As we turn the page on the calendar and enter the month of May, we are also beginning once more our annual diocesan Stewardship Appeal. In the midst of so many requests for assistance, we might say, “Please remind me again, what is this appeal, and why is it important?”

Simply put, the diocesan Stewardship Appeal is the yearly invitation and request for you to support and join in the work of the Diocese of Rockford and my ministry as your bishop.

Of course, everyone has the opportunity, weekly or monthly to support all the good things that you experience in your parish. That happens with the offertory collection, the envelope offering or the regular electronic contribution that you probably make. As a result, you know that you are a part of the salaries of the priests and the office staff who serve so many needs. You are making it possible for the church to stay warm (or cool), well maintained and ready for prayer and worship. The list could go on and on. But you know you are helping to keep your parish alive and serving the needs of the Church.

In a similar fashion, the diocesan Stewardship Appeal is your way to contribute to the work of the Church on the level of the diocese. Let’s consider just a few of the activities in the last year that contributions to the diocesan Stewardship Appeal made possible.

Pope Francis has constantly called for the faithful to be more attentive to the needs of the poor and marginalized. Your contributions help fund the work of Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Rockford. From the St. Elizabeth Catholic  Community Center in Rockford feeding the hungry in the midst of a bitterly cold winter to offering counseling or shelter and housing for families resettling from abroad in our diocese, your contributions are put to direct work in a context of our Catholic faith.

Similarly, our on-going work to defend life, from the unborn to the elderly, benefit from these contributions. This issue of life is increasingly important to our young people. The diocesan Stewardship Appeal contributed to the annual effort for hundreds of our Catholic young people to bus to Washington, D.C., and witness to the joy of life by participating in the Pro-Life March in January.

And speaking of our young people, you may recall that they gathered in faith and enthusiasm for our Youth Summit last October. Thanks in part to your contributions, they will do so again this year because their formation in faith is so important to all of us.

As a form of direct spiritual outreach, last month the Diocese of Rockford organized “Be Reconciled Day” with an invitation to come to the sacrament of confession. By all accounts, thousands took advantage of this opportunity for spiritual renewal. A number returned to the sacrament after a period of many years. Part of the outreach, especially the advertising element, was made possible by the diocesan Stewardship Appeal.

All of these activities, and so many others in support of our seminarians and retired priests, preparing our young men and women for their commitment to marriage and family, as well as all of the administrative functions that keep the Church efficient and up-to-date rely on your contributions to the diocesan Stewardship Appeal.

This past year, Pope Francis has called on the faithful, again and again, not to make faith simply an act of the mind. He urges us to get personally involved with the life of the Church. The diocesan Stewardship Appeal is a way to do that, especially for those areas of the life of the Church where we cannot always get engaged “hands on.”

Because these activities and so many others are carried out by the diocese, they are part of my service as bishop. For that reason, I want to say, personally, thank you to all who gave so generously last year.
Now, as we begin the 2014 collection, I ask for your generosity once more. For whatever your circumstance allows you to give, I am most grateful.

But might I make a quiet request? If you have given the same amount for a number of years, could you consider raising your contribution, even if just a little? And if you have not been giving to the diocesan Stewardship Appeal, could you participate this year? Even if it is just a little?

Yes, the needs are many. But the faithful of the Diocese of Rockford have always been generous. Thank you for helping the Church and helping me in this effort for our Catholic faith.