Serving Christ Among Us As you consider your pledge to the 2015 Bishop’s Annual Appeal, it is important to know that the Partners in Faith campaign conducted in 2013 and the Bishop’s Annual Appeal are different drives serving different needs. The Partners in Faith campaign raised funds for ministries outside the Diocese’s general operating funds and included some endowments with an eye toward future needs. The Bishop’s Annual Appeal, on the other hand, helps fund immediate day-to-day operations of four important ministries and programs: Catholic Charities, seminarian education, our diocesan priests’ retirement residence and our inner-city schools. A parish would not suspend its Sunday collection after conducting a major parish capital campaign because it is needed to fund the day-to-day operations of the parish. Similarly, the diocese cannot suspend the Bishop’s Annual Appeal since it helps fund the annual operations of important ministries and programs. With this in mind, please be as generous as possible to this year’s Bishop’s Annual Appeal. If you have received the Bishop’s letter, please prayerfully respond today.