Times like these often raise more questions than answers. When will we be on the other side of this pandemic? What comes next? Or, more practically, how am I going to make the rent or find a job to support my family? The uncertainty that often accompanies these questions can leave us feeling ill at ease or even afraid. While the answers don’t always come as quickly as we’d prefer, as Christians, we are presented with an antidote to the anxiety and fear that sometimes sets in during times of transition and uncertainty. That antidote is our faith – our faith in the One who loves us so much that He laid down his life so that we may live, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Our faith calls us to fellowship as a community, both in our parishes as well as our homes. We know we aren’t alone in this journey. We aren’t without support. At Mass, we are sustained by the gift of the Eucharist. And I’m told by so many of you that after going without the Blessed Sacrament during the lockdown, you’ve returned to Mass with renewed gratitude. Our pastors and priests are there to minister to the faithful in moments of spiritual and material need. And when we’re confronting more questions than answers, the life-giving presence of our Lord revives us and gives us the strength to move forward with renewed vigor.

The Cardinal’s Annual Stewardship Appeal plays a significant role in helping us minister to the faithful and their neighbors. The Appeal ensures that our faith communities have the necessary support to offer pastoral and charitable outreach to families and individuals in need during this pandemic and beyond. Your gift to the Appeal enables us to sustain financially vulnerable parishes, to provide communities with the charitable assistance they need, to evangelize and educate, to form the priests of tomorrow, and to offer compassionate care for our retired priests. This year’s theme “To Whom Shall We Go?” is a part of scripture so near to my heart that I chose it as my Episcopal motto. It is both a prayer and an answer to much of the uncertainty floating around these days. It reminds us that the answers to the deepest questions of our hearts lie with our Lord who stands with us, just as He stood with the apostles in the Gospel of John 6:68.

Thank you for considering a one-time or monthly gift to the Appeal this year. We are so grateful for your generous support and for your part in helping us bring hope to our communities in these difficult times.