The Greek Mathematician Archimedes is supposed to have said, “Give me a point on which to stand and I will move the earth.” Many people today would be grateful just to have a point on which to stand. The world is moving fast enough on its own. Suddenly we are hearing everywhere about the power of Artificial Intelligence, which so far sounds like a virtual version of atomic energy. It could be something really helpful to humanity; but if it gets in the wrong hands, it could do a lot of harm.

The Church of Chicago and the world-wide Catholic Church have also experienced great change, especially since the election of Pope Francis. The Renew My Church process in Chicago has led to the combining of many Catholic parishes, but has also jumpstarted our sense of mission to the world. The global pandemic and the closing of churches for three months, followed by an extremely cautious reopening, has accelerated the decline in in-person worship. Even old-school Catholics who came to Mass out of a sense of obligation all their lives have not returned to church post-Covid.  Once the routine is broken, it is hard to get it back. Meanwhile the Cardinal’s Sunday morning Mass on television still gets fantastic ratings!

Amidst all this flux in the church and in the world, at least two things have remained the same. One is the Annual Catholic Appeal, which supports many necessary ministries in the Archdiocese, and the other is the support the Appeal receives from the people of Assumption. I think this is because the Appeal is a win/win situation for both the Archdiocese and Assumption. Each year Assumption is asked to generate an amount in pledges equivalent to 7% of the previous year’s offertory income ($41,542). Every year that I have been pastor we have exceeded our goal in paid pledges, most of the time by a significant amount. 90% of monies received in excess of our goal are retuned to us for our use. Through your support of the ACA, the Archdiocese receives what it needs to continue vital ministries, and Assumption is helped to continue its 143 year tradition of ministry.

Although raising money is the primary goal of the Annual Catholic Appeal, its importance goes well beyond money. The ACA raises our awareness of the many ministries that our Archdiocese provides in Cook and Lake Counties and the many people needs that surround us. The largest chunk of the ACA goes to provide scholarships and grants to needy Catholic schools and needy Catholic parishes. Many of us who benefited from a Catholic education are not from wealthy families. When I finished grade school in 1967, the yearly tuition was less than $100.00. In my first year at a Catholic high school, the yearly tuition was $150.00. During the fifty years that Assumption School operated, no tuition was ever charged. But that was another era. And the question for today is, “Do we want Catholic education to become the exclusive privilege of the wealthy?” When our state legislators declined to renew the Invest in Kids Act, that put even more pressure on struggling Catholic schools.  

The Annual Catholic Appeal also enables the Archdiocese to operate offices and agencies that directly help the poor and needy. For example, The Office for Human Dignity and Solidarity offers outreach to victims of domestic violence, supports the Care for Creation ministry, the Immigration Ministry, the Jail Ministry, and the Respect for Human Life Ministry. The ACA also funds programs that prepare catechists for teaching in religious education programs, and underwrites the formation of deacons and seminarians. A portion of the funds go to Catholic Relief Services, which provides emergency relief to people victimized by natural disasters. When we see pictures of people who have lost everything in storms or floods, isn’t it good to know that Catholic Relief Services is on the ground ready to help? Isn’t it good to know that they would be here to help us if we needed them? And, finally, the ACA supports evangelization initiatives and the efforts to reach out to those who no longer worship with us.

The theme of this year’s Annual Catholic Appeal is “Together at the Table.” We are all one before the Lord. The Eucharist binds us together as one church, regardless of our economic status, our racial and ethnic identity, or the neighborhood in which we live. We all come to fed and nourished by Jesus, so that we can go forth the feed the spiritual and material needs of others. Your support of the Annual Catholic Appeal is one very concrete way of supporting the mission of the Catholic Church. If you have received a pledge form by mail, please return it as soon as possible. The rest of us will have the opportunity to pledge our support in church next weekend. On behalf of the people of Cook and Lake Counties who benefit from the ACA, I thank you.

                                         Fr. Joe