Gulf Pine Catholic

Gulf Pine Catholic • November 26, 2021 11 Diocese of Biloxi State of the Diocese Report for Fiscal Year Ending June 2021 When he looked up he saw some wealthy people putting their offerings into the treasury and he noticed a poor widow putting in two small coins. He said, “I tell you truly, this poor widow put in more than all the rest; for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood.” (Lk 21:1-4). My Dear Friends in Christ, The poor widow in Luke’s Gospel account who gave two small coins -- essentially everything she had -- to the treasury is a powerful example of what it means to be a Christian steward. The U.S. Bishops have authored a Pastoral Letter on Christian Stewardship, To Be a Christian Steward , which states, “As Christian stewards, we receive God’s gifts gratefully, cultivate them responsibly, share them lovingly in justice with others, and return them with increase to the Lord.” As I read those words, I am reminded not only of the poor widow in Luke’s Gospel but also of the tremendous generosity of time, talent and treasure that I have continuously witnessed from the faithful in the Diocese of Biloxi, even in the midst of a pandemic where resources have been stretched thin. Discipleship calls us to be good stewards of all that God has given to us, and stewardship is necessary to foster evangelization. As the bishops write: • Mature disciples make a conscious decision to follow Jesus, no matter what the cost. • Christian disciples experience conversion -- life-shaping changes of mind and heart -- and commit their very selves to the Lord. • Christian stewards respond in a particular way to the call to be a disciple. Stewardship has the power to shape and mold our understanding of our lives and the way in which we live. Furthermore, the letter states, “Jesus’ disciples and Christian stewards recognize God as the origin of life, giver of freedom, and source of all things. We are grateful for the gifts we have received and are eager to use them to show our love for God and for one another. We look to the life and teaching of Jesus for guidance in living as Christian stewards.” This eagerness of sharing our God-given gifts is reflected in the current State of the Diocese Report. For example, Catholic Charities of South Mississippi, with the help of your contributions to the Catholic Sharing Appeal and other donors, distributed 2,201,569 pounds of food through Twelve Baskets Food Bank, $747,179 provided for housing and utility assistance in the past fiscal year. Catholic Charities also assisted families who had their homes seriously damaged in tornadoes and floods, providing $65,641 in recovery assistance. Additionally, 343 infants were provided basic care items. Twenty-six individuals continued to live independently through assistance from Catholic Charities’ Representative Payee Program. Also, 411 legal immigrants and refugees received services from Catholic Charities on their journey to citizenship. As Stewards of Vocation, we are called by name because each one -- clergy, religious, lay person; married, single; adult, child -- has a personal vocation. Christian vocation entails the practice of stewardship. In addition, Christ calls each of us to be stewards of our personal vocations, which we receive from God. In the Diocese of Biloxi, we currently have eleven seminarians studying for priesthood and six men preparing for the permanent diaconate. We are also obliged to be stewards of the Church -- collaborators and cooperators in continuing the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, which is the Church’s essential mission. This mission -- proclaiming and teaching, serving and sanctifying -- is our task. It is the personal responsibility of each one of us as stewards of the Church. All members of the Church have their own roles to play in carrying out its mission: • Parents, who nurture their children in the light of faith; • Parishioners, who work in concrete ways to make their parishes true communities of faith and vibrant sources of service to the larger community; • All Catholics, who give generous support -- time, money, prayers, and personal service according to their circumstances -- to parish and diocesan programs and to the universal Church. In our parishes, 807 were baptized, 183 were received into the Church, 450 youth received the Sacrament of Confirmation, 812 received First Holy Communion, 174 shared the Sacrament of Marriage, and 627 were laid to rest through Christian Burials. This State of the Diocese is a snapshot of the work in our Diocese over the past year accomplished through God’s grace and your faithfulness and generosity to Him, and I am most grateful. Your gifts of prayer and financial support have been a tremendous blessing to enable our ministries which benefit so many people. Once again these ministries are not possible without your loving support. As we continue in the Diocese of Biloxi to make disciples of all nations, baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teach all Jesus commanded, and trust that He is with us always, may we continue and grow the good works that bring ourselves and others closer to our Lord Jesus Christ. Sincerely yours in Christ,