For the past several weeks you have no doubt seen the ads and information about the annual Diocesan Stewardship Appeal in this paper, in your parishes and in your mail. It is the annual “ask” for your contribution to keep things up and running in this diocese. This year’s theme is particularly powerful and can be meditated on in so many ways beyond the financial.

This diocese is not alone in conducting an annual appeal. In fact, many dioceses and archdioceses throughout the U.S. have more than one … some for the diocese in general and then annual appeals for certain agencies or funds in addition to the regular collections each diocese is asked to take up.

Here in the Rockford Diocese we have just one annual appeal that helps fund the work of the church on the diocesan level and helps the administration of all our parishes and special ministries. It also helps the local church meet its financial obligation to the national and universal church, which helps the global ministry of the Catholic Faith continue.

Traditionally, Catholics aren’t all that great about asking for money and I get a little miffed when people complain about the topic of finances. I can honestly say that if you are a member of my parish and you come out the door saying, “Every time I go to church, all they talk about is money,” it means you only go to church about three times a year — Stewardship Sunday or on the Sundays we have a visiting missionary.

As a convert I can tell you that I probably heard more sermons about money and how all things come from God and belong to God in 20 years as a Protestant than I have in 35 years as a Catholic. And I say that not as a bad thing. I can remember going to Sunday School at a very young age with all the other “little ones” in their shiny shoes, sitting at a low table in our little wood chairs. We all were ready to learn about Jesus while our moms and dads went to their respective Bible groups before we all came together later for the regular service.

However, before our lessons began, we passed around the little wooden church that always sat in the middle of our table and each of us deposited our pennies. It was always exciting to drop little portions of our allowance in the slot and share the joy of watching the little church get heavier. We started young with a very visible sign to help us understand that everything we had was meant to be shared.  

Supporting and practicing our faith comes in many forms … through our own personal eduation in the faith, through our participation, through our outreach to others both physically and spiritually and, of course, through our financial support.

Diocesan Stewardship is just one of the ways we support our faith on a large scale. But if you are a good and faithful member of your local parish, you may ask yourself, “Why should I give money to the diocese? Isn’t it enough that I just support my own parish?”  Well, the answer is yes and no.  

Parishes and the diocese work together and function together.   Just as the diocese works and functions with the Catholic Church in the nation and in the world.

But the most important part of Diocesan Stewardship, to me anyway, is the opportunity to participate beyond the parish.

Our contributions allow each of us to participate in the training of seminarians, priests, deacons, lay ministers, Catholic young people. They allow us to help the bishop in his ministry which, in an indirect but very real way, allows you to be present at each and every confirmation, baptism, anointing of the sick and wedding and funeral in the diocese. They allow for you to assist couples in preparing for marriage or seek help from the diocesan tribunal. They allow you to assist in the long list of ministries accomplished by Catholic Charities, in addition to helping educate and strengthen the faith through Catholic schools and religious education.

And it all really works back to the beautiful theme chosen this year … “Many roads, one path.” Yes, there are many parishes, many dioceses, many ministries and many, many places for our money to go.

But ultimately our faith teaches us that we all share but one path to our Lord Jesus Christ.

It reminds me of that little weekly joy I had so many years ago.  I, for one, am grateful for the opportunity to gratefully share the gifts God has given by participating in our annual appeal and I invite you to do the same.