At this time, we are in the midst of the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal for 2021. The theme of the Appeal is “Our Joyful Return to the Lord”. Representatives of the Archdiocese have recently sent reminder notices urging parishioners to support the Appeal.
Our contributions to the Appeal provide funds that go directly to the training and support of future happy, holy, and healthy priests needed to serve the Church of tomorrow. The Appeal also supports our diaconate program, Catholic Charities, and many other Archdiocesan pastoral outreach, education, and formation programs that serve our parish as well as our larger Church family. In addition, the Appeal also provides needed financial support for our priests in retirement who have served the people of this Archdiocese so faithfully over the years.
A substantial portion of the Appeal provides for the funding of our Archdiocese Vocation program. Through your generosity, Saint Brigid benefits directly from the Appeal. Just last month, parishioner Fr. Robbie Cotta was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Atlanta. He celebrated his first Mass here at Saint Brigid. Fr. Cotta’s training and formation were financed primarily through contributions to the Annual Appeal.
As a faith community, we continue to pray daily for vocations to the priesthood, diaconate, and religious life. We also strive to assist seminarians as they discern a vocation to the priesthood and as they continue their training and formation. Seminarian Jonathan Webster was assigned to parish ministry at Saint Brigid this summer, and will soon be completing his assignment. He is assisting primarily at our liturgies and also with our Adult Education, Youth, and Confirmation programs.
As we can see, our prayers and financial support of the Annual Appeal are clearly bearing fruit. We ask for your continued support. If you have already given via the mail or online, we thank you. If you have not yet given to the Annual Appeal, we ask you to prayerfully consider doing so. Additional information about the Appeal can be obtained from the parish office or from the parish website.
Archbishop Hartmayer has asked us to generously and sacrificially support the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal by giving “from the heart.” We clearly realize that there may be limitations to your generosity in these difficult and uncertain times due primarily to the sustained impact of the COVID-19 virus. However, conditions are continuing to ease as we joyfully “Return to the Lord”, and so we ask you to assist us to the extent possible.
Thank you for all you do to enhance the spiritual vitality of our faith community.