My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,

As we begin Lent in this Year of Faith, the people of the Diocese of Brooklyn are asked in a special way to place their faith in charity in order to assist the ministries of the diocesan church by contributing to the Annual Catholic Appeal.

Allow me to begin by again thanking you for your generous response to the 2012 Annual Catholic Appeal. You, the faithful of our Diocese, have continued to make the work of the Church in Brooklyn and Queens possible. It is only with the support of every parish and parishioner that we are able to reach our goal each year.

This weekend, we formally announce the 2013 Annual Catholic Appeal throughout Brooklyn and Queens. The theme for 2013 is “Renewing Our Faith Through Acts of Charity.” At an Angelus address in November of 2012 at Vatican City, our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, spoke of “the inseparable bond of faith and charity.” He reminded that being Christian does not simply imply faith in God but also giving concrete help to others. The Holy Father further stated “trust in the Lord, do good.” Our 2013 theme provides us one way by which we may all renew our faith in God through acts of charity.

The Diocese of Brooklyn is like no other in so many ways. We are rightfully proud to be part of a Diocese that is the most densely populated in the country and also the smallest geographically. We are the sixth largest Diocese by population in the country. Our Diocese is one of the few that is totally contained within a city with no suburbs. More people in New York City live in the Diocese of Brooklyn than in the three boroughs of the Archdiocese of New York combined.

Our diversity is our strength. The Diocese of Brooklyn remains at the forefront of provision of social services as evidenced by the country’s largest Catholic Charities and the first Catholic Migration Office. Sadly, our Diocese has a population that is among the poorest in the Nation with many of the faithful living below the poverty level. Many of our neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Queens were also heavily affected and in need of assistance in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.

We must put our faith into action, as we shoulder the responsibility to which Christ calls us to in the Gospel when He tells us to love our neighbors and again when He instructs us to care for the least among us.

Each year, the faithful of the Diocese of Brooklyn assume that responsibility by enabling the work funded through the Annual Catholic Appeal. Your generous charity supports the essential ministries of the Appeal which go beyond any one parish: Catholic Charities, Vocations Support, Catholic Migration Services, Catholic Schools Scholarship Assistance, Faith Formation, Chaplaincies, Parish Assistance and Care for Retired Priests. A portion of this year’s funds will be used to help those families and students displaced by Hurricane Sandy and provide relief for those parishioners and parishes affected by the storm.

It is important to understand that all of the money contributed to the Annual Catholic Appeal is used specifically for these listed ministries, because it is only with your contribution that these services can be made available to those that depend on them. We have done so much, yet as we look to the future, we have so much more to do. However, we cannot do this without your help. As sisters and brothers in Christ Jesus, our Hope, it is our faith that calls us to act in charity to our neighbor as we respond to God’s love for us all.

Each of you has received the invitation to participate in this great endeavor. We ask that you reflect on what you can give based on what you have been given. It is true that in our Diocese there are no “million dollar” donors giving annually to the Appeal. Many find themselves in these new and uncertain times. In Brooklyn and Queens, however, we have not lost sight of the fact that every gift is important. I am asking you to join me in giving as much as you can. Working as a community, we can put together the dollars necessary to educate a child, provide housing for the needy and support a vocation to the Priesthood.

Join me once again as we put out into the deep so that we may be found to truly be Renewing Our Faith Through Acts of Charity in this Year of Faith.