‘It takes all of us to carry on mission of Christ,’ archbishop says

By Natalie Hoefer

In his first remarks to the world after his election on May 8, Pope Leo XIV pledged to walk with his flock “as a Church, united, ... ever seeking to act as men and women faithful to Jesus Christ, in order to proclaim the Gospel … .”

Archbishop Charles C. Thompson mirrored that sentiment later that same day.

“It takes all of us, united, to continue to carry on the mission of Jesus Christ, focusing here in central and southern Indiana,” he said. And “the hinge upon which we’re united” is Christ.

The archbishop made these remarks in his homily during a Mass at SS. Peter and Paul Cathedral in Indianapolis.

The Mass, followed by a dinner at the Archbishop Edward T. O’Meara Catholic Center in Indianapolis, was part of the archdiocese’s annual Circle of Giving event highlighting the impact in central and southern Indiana of donations made to the United Catholic Appeal (UCA) and Catholic Community Foundation (CCF).

Archbishop Thompson noted that, through those contributions, the archdiocese—and each donor—is able to “serve others, beyond those we sometimes even see.”

‘Called to be a people of encounter’

The readings for the Mass provided “beautiful imagery of the two great, sacraments of our Church”—baptism and the Eucharist—the archbishop said.

Both sacraments “bind us together and give us the grace that we need to carry on the mission of Jesus Christ.”

He noted that the Eucharist “is what unites us and helps us, through the word and sacrament, to discern what that mission is clearly and what is our part in that, each one of us.

“And then the Eucharist is what gives us the fuel, the energy, the grace we need to carry out that call to holiness and mission in a very co-responsible way. But realizing there’s ultimately one mission, and it’s about unifying, binding ourselves to God and one another in and through the passion, the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”

Archbishop Thompson noted how earlier that day, Pope Leo “mentioned our call to encounter, to dialogue, ... to build unity.”

“We’re called to be a people of encounter,” the archbishop reiterated. And we’re to do so “in a very Christ-centered way. And certainly, that’s what our ministries, our services are about here in the local Church,” bringing “our gifts, our talents, our treasure to that mission.

“But we always are lacking apart from being united in Christ and allowing our gifts, our talents, our treasures to be permeated by the Holy Spirit.”

‘A bridge between your gift and someone’s greatest need’

In his remarks at the dinner after the Mass, Archbishop Thompson noted that donations to the UCA “are able to bear fruit today,” while funds created through the CCF “continue to help to nurture and grow tomorrow’s blessings.”

Father James Brockmeier spoke about the UCA in a video shown during the event.

“The United Catholic Appeal is so important because there are so many ministries and services that an individual or an individual parish or an individual group in a parish can’t do on their own,” said Father Brockmeier, rector of SS. Peter and Paul Cathedral and director of the archdiocesan Office of Worship.

“It’s easy to take those ministries for granted and that work for granted. But for every ministry that we experience or take part of, there’s a lot of behind-the-scenes work that happens to organize and set it on the right path, and the United Catholic Appeal supports that work well.”

Donations to the UCA are “a bridge between your gift and someone’s greatest need,” Jolinda Moore said to those present. She is executive director of the archdiocesan Office of Stewardship and Development and the Catholic Community Foundation.

By donating to the UCA, “You’ve helped prepare [future priests] as they enter the seminary,” Moore continued. “You’ve helped catechists form the hearts and minds of parishioners across the archdiocese. You’ve fed the hungry, housed the homeless and comforted the grieving, … sharing the love of Christ with people who may never walk through the doors of your parish, but are still your brothers and sisters in Christ.”

‘Generosity is a witness to the love of Christ’

While UCA donations assist “the Church today,” planned gifts that donors create through the CCF invest in “the Church tomorrow,” Moore said, noting that such gifts plant “seeds of hope that will grow long after all of us are gone.”

Through the nearly 600 funds created by members of the archdiocese—from individuals to couples to priests, deacons and more—CCF distributed more than $10.7 million to parishes, schools and agencies across the archdiocese during the 2023-24 fiscal year.

For those who establish funds through the CCF, that figure shows how “your legacy is already at work,” said Moore.

An example shared in the video was a fund created by Deacon Nathan Schallert. In memory of his mother’s sorrow at the thought of those living on the streets being buried in a paupers’ grave “with no names, no place for people to visit,” he created an endowment to help cover burial expenses for the homeless.

By creating the fund, “I have seen more and received more coming to me than I think I have given out,” Deacon Schallert said in the video.

Whether donating to the UCA or creating a CCF fund, “Giving isn’t just about money—it’s about trust,” said Moore. “Trust in God’s providence. Trust that what we give will be multiplied, and trust that our contributions, when united with others, can do far more than we would ever imagine on our own.

“Generosity is more than a donation. Generosity is a witness to the love of Christ.”
 

(To learn more or to donate, go to unitedcatholicappeal.org or tinyurl.com/ArchIndyCCF.) †