To be grateful is to recognize the Love of God in everything
He has given us — and He has given us everything.
Every breath we draw is a gift of His love,
every moment of existence is a grace,
for it brings with it immense graces from Him.
Gratitude therefore takes nothing for granted,
is never unresponsive,
is constantly awakening to new wonder
and to praise of the goodness of God.
For the grateful person knows that God is good,
not by hearsay but by experience.
And that is what makes all the difference.
Thomas Merton
Dear Parishioners,
This year, the theme of the Catholic Ministries Annual Appeal is “The Kingdom of God is at Hand.” God constantly gives to us. His grace is ever present. His blessings are abundant. We can demonstrate our gratitude to God and help build the kingdom of God in our own parish and our own diocese by making a generous gift to the CMAA. We are a diocese that covers seven counties and serves approximately 660,000 Catholics. The importance of the CMAA is that it provides most, if not all, of the funding for the 31 ministries that serve hundreds of thousands of people in our diocese, throughout our country, and the world. Some of the funded ministries touch the parish, its staff, and the local community.
Catholic Charities receives funds that enable it to provide many services, including but not limited to: thousands of children are provided with school supplies and health-related services; more than 155,000 nights of shelter and housing are provided to the homeless; thousands of families received mortgage assistance, help with paying their utilities, and assistance in meeting their basic needs for food and clothing; over 225,000 meals were provided to individuals, and over 1,300 households received vouchers for food and other necessities. The Catholic Schools Office, among its many responsibilities, provides oversight, assistance, and direction to our 48 elementary schools with over 16,000 students, and to the 7 high schools with over 5,500 students within our diocese. The Religious Education Office provides oversight, guidance, support, training, and services for Directors of Religious Education, Religious Education teachers, and Religious Education programs across the diocese that reach over 50,000 students a year. The Appeal provides for the funding of the Office of Vocations: for the tuition, education, and living expenses of seminarians–our future priests; Diaconate training and education; and clergy continuing education. The Appeal helps fund Young Adult and Youth Ministry programs that serve approximately 25,500 of our youth and young adults. And the Appeal is used to fund diocesan efforts that reach so many of those in need through its missions work, its Peace and Social Justice initiatives, and its many outreach programs.
This is not a “special collection.” This Appeal is for our diocese, of which we are all a part. The Appeal program allows for your donation to be made all at once, or you can make a pledge that allows for 10 monthly installments, should you wish to spread out your payments. As part of the Diocese of Joliet, we can multiply the expression of the Word of God and touch many thousands of people whom we could never reach on our own or as a parish.
A significant gift to the Catholic Ministries Annual Appeal will touch the lives of many others in a very positive way. The Annual Appeal provides a significant portion of the budget of the Diocese of Joliet. Most dioceses in the country conduct an appeal, once a year, to help with the costs of providing services and programs to their parishes and people. The Diocese of Joliet is no exception.
As you review the work enabled by your contribution to the CMAA, please reflect on God’s gifts to you. He has given you all that you have. Your gifts to our parish, to the diocese, and to the work of the church throughout the world should be given in gratitude for the continuing gifts that God gives you. He never forgets you.
Sometimes it is difficult to envision how one pledge can help an organization the size of our diocese, how it can make a real difference. But each pledge does make a difference because all parishes participate in the campaign and the gifts of many enable our diocese to deliver needed education, ministry and services. Our combined gifts not only signify our gratitude to God, they glorify Him by enabling the work of our diocese.
If you received your pledge form in the mail, please complete it and mail it back or bring it to Mass next weekend. For those of you that did not receive a mailing or have not had time to respond to it, we will conduct our in-pew pledge process at all Masses next weekend, February 25-26. Our parish goal is $ $61,884. With your support, we can reach and exceed this goal. After our parish exceeds its CMAA goal in paid pledges, 50% of any additional funds are returned for use in our parish.
I would like to thank you in advance for your great stewardship and your generous commitment to support our Diocesan Church Ministries. I also invite you to join me in offering this prayer:
Lord God, You alone are the source of every good gift, of the vast array of our universe, and the mystery of each human life. We praise you and we thank you for your great power and your tender, faithful love.
Everything we are and everything we have is your gift, and after having created us you have given us into the keeping of Your Son, Jesus Christ.
Fill our minds with His truth and our hearts with His love, that in His Spirit we may be bonded together into a community of faith, a parish family, a caring people.
In the Name and Spirit of Jesus, we commit ourselves to be good stewards of the gifts entrusted to us, to share our time, our talent, our material gifts as an outward sign of the Treasure we hold in Jesus.
With gratitude and prayer,
Fr. George Zieba, CR
