I write to thank you for your generous response to the 2006 Annual Catholic Appeal. Considering your generous response, I am reminded of Pope Benedict XVI's first Encyclical Letter, Deus caritas est, dedicated to a reflection on "the love which God lavishes upon us and which we in turn must share with others." Our Holy Father reminds us that the fruit of our knowledge and love of God, especially through prayer and worship, that is, our drinking at the fountain of life, makes us, in turn, "a fountain from which 'flow rivers of living water' (Jn 7:38)" for all our brothers and sisters. Our sharing of God's gifts truly forms "rivers of living water" for those who are in most need.
Pope Benedict XVI, at the very beginning of his service as Vicar of Christ, has reminded us that the Church's organized works of charity are inseparable from our teaching of the faith, and our daily prayer and our worship of God. Through our worship of the Most Blessed Sacrament, above all, our participation in the Eucharistic Sacrifice, we experience the lavish love of God for us and we accept the mission of loving one another with the same lavish love.
The Annual Catholic Appeal is a most important way in which all of us in the Archdiocese of Saint Louis work together in providing for the charitable needs of others in our local communities. Your faithful and generous participation in the Annual Catholic Appeal reflects the vitality of the Church in our parishes.
Our Service of Others
The story of the works of charity, which the Annual Catholic Appeal makes possible, is wonderful to recount. Space does not permit a full account, but I remind you of a few of the works of charity, which you support through the Appeal.
Nearly $2 million goes directly to those in material need: the hungry, the homeless, the immigrants, the young mothers choosing life over abortion, the deaf, the poor in urban and rural areas, and those suffering from HIV. In truth, the Annual Catholic Appeal impacts tens of thousands of households in the Archdiocese of Saint Louis, addressing all needs, both spiritual and material.
A total of over $2.2 million goes to parishes for emergency needs and to support the families in the parishes, who need tuition assistance, so that their children may attend a Catholic school. In addition, it must be remembered that all parishioners benefit from the grants for the continuing education and formation of our priests and deacons, for the support of our retired priests, and for apostolic outreach, for example, the Respect Life Apostolate, programs of Natural Family Planning, the human rights apostolate, the Hispanic Apostolate, and the apostolate on behalf of African-Americans at the Saint Charles Lwanga Center in the North City. $1.2 million supports our retired priests, while the apostolic outreach in the parishes is supported by over $1 million in grants.
The youth in our high schools benefit from nearly $1.2 million in grants. An additional $2 million provides services and assistance to youth ministry, vocations programs, our seminarians, college campus ministries, special education programs and other programs directed to the spiritual care of our children and young people.
The special gifts given through the Annual Catholic Appeal must also be remembered. Those who chose to request that the companies for which they work and or have retired match their gifts contributed an additional $500,000 for the support of educational programs in the Archdiocese. In addition, estate gifts to the Perpetual Light Society amounted to more than $200,000. Through the Perpetual Light Society, we extend our gifts of charity beyond our lifetime.
Conclusion
As we thank God for His blessing on the 2006 Annual Appeal, we rededicate ourselves to the works of His charity by planning for the 2007 Appeal. We must be cognizant of the need to increase participation, so that all of us work together in bringing God's love to others. Many families struggle to make ends meet, and our elderly are often living on a fixed income. At the same time, unemployment, serious illness and emotional distress burden many families. It is critical that all of us, in accord with the needs of the New Evangelization, set aside the distractions and the selfishness of a totally secularized culture, and give ourselves to the selfless love of our neighbors in need. God is with us, and God is love. Growing in our communion with God, growing in holiness of life, we will be able to meet the many requests of the Church's charity in our time.
At the conclusion of Deus caritas est, Pope Benedict writes about the saints who became holy through the practice of extraordinary charity. In thanking you for your faithful and generous support of the Annual Catholic Appeal, I ask Saint Louis of France, Saint Vincent de Paul, and Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne to intercede for you and for the intentions of the Archdiocese. I invite you to get to know better their lives and the lives of your patron saints, asking them to pray for you, that you, too, may live a life of extraordinary charity.
Once again, thank you. God bless and reward you.
