This is Forward with Faith Commitment Weekend. I am asking each parish family to join in our efforts to rebuild the Mystical Body of Christ—our Church—so as to enable us to lead people more deeply into knowing their faith and to draw people who have left the faith back home. No matter what the program or ministry or action step is, this is about the Salvation of our immortal souls and of the souls of those whom we love.

Why are we having this capital campaign now? The Church is at a crossroads. Culturally, Americans are being told that faith in God and the personal practice of faith is no longer necessary or important; even governments are enacting laws which serve as roadblocks to the practice of faith. Sadly, many people have bought into these lies, and if they have not left the Church, they’ve put their faith on the back burner; it is no longer a priority of family life. If faith no longer remains an influencer on American or family life, our nation will not remain the compassionate and hope-filled light to the world.

What can we do? While we are not called to solve the entire problem, we are asked to begin the process of returning our daily practices of life to be viewed within the perspective of Christian belief: faith, hope and love—powerful virtues which have had and will continue to have an amazing influence on our children, families and culture. How to begin:

• We need to educate and reinvigorate our young adults—particularly those who seem to have no connection to faith—with a renewed understanding of faith and our world. Focusing on our 20 and 30 year-old children, siblings and friends—we need to bring them back to the eternal truths of life—why are we here, why were we creat-ed, and where are we going?

• We must create programs and develop opportuni-ties for dialogue, open up new insights on key life questions of work, family, the self, and our human purpose—so that we can come back to an under-standing of “what’s life all about.” That long-sought after answer has already been given to us in Jesus Christ.

• Along with new programs we need to create lived-experiences of faith (ministries and programs) which will allow the younger generation—as well as the rest of us—to actually live-out their faith beliefs so that they can feel the presence of God in their everyday lives. In this way, we need to realize in-and-though our lives in the Church so that St. Catherine’s is not just a place to go on Sunday for worship, though all-important, but a center where we can gather to dialogue, to act and to be changed—any day of the week. This has to be a reality for young single adults, our youth ministry members, families with children, middle-aged or empty-nesters, as well as our senior members, whose lives may present them with new challenges to faith: loneli-ness from the loss of a spouse or friends, being challenged with life altering illnesses, or new spiritual concerns about meeting God.

• In a nutshell, we have to make faith and Church more applicable to everyday life and more easily lived-out. We have already engaged parishioners to work on all of these issue areas. But we can-not—nor should we—do it alone. And as one priest, I need your help.

I am asking you this weekend to join this parish event in three unique ways:

1. Please prayerfully consider making a sacrificial gift to the Forward with Faith (FWF) Campaign so that our parish can accomplish this goal. This weekend in our pews are FWF pledge envelopes where you can make a gift to this program over either 3 or 5 years, depending on the amount; and your circumstances

2.  Please pray for the success of endeavor. Prayer is powerful—and certainly God will hear us asking for His help in growing His Church

3. Join us in becoming involved in a ministry or program aimed at reaching out to one or more of our intended audiences.

As your pastor for nearly 13 years now we have been blessed to be a growing and vibrant parish but there is still much to do and in the face of an ever-changing world. The challenges are great and the waters are a bit rough, but we are doing the Lord’s work and with His grace we shall continue to proclaim and promote His Will. I am confident of that—and of you. As your priest I can only work with you and hope you will be on our team. As you consider your gift to the Forward with Faith Campaign, it is my hope that as your consider the meaning and value of St Catherine of Siena Parish and the role she plays in your faith and family life, that you will consider making a sacrificial gift that, when used well, will help to build up the Mystical Body of Christ here in our parish and beyond.

Thank you!