Make a gift and watch the Annual Paulist Appeal at paulist.org/apa

Dear Friends,

I remember the first time I preached a Paulist Appeal about 26 years ago.

Having just been ordained a deacon, I was invited by the late Paulist Fr. Bob Pinkston, then director of the Catholic Information Center in Grand Rapids, MI, to come and give the pitch.

In the days beforehand, I was a nervous wreck. I didn’t know where to start. In the midst of my writer’s block, on the night before travelling to Michigan, I received a package from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. It was the diploma for my Masters of Divinity degree! It immediately went into the suitcase.

The first line of my appeal was simple: “I’ve just come to say ‘thank you’ because without your help, I wouldn’t have received this!“ And I took out my diploma and showed it to everyone in the place.

Gratitude is at the heart of our Annual Paulist Appeal. We are so thankful to our parishioners, friends and benefactors who provide this financial support for our day-to-day operations such as vocations outreach; formation and education of our seminarians and novices; care for senior Paulist Fathers; and our ministries such as Busted Halo and Landings International.

It is the movement of the Holy Spirit, and this generous support, that enables us to continue our mission to share the Good News in bold and new ways.

Paulist Fathers seek to amplify the message of God’s love for all. We are always trying to extend our reach to those outside of the Church. We do this through our dynamic media ministries and evangelization efforts. And, we do this in collaboration with the Paulist Associates, the Paulist Deacon Affiliates, our non-ordained staff members, and the dedicated parishioners at the parishes, campus ministry centers and downtown centers that we serve.

In short: We could not do any of it without your time, talent and treasure. We are more than a missionary society of Catholic priests. We are large Paulist family whose members branch out far and wide. This was the feeling I received at that first Paulist Appeal I preached, and it one I cherish still!

We know that this is still a difficult time for many due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While hope is on the way, there is still great physical suffering and economic uncertainty. For those who are not able to give this year, please continue to pray for us. You and your loved ones are in our constant prayers. God is going to bring us through this!

For those who are able to participate, thank you for your consideration and generosity! You are helping to bring the Word of God to our troubled world.

May God bless you and your loved ones with good health and peace!

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Fr. Eric Andrews, C.S.P.
President, the Paulist Fathers