We are in the kick-off season of the 2024 Archbishop’s Annual Appeal (AAA), the largest ministerial campaign for the Archdiocese of Hartford (AOH), which funds the good works of the local Church of Hartford.

What are the Church’s good works? Simple, they are the works of the body of Christ—you and me—that imitates the daily activities of feeding the hungry, healing the sick, teaching the ignorant, saving souls and more that Jesus did as He walked the face of the earth more than 2,000 years ago.

In the modern world of the AOH, today the Church supports the Knights of Malta providing free healthcare to the poor and working poor; the Church educates young Catholics in parish Faith Formation programs and in Catholic schools; the Church provides food shelters to thousands and thousands of Connecticut people and families with food insecurity; the Church builds Catholic hospitals to build-up the common good; the Church works to heal and empower women through protective and educational shelters after domestic abuse; Catholic Charities provides social services and mental health services to teens, young adults and families; and, the Church trains seminarians as future priests as well as cares for our senior priests after a life of service to the people of God—just to name a few areas of Her Christ-like work in the world.

So who is the Church? Well, every parishioner is part of the Body of Christ, the Church. Each parish in the AOH is called to promote the works of the Church and encourage each parishioner to be involved. Remember the three (3) themes of Lent from last weekend’s Transfiguration account: face our temptations, embrace belief, and participate in the Kingdom of God. Yet in 2023, only 19% of St Catherine of Siena Parish took part in the AAA, which raised $133,000. While that is more than our goal of $125,000, I would like to encourage us all to join in in the AAA and participate in the Kingdom of God. It is not about lots of large donations, but rather it is about lots of people doing what they can to bring Christ’s love and kindness to those in need.

In the Farmington Valley in 2023, the following were the parish goals:

• St Ann, Avon, $200,000
• St Mary Church, $195,000
• St Patrick, Farmington $150,000
• St Catherine of Siena, $125,000
• St Mary Star of the Sea, Unionville, $125,000
• St Therese, Granby $80,000

As I have said many times before, our role as Roman Catholics is to save our souls and the souls of others by way of how we bring Christ to others. But we all don’t have identical gifts, abilities, or resources. And no one is expected to do more than they can or should they put their family’s finances in harm’s way. If each person simple does what he or she can, not only shall our Lord be pleased but our local world will be in a better place thanks to our charity, kindness and faithfulness.

In recent weeks, people have told me that when they go online to the AAA to make a donation, they are asked to select their registered parish. And when they do they do not see “St Catherine of Siena Church” in Simsbury. Just a reminder to check for “West Simsbury” and click it with pride!

Thank you for your prayerful consideration of the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal and all the good works of our Church and her people. In Him, -Fr. Michael