The Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh has nearly doubled its fundraising goal of $125 million by with pledges totaling more than $230 million in its first-ever diocesan-wide campaign.
The five-year Campaign for The Church Alive! was announced in 2012 and the pledges will be paid over the next five to seven years.
Diocesan priests donated $4 million and the gifts ranged from an anonymous $10 million pledge to children who emptied piggy banks to pitch in. The average pledge was $5,000.
The diocese has collected $62 million so far and plans to use the money in wide-ranging ways, from building and repairing churches and other facilities, to increasing funds for seminaries, lay-leadership training and help for the poor, including medical care and emergency aid.
The diocese has 650,000 Catholics in 204 parishes in six counties.
