My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,
Allow me to begin by personally thanking you for the great success of the 2011 Annual Catholic Appeal. Without your generosity, we could not continue to provide the ministries and services to our brothers and sisters here in Brooklyn and Queens.
The 2012 Annual Catholic Appeal will be announced throughout the Diocese of Brooklyn this weekend. The theme for this year is “Sharing Our Gifts to Build God’s Kingdom in Brooklyn and Queens.”
This theme challenges us to do many things, one of which is to reflect on what is the Kingdom of God. Jesus explains in Luke’s Gospel, “Behold, the Kingdom of God is in your midst.” (Lk. 17:20-21) What must this have meant to those during Jesus’ time? How do we understand the words of Jesus today, as we walk the streets of Brooklyn and Queens? Many of the people of Jesus’ time were expecting the Messiah to come as a king with a crown, ruling with a palace and an army. We know from the Gospels, however, that this was not the kind of kingdom Jesus came to establish. He came to establish a kingdom of justice, peace and love.
We know that the Kingdom of God is not of this world. As we strive in our diocese to build God’s Kingdom, we recognize that we are building not just for what we can see and touch. Instead, we build for the future, the future of God’s reign in the hearts of men and women. This is what we are about, building the Kingdom of God here in our midst. It is our responsibility to do this as God’s people.
Vital Needs in Brooklyn and Queens
Through the Annual Catholic Appeal, we continue to address the vital needs in this part of God’s Kingdom. We know how important Catholic education is for our youth. We are in the process of consolidating our Catholic schools, but we know that when Preserving the Vision is completed, we will have a strong network of Catholic schools that will be available to everyone in each part of the diocese.
Catholic Charities of Brooklyn and Queens is second to none. It is one of the largest in the United States and assists everyone regardless of race, nationality or religion. Whatever services we provide, everyone is welcome to be served. We do not serve people because they are Catholic; rather we serve because we are Catholic. While we rely heavily on government grants, without the money we receive through your generosity to the Annual Catholic Appeal, our core services – which are really Catholic services – could not be provided.
Our Catholic Migration and Refugee Office is so important to our diocese. Mass on Sunday is said in 29 different languages at our parishes. In Brooklyn, 37.4% of the population is foreign-born (first-generation immigrants) or 936,757 people. In Queens, 48.1% of the population is foreign-born (first-generation immigrants), or 1,072,977 people. This means that half of the population is in need of these vital services. The beautiful mix of diversity of language, culture and heritage is our greatest strength. We are one Church, a Church that cares, supports and serves those most in need.
Our chaplaincies are important. Our hospitals, institutions, colleges and universities are all a part of the diocese and deserve our presence. We want to make sure there are priests available to assist those who are sick, those who are students, as well as those in other settings where they practice our faith.
Faith formation is the way we show how we develop our faith by catechesis and other means of informing our people about their faith.
The Vocation Office continues to work with our religious women and men who serve our diocese so well. They continue to strive to develop programs and discernment opportunities for men and women who are discerning a vocation as a religious brother or sister. We know how important this support is to the life of our diocese. When I came to the diocese over eight years ago, we had 27 seminarians. Today, we are blessed to have 63 seminarians. This is a constant effort and is supported by the Catholic Appeal. Over these years, 30 men have been ordained to the priesthood.
We must also remember our retired priests. They played an important part in building the Kingdom of God here in Brooklyn and Queens. Now is their time to rest and retire, and we have to be able to provide for them.
We cannot forget our parish assistance. We want every parish to be independent, to be able to solidly stand on its own. We know that is not always possible. So we continue with the Annual Appeal to give assistance to the parishes that are in need.
If you reflect on what we do here in our diocese, you will see that these services are all essential to realizing the Kingdom of God in Brooklyn and Queens. This is what the Kingdom of God is all about. It is so important for all who contribute to the Appeal to recognize that their generous donations are being used to assist those most in need in our midst.
The generosity of the faithful in the Diocese of Brooklyn continues to amaze me. Your ability to give back and share your gifts with our many agencies and ministries helps to build God’s Kingdom right here in our own backyard. Each and every year our agencies and ministries offer assistance and services to thousands of our faithful in need, be it financial, social or spiritual. It is your generosity to the Annual Catholic Appeal that makes this possible.
You see what the Annual Catholic Appeal does. You know that we use every penny well. God has blessed people in different ways. We are in difficult economic times, and everyone has been affected in different ways and to various degrees. I know that a commitment to the Annual Catholic Appeal is a sacrificial one, and I ask you to drop your nets once again and put out into the deep by joining me in recommitting yourself to this wonderful project. Pray about it, and give whatever you can. Every gift is important, and every gift matters. The gifts you share will help to build the Kingdom of God in Brooklyn and Queens.