It's the first appeal since revelations of the priest sex abuse scandal peaked, the first since the resignation of Boston Cardinal Bernard Law, former boss of Norwich Bishop Emeritus Daniel A. Hart, and the first that will support the ministry of the new bishop, Michael Cote.

The appeal is intended to fund social action programs, and virtually all Catholics see that as their responsibility. But in the Catholic Church most members get to vote on issues only with their feet or their wallets. Some of the faithful express their support or dissent by what they contribute or don't.

Richard Costello, the ABA's executive director, admits he's wondering what to expect this year. Last year's appeal fell short of its $3 million goal by $220,000, to which the diocese reacted by lowering all departmental budgets by 10 percent and then "downsizing" several ministries to the point that they went out of business in February.

Don't bother to call the prison ministry, the office of worship or the social action office. If you're planning an interfaith event, there's no one in the ecumenical and interfaith ministry to talk to you. The ABA still lists them on a handout called "Where to reach us in a time of need," but Costello said that was printed before the downsizing.

Although the bishop said at the time that the ministries selected were those that don't provide basic food, clothing or counseling, a primary Christian work of mercy is supposed to be visiting the imprisoned, one of the charities that took a hit.

So far, Costello says, the advance phase of this year's appeal is level with last year's at the same point, at just over $1 million in pledges. In 2002, the advance phase already was under way when the scandals broke, so it didn't show any reaction. The true measure of this year against last will come when they count the pledges made Sunday. Last year, the number of donors dropped by 2,500 from the previous year.

Altogether, about 19,500 Catholics gave, in a diocese that counts 226,000 Catholic adults and children. No one knows whether this year's giving climate will be different.

One response to the appalling revelations that washed over the American church in waves last year was the founding of Voice of the Faithful. The movement, which has about 90 members in the Norwich diocese and thousands across the country, set itself up as way for Catholics to be critical yet constructive. Some chapters set up Voice of Compassion funds to channel support to Catholic charities without going through the dioceses. Their motive is to keep their money from supporting the legal costs of defending sexual abuse lawsuits against the church.

Costello has been reassuring local church leaders that annual appeal funds do not and never have gone to legal funds. Yet that may be a distinction without a difference. In the end, the diocese has income and it has expenses. Receipts go in and payments come out.

Grace Marrion of Niantic, one of the founders of the local VOTF chapter, said boycotting the appeal has not been a topic at their meetings.

She has heard some people say they will give directly to individual charities, but the group has not set up an alternative fund.

She won't say whether she and her husband, Bob, another co-founder, will give to the ABA because she doesn't want their decision to affect others.

But, she says, if the people in the church had known, over the years, how money was being spent, someone would have noticed lawyers' fees, insurance premiums and payments to victims that would have led to questions a long time ago about what was going on.

So Voice of the Faithful will continue to press for lay Catholics to know how dioceses spend the money that they contribute.

In most institutions that would seem like an obvious arrangement, but so far the church has resisted it.

This is the opinion of Lisa McGinley.