ACA THANKS CHRISTOPHER SOCIETY DONORS

Every spring, Bishop Cote and the ACA hold a dinner to personally thank our Christopher Society donors, those who give $1,000 or more to the Annual Catholic Appeal, for their continued kindness. This year’s dinner was held at the Riverhouse at Goodspeed Station. No matter the difficulties they, their families or the world is facing, these donors continue to give with compassion and grace, and, in doing so, enable our many ministries and programs to be the hands of Christ to so many in need in our communities. This past year, 615 families made the commitment to be Christophers and together they accounted for close to 50 percent of the ACA goal of $2.7 million.

The evening opened with Mrs. Mary Ellen Mahoney, ACA executive director, welcoming Bishop Cote, Monsignor Janik, invited guests and members of the Christopher Society. Mrs. Mahoney provided a brief synopsis of the 2022 ACA in which she shared how well our ACA-supported ministries and programs rose to the challenge, continuing to meet the needs of our friends and neighbors for spiritual, educational and physical sustenance. She noted that close to 8,000 people received help with basic needs, financial assistance, housing support and help with parenting, while more than 1.3 million meals and meal equivalents were distributed, nearly 9,000 students were educated in faith and hundreds were able to attend programs and seminars through our Office of Faith Events and Spiritual Renewal, bringing people closer to Jesus and giving them strength to face life's challenges. She thanked the Christophers and all ACA donors for their great generosity, noting that the ACA exceeded its goal for the second year in a row, which has not happened since 2007.

Before dinner, Bishop Cote greeted the Christophers, thanking them for their “unfailing support of the Annual Catholic Appeal.” Bishop Cote continued, “You truly do live your faith each and every day and because of your sacrifice and generosity, you keep our ministries doing the work of Christ.” Following dinner, Bishop Cote made a presentation to Mr. Ted and Mrs. Ruth Rossi of the Rossi Foundation and attorney Andrew Becker, of the Padre Pio Foundation of America, for providing the ACA’s first- ever donor matching grant initiative. Bishop Cote said, “The Rossi Foundation and the Padre Pio Foundation of America provided our ACA with a much-needed boost in the last quarter of the year, when they graciously agreed to match 50 cents on the dollar for all new donations that were received between September and December. Based on this initiative, donors came forward with moret than $200,000 in new donations, which the Rossi Foundation and the Padre Pio Foundation of America matched, donating $100,000, and bringing us to our goal.”

The evening concluded on a very happy note when Wayne Gignac, director of the Office of Communications and executive editor of the Four County Catholic magazine, was welcomed to the podium by Mrs. Mahoney, who noted that the Office of Communications is an ACA-supported ministry. She thanked Mr. Gignac for his hard work and his recent launch of the magazine, which has met great success. In the hope of expanding the evangelization component, the Four County Catholic is now sent to all registered parishioners not just ACA donors. “We are receiving a lot of positive feedback and truly appreciate Wayne for spearheading this initiative,” Mrs. Mahoney said.

Mr. Gignac, who is also a published author, professional speaker and magician, gave an entertaining presentation, regaling the audience with his magic and insights. “Remember, that it was often Jesus’ joy that attracted others to Him,” Wayne told the capacity crowd. “His suffering and death were only the last few days of His life. We need to be transformed into joyous Catholics if we ever hope to attract others to the joy of Christ.”

To view the ACA video or learn more about the 2023 Annual Catholic Appeal and about how you can help support the ministries and programs in the Diocese of Norwich, please visit www.norwichdiocesedevelopment. org and make your pledge, or call the Office of Development at 860.886.1928. For specific questions, Heather Harris, our campaign manager, may be reached at hharris@norwichdiocese.net or 860.886.1928, ext. 111.

Seeds of Faith

One of the greatest responsibilities we have as parents is the blessing of instilling faith into our children’s lives. Most are familiar with the age-old proverb: “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” (Prv 22:6) However, as any parent will attest, this is no simple task. Many of us often carry the weight of the world upon our shoulders — we’re stretched-thin, burned out and have mastered the art of multitasking. The days and weeks can feel so very long, I know. Though we may not care to admit it, time is ticking. It’s marching forward, full speed ahead. The fact of the matter is: We only get one shot at this thing called “parenting.” While we’re in the midst of caring for our children’s physical and emotional needs, we must pause and ask ourselves: Are we tending to their spiritual needs, as well?

Parents are very good at managing their children — the busy schedules, the routines, plans for the future. But, are we forming them well? I’ve come to learn that there’s a difference between management and formation — the latter of which involves being fully present and intentional with our children’s hearts and spiritual upbringing. Sunday Mass, religious education, ministries and Catholic schools are all critical in the spiritual upbringing of our children. However, we must not forget the instrumental role of the parents when it comes to teaching about God, the faith and prayer. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “The Christian home is the place where the children receive the first proclamation of the faith. For this reason, the family home is rightly called the domestic church, a community of grace and prayer, a school of human virtues and of Christian charity.” (1666)

What, then, can we do to help our kids find connection and stay rooted with God? How can we teach our kids that He is not only real, but a very personal God, who wants to have a deep connection and relationship with us?

First, we must remember that while our roles and the degree in which we train our children may shift and change over the years, God is our constant. He is ever faithful, giving us His unconditional and infinite love, so we, in turn, can share that love with our children.

Once the seeds of faith are planted, we must then create an environment that is conducive for our children to cultivate that faith, allowing them to develop their own personal relationship with the Lord.

This can be done by encouraging each child to use their unique gifts or interests to find God. If you have an artist on your hands, help that child seek the Lord through his or her own creations. Perhaps they’ll connect with Him as they paint a mountain or sketch a flower. Or maybe they can pray as they listen to a beautiful piece of music. If one of your children is a bookworm, encourage him or her to connect with God through Scripture, or through their own writing. Perhaps you have a child with a nurturing, compassionate heart. Teach them the power of love-in-action and encourage them to perform acts of service. Our Lord can certainly be found in the homeless, or the sick, or the elderly.

In Jeremiah 1:5, God says, “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; before you were born, I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” There are many ways for our children to seek and connect with the Lord … likewise, He will speak to each child in His own way, meeting them right where they are.

There’s an old adage: “Faith is caught and not taught.” Well, that’s not entirely accurate. The truth is, you can teach faith and godliness — but it must be lived out and modeled daily to be effective. As parents, our own faith will always prepare and shape the foundation of our children’s faith.

Parenthood is messy and beautiful and — by far — the most difficult and joyful thing we will ever do. May God give us all wisdom and guidance as we strive to instill a faith that is rooted in holiness, truth and a deep, unwavering love for Him.

Summer activities to foster faith

Summer is a beautiful time to step into creation to learn about the Creator! During these summer months, try some of these popular activities — nature walks, beach trips, service projects — to help initiate and develop faith conversations with your children.

Plant seeds of faith — literally! Gardening is a great way to teach about faith, as plants and faith both have seeds that grow. Jesus Himself used seeds and plants as metaphors for faithful Christian living.

Hand out bottled water (or popsicles) to people you see outside. Workers, walkers and people who are homeless would all appreciate a kind gesture of a cool treat.

Our area has many beautiful walking and hiking trails, for all levels! Use a nature walk or a hike as an opportunity to teach your kids about God’s abundant goodness and creation. Notice the warmth of the sun and the sounds of the animals, and thank God for everything. If you have older kids, talk about the particulars of how amazing aspects of God’s creation are as you walk. With younger children, focus on reminding them that God made everything!

Teach your children about charity. Have them set up a lemonade stand in your driveway or neighborhood, and choose a ministry to support. Proceeds will go to the chosen ministry.

Take time to talk about the important people in your children’s lives and be sure to express that gratitude. Consider grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, classmates, teachers, friends, mentors, priests and neighbors. Write a thank you note to each person. Kids can choose a Bible verse that expresses thanks or encouragement for each person. This is a great activity for a rainy summer day.

Create a prayer table in your home. Decorate it with your favorite picture/statue of Jesus, Mary or the saints. If you don’t have a cross, you can make a mosaic one with colored tissue paper and glue and beads — or simply use construction paper and color!

Make a family prayer board and write on it all the people and intentions you’re praying for right now.