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Each year, our ministry relies on the continuing support of hundreds of friends who are generous enough to include a donation to Saint Edmund's Retreat among their charitable gifts. This year, through the annual fund alone, they have provided close to $200,000 toward our annual operating budget of $1 million. We are deeply grateful to them, because without their support, we simply would not be able to provide the programs and services now offered.
We established our first giving society, The Canons of Saint Edmund, as a way of saying thank you to those who have been particularly generous during the year. Donors who give or pledge $1000 or more during the course of the fiscal year, which runs from July 1 to June 30, are eligible for membership as a Canon. They will be recognized with a special Mass and reception at the Enders House in September, and will also receive a copy of an exquisite hand-calligraphied and gilded Prayer of Saint Edmund created by sacred artist Valerie Weilmuenster. Valerie is also an instructor at our Saint Michael Institute for Sacred Art.
According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, a Canon is "an ecclesiastical person (Lat. Canonicus), a member of a chapter or body of clerics living according to rule and presided over by one of their number." Canons have a long and rich history in the Church, and a place of honor among clergy, religious and the laity. Canons were close advisors to their bishops and were often consulted on matters concerning the stewardship of the Church. They were the first to give of their "time, treasure and talent," a practice that remains at the heart of stewardship activities today.
The Canons of Saint Edmund have a special role at Saint Edmund's Retreat. Annual leadership gifts set the pace for our annual fund each year by encouraging others to give as generously as they can, whether that gift is $5,000 or $5. Many of our Canons invest their time and their talents, as well as their treasure, in making Saint Edmund's Retreat a viable ministry for the honor and glory of God and the comfort of God's people.
New Canons are welcome at any time, but a Mass and induction into the society will take place on November 16, the Feast of Saint Edmund. Our Canons are not only supporting our facilities and programs today, but are investing in our future as well. We are most grateful to our current members, and look forward to welcoming in new members as word gets out about this special group.