Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
May God bless you during this holy season of Advent! On the weekend of December 27-28, the parishes of the archdiocese will take up the annual collection for Catholic Charities.
On Christmas Day we celebrate that the “Word became flesh.” The mystery of the Incarnation expresses God’s solidarity with the whole human family. We, as followers of Jesus, continue that solidarity as the Body of Christ in the world. You might say the Incarnation continues through us, especially in our outreach to the poor and the most vulnerable. It is for these that Jesus came, and it is for these that we are sent in mission.
Most recently, Pope Francis referred to Catholic Charities as the engine of the church that organizes love and invites all of God’s people to bring their faith into the streets in order to meet the needs of so many.
One major way that we, as an archdiocesan church, organize love is through our Catholic Charities agency.
Catholic Charities provides help and creates hope by serving the needs of individuals, families and communities through a variety of programs. A sample of this service can be found in just a few statistics from the last fiscal year.
During this time, Catholic Charities’ Long-term Care Ombudsman program served 5,073 individuals living in long-term care facilities; the Mother-Infant Care program held classes and supported 208 expecting mothers and fathers; and the Sister Visitor Center provided assistance to 5,949 individuals.
It is through your support that we are able to fund these programs as well as respond to new needs that present themselves. Thus, I encourage your generous response to the collection that will be taken up in parishes during the last weekend of December.
During this Christmas season, please take the time to step back and realize that you are a part of the good being multiplied all around you. Ponder the activity of God’s own spirit in your midst. Please know that you and your families are in my prayers as I ask God’s blessing on each of you during this holy time of year.
Sincerely yours in our Lord,
Most Reverend Joseph E. Kurtz, D.D.
Archbishop of Louisville
