One of the signs of a vibrant and living Catholic faith is that it wishes to reach out. It reaches out to family members to support them and to bring them joy. That same faith reaches out to all those in need, especially the poor, the unborn and those who cannot defend themselves.

And faith reaches out to bring the knowledge, love and friendship of Jesus Christ to those who do not yet know Him, or those who have somehow fallen away from Jesus.

Pope Francis has famously called for all of us, in our faith, to reach out to those on the margins, on the peripheries. He has called for us not to just sit comfortably at home but to help those who are not already at prayer or in Church, come to faith.

Of course a question for many is, “How do I reach out? How can I bring faith to others?” That question is very practical. Each of us has our own road to walk, our own calling as part of faith. If we have been given the vocation to marriage and family, our spouse, the kids and the relatives have a very important place. If we are a businessman or woman, treating our workers and clients fairly and being just with money and profits are part of our road.

But still, there are so many other needs that we can see. How can we help to clothe the naked, feed the hungry and comfort the sorrowing? Because with all of our gifts and callings in the Church
we may walk on many roads. Still, in the end they lead to one final path, Jesus Christ Himself.

This week, in the Diocese of Rockford, you will see information about how, whatever road you have been called to walk in the Church, you can be part of the work of faith that reaches out. You can do that through the Diocesan Stewardship Appeal for 2015.

The Diocesan Stewardship Appeal funds many of the programs that reach out in faith even beyond the great work that you see in your parish. For example, we know the challenges to our young people to learn, deepen and stay active in their Catholic faith. Through your contributions to the Appeal, thousands of our young people are gathered each year for the highly successful Youth Summit.

At Northern Illinois University, our Catholic students are strengthened by the funding of the Newman Center where they can come to pray, learn and spend time with other faithful young people.

Each January, the Life and Family Evangelization Office organizes a pilgrimage of young people from the Diocese of Rockford to travel to Washington D.C. There they have joined hundreds of thousands of others to march in defense of the right to life. That too is made possible by your contributions.

In a time when families are stressed and marriage is under great pressure, our LiFE Office offers help with programs including marriage preparation, marriage enrichment, assistance for wounded couples or those dealing with loss as well as Natural Family Planning. Your contribution makes this possible.

Our diocesan Catholic Charities works to assist the needs of the poor and to feed the hungry. And this is even more important as our state budget has made meeting this need more challenging. Your contributions also give us the means to help when disaster strikes, as in the case of the recent tornadoes.

Because of what you give to the Diocesan Stewardship Appeal, our seminarians receive training that will serve them and you for a lifetime in their priesthood and our aging and retired priests are cared for as they continue to care for you.

These examples only scratch the surface of the vitality of the faith in the Diocese of Rockford. But they show how your contribution to the Diocesan Appeal is the way that you reach out, whatever the road you walk in the Church.

We all can’t be priests, we all can’t teach youth or even have children, we all can’t serve the deaf…but we can contribute to making it all happen.

I hope I can count on you to join me again this year in this effort. Thanks very much for all your generosity in the past. If you haven’t been able to give before, could you start this year? If you have been giving, would it be possible to pray about giving just a little bit more?

Whatever road within the Church you are on, you can reach out to others. Your contribution of prayer and your financial offering make spreading the faith possible. Thank you for your generosity, this year and always.