Archbishop says annual appeal is about ‘carrying out Christ’s mission’

Lyn Carter, left, and her husband Philip Carter, members of St. Francis Xavier Parish in Henryville, left, and Charles Ledbetter, a member of St. Michael Parish in Charlestown, smile with Archbishop Charles C. Thompson during a United Catholic Appeal dinner on Oct. 5 at St. Augustine Parish in Jeffersonville. (Photo by Leslie Lynch)

By Leslie Lynch (Special to The Criterion)

JEFFERSONVILLE—Archbishop Charles C. Thompson’s remarks at the annual United Catholic Appeal (UCA) Mass and dinner in the southern part of the archdiocese on Oct. 5 revolved around the theme “One mission, one Church, all centered in Christ.”

The UCA supports numerous ministries in central and southern Indiana, including serving the poor, providing Catholic education to students, helping refugees, preparing seminarians for the priesthood, and caring for retired priests.

About 90 people from as far away as St. Bartholomew Parish in Columbus and St. Michael Parish in Cannelton gathered at St. Augustine Church in Jeffersonville for Mass and dinner with the archbishop.

During his homily, Archbishop Thompson spoke of the 72 disciples sent out in pairs by Jesus (Lk 10:1-12).

“For whom were the 72 sent out?” he asked. “They were carrying out Christ’s mission, not theirs. That was so important to them, and to us today.

“And he sent them out together. United. They took healing and reconciliation out to the world. Now, today, in this time of polarization, when people dehumanize and demonize each other, we are called to bring healing and reconciliation to the world.”

Archbishop Thompson recalled a poster that left a lasting impression on him—a photo of a shopping cart in the middle of an empty parking lot with the caption: “If you’re too big to do small things, you’re too small to do big things.”

“A lot of the things we do are unseen,” he said. “A lot of what we do is listening. We need to be intentional about listening. It’s a lot like the Synod on Synodality. Listening. It’s how we discern the Holy Spirit. Our listening should be a Spirit-permeated encounter.

“As we move into our second year of the [National] Eucharistic Revival, more Catholics believe that the Eucharist is the real body and blood of Jesus. Only a third of active Catholics believed that [truth] a year ago. Now, according to a new survey, two-thirds do.

“Ultimately, it is Christ working in us, the Holy Spirit that carries on his mission in us. In my opinion, we are living in a time of paganism, trying to create God in our image,” Archbishop Thompson said. “Our Church has always taught us that every human being is created in the image of God. We need the Eucharist to keep us Christ-centered. When we keep him at the center, nothing’s impossible. Nothing’s too small for us, nothing’s too big.”

‘Your gift matters’

At a reception following the Mass, Jolinda Moore, executive director of the archdiocesan Office of Stewardship and Development, told the audience, “We are called to bring the people of our archdiocese closer to Jesus Christ. We are called to teach, shepherd, serve, support and love. The ministries and programs of our archdiocese continue to grow because the need continues to increase. Every dollar raised during the campaign goes to support these ministries. None of the ministries can charge a fee that offsets the real cost of the services.

“Your gift matters. Reaching our goal [of $6.3 million] means that we won’t have to turn anyone away from being served. It means the ministries will continue to grow, which means we are able to serve more people and bring more people closer to Jesus Christ, thereby fulfilling our call.”

Archbishop Thompson referred to the story of the widow’s mite told in the Gospels of St. Mark and St. Luke. “The widow’s mite represents complete submission to God. She gave everything she had, in complete trust.

“No matter what you contribute financially, your support of the United Catholic Appeal enables us to make a difference in the lives of tens of thousands of our friends and neighbors throughout the archdiocese.

“As Pope Francis said during a papal audience in 2014, the Eucharist affects the way we see others. Jesus manifested his love by being with people, and sharing their desires and problems. So, too, the Eucharist brings us together with others—young and old, poor and affluent, neighbors and visitors. The Eucharist calls us to see all of them as our brothers and sisters, and to see in them the face of Christ.

“It is from the Eucharist that the Church receives continually her identity and mission. Supporting the United Catholic Appeal makes it possible for the archdiocese to share the good news and all of the blessings we receive from the Eucharist.”

Archbishop Thompson noted there are 32 archdiocesan seminarians in priestly formation this year, the most the archdiocese has had since 1997. “We offer a heartfelt thanks for supporting our future priests and ask for your continued prayers,” he said.

“All of our Catholic Charities’ agencies are experiencing an increased demand for homeless services, utilities and rent assistance, exceeding the capacity for resources available in every county,” he added.

‘Connectedness … through the Eucharist’

In response to Archbishop Thompson’s remarks, Robert Gettelfinger, a member of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Clarksville, said the UCA “is what supports the whole Church. It’s part of our Catholic faith.” His wife JoAnn, a 40-year volunteer for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul conference at their parish, added, “We all need to work at [being] the Church.”

Lyn Carter of St. Francis Xavier Parish in Henryville spoke of her and her husband Philip’s lifetime involvement with their parish. But they support the United Catholic Appeal “so [the archdiocese] can do good work” beyond what any one parish can accomplish, said Philip.

Giving to the United Catholic Appeal is important to Barbara Nicol, a member of St. John Paul II Parish in Sellersburg, “because I used to be on the archdiocese’s Education Commission. I know the work they do. It’s very important.”

Charles Ledbetter, a member of St. Michael Parish in Charlestown, said the UCA shows “the connectedness that we [Catholics] have with each other. That only comes through the Eucharist.”
 

(Leslie Lynch is a freelance writer for The Criterion. She is a member of St. Mary Parish in Lanesville.) †