From our pastor, Father Neil Herlihy:
As a parish community, we are blessed to be part of the Archdiocese of Atlanta. The Archdiocese shares in the mission of the universal Church. One way it does this is through the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal. The Archbishop states that the Appeal “…is one way for our parishioners to participate in the mission of the wider Church beyond their parish. It is a source of support for the ministries beyond the individual activities of any one of our parishes.”
The Appeal is not just another second collection. Rather, it is the one time during the year that all Catholics are asked to make a significant pledge, payable over ten months if we so choose, to our Archdiocese so that it can meet the spiritual, educational, and temporal needs of our parishes and its people. The Appeal also supports Catholic Charities and many other Archdiocesan pastoral outreach, education, and formation programs that serve our parish as well as our larger Church family. The Appeal also provides funding for our seminarian, permanent diaconate, and priest retirement programs. Our contributions to the Appeal provide funds that go directly to the training and support of future happy, holy, and healthy priests and deacons needed to serve the Church of tomorrow.
The theme of the 2014 Annual Appeal is “You Shall Love Your Neighbor as Yourself.” This theme will be reflected in the recorded homily that ABG will give at all our Masses this week. Anyone who gave to the Appeal last year should have recently received a letter in the mail from Archbishop Gregory inviting you to make a pledge to the 2014 Appeal. If you have already given via the mail or on line, the Archbishop thanks you. In his recorded homily, the Archbishop will ask those who have not yet contributed to make a commitment using a pledge envelope that will be provided during Mass this week. Information about the Appeal has been provided in the Church Bulletin and on the Parish website.
Our Church challenges us to give of ourselves. When we give of ourselves by supporting the 2014 Annual Appeal, we are serving as Christ’s hands; we are serving as Christ’s feet; we are serving as the Body of Christ; and in the end, we are truly serving as His one, holy, Catholic, and apostolic Church. Please give generously. Please give sacrificially. Please give to honor the Lord and to grow as His disciple.