Warm greetings in the Lord Jesus as we begin our 2024 Archbishop’s Appeal!

This year’s Annual Appeal theme is “Embracing Unity: Many People, One Heart.” It is an especially timely theme given the many divisions which tear at the fabric of our society and which make the basic human task of living together such a challenge.

In the 9 deaneries and 130 parishes of the Archdiocese, we experience tremendous diversity: people of different ages, from almost every country across the globe, who come from different cultures, speak different languages, and have had incredibly diverse life experiences. Some of our parishes are large city congregations where we don’t know many other parishioners, while others are in rural areas where a small group of people have been worshipping together for decades. But wherever we are, and in the midst of all of our diversity, we are called to be one body in Christ, who unites us all, and to whom we belong.

As St. Paul reminds us in his letter to the Corinthians, we have been baptized into one body in the Spirit. One part of the body cannot say to the other, “I have no need of you.” And as one community, we share each other’s experiences. When one suffers, we all suffer. When one member is honoured, all rejoice. Many people, one heart.

Unity is at once a gift that God bestows upon us in Christ, and a task to grow into so that our common life reflects a harmony where each person’s gifts are received and shared with others, and that collectively we reach out to those in need. The desire for unity runs deep in all of us—the yearning to be seen, known, loved, and brought together in a shared mission.

The Eucharist is a visible expression of our oneness in Christ. By coming to the table of the Lord each week, we affirm our unity and our shared mission to live out the Gospel. As we draw near to Christ, we also draw near to one another. And it is through an outward expression of unity that we give witness to the world that it is possible to live in unity even amidst the great differences, challenges and complexities that are part of our communities and our lives.

The annual appeal, in various ways, tries to make real the unity we share in Christ; to give it flesh in our communities throughout our vast diocese. It supports youth in their quest and yearnings, and provides chaplaincy for the sick and the dying. It provides accompaniment for those who are struggling in various ways, and fosters the spread of the Gospel, which brings hope and joy. Funds from the Appeal support our staff and volunteers in running a variety of programs and ministries which seek to meet both practical and spiritual needs, as we grow as an Archdiocesan community.

The annual Appeal supports us in our effort to be a Church in dialogue that listens to all its members, that seeks to strengthen the common good, to respond to the needs of our neighbours, and to build bridges between peoples.

It is through many donations, no matter how small, given with a sincere and joyful heart, that we unite our efforts and align ourselves with the work of God. Thank you for the ways in which you bring the gifts that God has given you to the broader service of the community, that we might experience ever more deeply the blessings God wishes to bestow on us all.

I also encourage you to prayerfully consider a donation and to participate in this year’s Archbishop’s Appeal. Join us in our mission as an Archdiocesan community, continually seeking to serve a growing and evolving community.

May the Lord be with you all, now and always.

Grace and peace,

+Don Bolen

Archbishop, Archdiocese of Regina