The success of the Annual Catholic Appeal is reason to give thanks for the generosity of the Body of Christ.
This
year, the appeal raised almost $15.5 million from pledges and gifts for
the immediate needs of the local Church’s ministries. Funding goes
toward helping people living in poverty, pro-life and social justice
issues, Catholic education and more. With estate gifts and anticipated
matching gifts, the appeal total is expected to exceed $16 million.
Understandably
for many, given the recent revelations of abuse by members of the
clergy, it can be hard to see the face of Christ in the Church at this
moment in time. It should be stressed that funding from the Annual
Catholic Appeal is never used in defense or settlement of clergy abuse
cases.
In a recent meeting with young adults, Pope Francis said
that the best way to respond to sin and scandal is to live the faith as
authentically as possible and witness to the world the love of Jesus.
“If there is no witness, there is no Holy Spirit,” he said. “The Church
without witness is just smoke.”
The Annual Catholic Appeal
reveals the good works of the Church by serving others in need and
building up the Body of Christ. Quite simply, it makes the mystical Body
of Christ visible in a way that the world can understand.
This
issue of the St. Louis Review shares several real-time stories about
witnessing in the Church, including young adults at the Catholic Student
Center at Washington University, whose spiritual needs are met because
of support from the appeal. Sts. Teresa and Bridget Church in north St.
Louis, which has a wide variety of ministries that reach both
parishioners and a community in need in the neighborhood, has benefited
from parish viability and emergency fund grants, too, for example.
In
the Acts of the Apostles, we hear from St. Paul that “In every way I
have shown you that by hard work of that sort we must help the weak, and
keep in mind the words of the Lord Jesus who himself said, ‘It is more
blessed to give than to receive’” (Acts 20:35).
The people of the
archdiocese continue to be generous with the mission of the Church. Now
more than ever, we need to support the good works of the Church so the
rest of the world can see Christ in us.