An on-line dictionary defines “parochial” as “related to the border of a church parish or government entity.” For most Catholics, that means our local church. Once upon a time in a more Catholic Chicago, parishes were almost universally accepted geographical markers. People not of the faith understood what you meant when you said, “I’m from St. Jerome’s.” But there is a word related to parochial that has negative connotations. “Parochialism” means a “narrowness of viewpoint or perspective.” In our devotion to our parish, we are always in danger of becoming too parochial. One of the qualities we strive for as Catholics is to be actively engaged in our own church, without sinking into parochialism, forgetting that we are part of a universal or “Catholic” church. In spite of all the differences of opinion within the Catholic Church, we are still one universal church, and that is a powerful symbol in our world today.

This weekend we begin active solicitation for the Annual Catholic Appeal, our financial commitment to the ministries, services, and parishes in the Archdiocese of Chicago which cannot support themselves. But at a deeper level, the ACA gives us the opportunity to pull back the curtain and remind ourselves that many of our brothers and sisters in the archdiocese and around the world are in greater need than we are. The ACA is an annual antidote to parochialism.

Because we have been able to raise the funds we need to operate, we may not be aware that 30% of the parishes of the archdiocese, parishes which provide a vital role in economically stressed areas, would not be able survive without a subsidy. Because our parish school closed in 1945 and the issue of Catholic education may be far in the past or way in the future, we may not realize that without support from the archdiocese, Catholic education would become almost exclusively the domain of the wealthy. Because our own immigration status is not in question, we may not realize how active the Archdiocesan Immigration Ministry is right now in advising, advocating for, and supporting migrants. Because we may not have a family member incarcerated, we may not even know about Kolbe House ministries to the imprisoned and to their families. Because we were born and raised Catholic and have continued to attend Mass, we may not realize how vital the Office of Evangelization is in jumpstarting parish renewal and outreach  and equipping us to remain relevant to a new generation. Because Chicago has not faced a massive natural disaster, we may not realize that part of the funding for Catholic Relief Servies comes from the ACA. While we do serve the needy and homeless within our parish boundaries, the ACA asks us to see how many people are in need in so many ways all around us in Cook and Lake Counties and throughout the world when disaster strikes. The ACA enables the Catholic Church to be present to those who are most vulnerable.

The Theme of this year’s Annual Catholic Appeal is Together We Bring Hope. This theme echoes the recent Synod on Synodality in Rome, with its theme of walking together and listening to the Holy Spirit, and this year’s Holy Year theme, Pilgrims of Hope. The word “hope” reverberates so much in our conversation today, because we live in a world so much in need of hope. The ACA helps translate hope into concrete actions. Real human needs are met through the ministries funded by the ACA. And the ACA only works if we work together—if we pool our resources together. By ourselves we may not be able to do much. Together we can accomplish a great deal.         

Many of you who have contributed to the ACA in the past have already received pledge materials in the mail. Please return your pledge envelope as soon as possible. The rest of us will be guided through the pledge process next weekend. It is important to remember that once we reach our goal of $42,557 (or 7% of last year’s collection) 90% or funds received in excess of that amount is returned to us at Assumption. Every year that I have been at Assumption, we have exceeded our goal by a significant amount. In fact, the amount rebated to us by the ACA is typically our largest fundraiser of the year. So, supporting the ACA is a win/win proposition. The archdiocese receives what it needs from us to continue many vital ministries, and Assumption receives what we need to support our ministries. I give to the ACA. I hope you will too. Together We Bring Hope.

                                                                                           Fr. Joe