By Matt Sepic, KWMU
St. Louis – Catholic leaders in St. Louis say they've surpassed their charitable fundraising goal for this year.
The Archdiocesan Development Appeal is the church's main fundraising campaign in the area. It helps pay for more than 100 Catholic educational and social service agencies.
Despite a drop-off in the number of donations in recent years, Archbishop Raymond Burke says pledges and estate gifts hit a record this time: nearly $11.9 million.
"We're very proud of the fact that 50 percent of parishioners have contributed to the ADA, which is higher than the average," Burke said. "But a good Christians, we want to work and invite more and more."
Burke says the child sex abuse scandal may be part of the reason for the donation slowdown in past years. But he says none of the Appeal money will be used to pay settlements.