DIOCESE—The 2017 Diocesan Appeal will be announced this weekend of April 29-30 at Masses across the Diocese of Rockford.

The pledge weekend is set for May 6-7. This year’s theme is: “The Lord is With Us.”

What is the Diocesan Appeal? It is an annual call to Catholics in the diocese to support the work of the diocese beyond and in support of individual parishes and parishioners.

Much of what happens in a parish — from educating pastors and associates, to training lay ministers and catechists, to offering support for parish staffs — is made possible through the work of diocesan-level services.

The Diocesan Appeal is all about serving families, strengthening marriages, forming priests and empowering youth, says the 2017 brochure explaining the pledge.

In addition to the nuts-and-bolts needs provided by offices such as the Vicar for Clergy and Religious, Accounting, Tribunal, Information Technology and the like, this appeal provides funding for seminarian education, lay ministry formation, college campus ministry, religious education, youth ministry and evangelization as well as for specialized ministries such as the Deaf Apostolate Ministry,

Office of the Permanent Diaconate, Catholic Charities and St. Elizabeth Catholic Community Center.

Tiny offices including the Office of Diocesan Ethicist and the Office of Research and Planning also accomplish their important work through the annual appeal.

Even transportation costs necessary for Bishop David Malloy to bring the sacrament of confirmation to parish youths across the diocese comes from this appeal.

“Knowing that Christ is part of the very fabric of our lives also compels us to reach out to others with our time, talent and resources,” Bishop Malloy says in the appeal brochure. The efforts made by diocesan offices, he adds, “bring the faith to others in one form or another on your behalf.”

The holy practice of stewardship recommends that Catholics donate one percent of their income in support of their diocese. A process allowing participants to donate their pledge over the course of the year makes giving easier for many.

The pledge weekend provides handy tools for parishioners to use in determining and signing up for those pledges.

An optional process for easy and secure giving is provided online at: www.rockforddiocese.org/donate. Additional information is available at that website as well.

“Participating in the 2017 Diocesan Appeal is a powerful way to make sure the larger family of your Church carries on the work of Jesus,” Bishop Malloy says. “Thank you for your generosity to (the appeal) and for your help in sharing the good news that the Lord is indeed with us in this world and the next.”