizes that everything we have, and everything we are, is a gift from God and, thus, we should be good stewards who are grateful and generous in response to that divine beneficence.
* For more information on the Diocesan Services Appeal 2026, go to: https://www.dioceseoflansing.org/DSA