CSA

Give smarter. Do more.

Over the past several years, your generosity through the Catholic Services Appeal (CSA) has truly made a difference. Because of you, we’ve not only met our annual goal—we’ve exceeded it every year since 2018. In that time, St. Isidore has received more than $1 Million back in funds that were not subject to Archdiocesan assessment, allowing every extra dollar to go further in supporting the mission and ministries of our parish.

Now, we’re taking that momentum to the next level with a brand-new campaign:

CSA Unlocked

We’re calling it that because it reflects what CSA truly is: the key to unlocking the full potential of your generosity. Every dollar given through CSA is more powerful than a dollar given in the offertory. Once our goal is met, any additional contributions come back to the parish in full—not reduced by the 7% Archdiocesan assessment that applies to offertory and Christmas giving. In short, CSA gives more back to St. Isidore than any other way of giving.

As our parish continues to thrive, the scope of our ministries and the costs of operating a vibrant, welcoming church grow too, but we’re not asking for more—we’re asking you to give smarter.

And the smartest way to give? Online through Pushpay. It’s fast, secure, and allows you to set up a one-time or recurring gift with just a few clicks. Ready to support St. Isidore and have your gift go further than ever?

Give Today

In 2018, over 800 parishioners gave to CSA. In 2024, that number dropped to 611. With more than 3,000 registered families at St. Isidore, just imagine the impact if everyone gave—even a little. Every gift matters. Every dollar helps us unlock new opportunities for ministry and growth.

Thank you for your continued generosity and support. Because of you, St. Isidore remains a place of hope, hospitality, and faith.

Have questions?

Have a question about the CSA? Check out these answers to frequently asked questions.

FAQ

The Catholic Services Appeal is an annual appeal to the parishes of the Archdiocese of Detroit. The Catholic Services Appeal benefits parishes and people in the AOD and beyond through the more than 100 ministries that it funds. No CSA dollars have ever been-or ever will be-used to settle claims of any nature against the Archdiocese, or to support projects outside of the Archdiocese, other than six specific national collections of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). The archdiocesan lay Finance Council oversees the distribution of CSA funds to ensure all reach the ministries, programs, and services for which they are intended.

Over the last few years, this calculation has been simplified greatly by the AOD. The CSA target is now quite simple to calculate. The CSA target is calculated by taking a parish’s Offertory and Christmas calculation and applying a multiplier. Because St. Isidore is such a large parish, our multiplier is 14.5%.

The AOD now forms a budget using the historic data that drives the parish target. Using the tiered system based on parish size, the AOD’s operational budget is determined by adding up each parish’s offertory and Christmas collection and multiplying that figure by the respective parish tier. As stated in question #2 above, St. Isidore’s multiplier is 14.5%.

No, not in the least. Because the CSA target is actually a true assessment, or tax, the Archdiocese is unaffected on an individual withholding support for the campaign. The real result of withholding support for CSA is an increased operating liability at the parish level. If you want to show displeasure with the diocese, or to the bishop, the best way is through a thoughtful, direct letter to Archbishop Weisenburger, detailing what your concerns are.

A parish must use operating income or savings to pay for any shortfall to the CSA target. This has significant financial consequences for the parish. Money used to pay the shortfall is money that has already been received as part of offertory or the Christmas collection, and has thus, already been taxed. If a CSA goal is hit directly, all extra money is returned to the parish without an assessment. Furthermore, the success of CSA has no implication in future CSA targets, as the calculation does not include the success of previous campaigns as part of the future calculation.

Yes, the majority of parishes hit their goal without using operational income. Because the CSA is essentially a tax, the AOD always receives the determined CSA target. This target serves as an operational budget for the Archdiocese.

The most obvious answer is administrative support for priests, lay leaders, and volunteers of the parish. A physical breakdown of the $18,500,000 CSA budget from 2019 shows that 20.6% of the funds were used to provide Mission Grants, 15.6% to support Sacred Heart Major Buildings and Facilities, 15.6% on Evangelization, Catechesis and Education, and 14.5% was used in support of Clergy, Vocations and Consecrated Life .  The CSA budget also funds the communications department, Stewardship and Development Programs, as well as the Metropolitan Tribunal. The Archdiocese is a critical structure in support of the parishes.