Taylor — As parishioners across the Archdiocese of Detroit give generously to the annual Catholic Services Appeal, at least one parish has already met its 2016 goal — even before the campaign started.

St. Alfred Parish in Taylor hit 217 percent of pledges for its $42,770 goal, something pastor Fr. Charles Altermatt attributes to the generosity of parishioners and parish organization.

“We do CSA in two major steps,” Fr. Altermatt explained. “For CSA kickoff, we hosted a reception on April 23, inviting the top 10 percent of givers in all categories. We had 125 people invited, with 50 making it, and we received 51 gifts from the night.”

Fr. Altermatt said preparation leads to success in the CSA drive, which officially started May 7-8.

“It’s all about following best practices I’ve learned from working with people in the CSA office,” Fr. Altermatt said. “Lay person testimonials, getting the major donors together for the initial raising in a kickoff, dedicating $1,000 to the campaign. We thank everyone immediately in the bulletin, then they get a thank you letter from us, thanking them for their gift.”

After recently replacing the sign in front of the parish with a new, $25,000 electric sign, Fr. Altermatt said St. Alfred plans to use the money it receives from the archdiocese for exceeding its CSA goal to replenish the parish’s reserves.

—Dan Meloy