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The Catholic Appeal

The vibrant tapestry of the church in Boston

Friday, March 21, 2025Culture

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Support for the Catholic Appeal enables our ministry to welcome all ethnic communities and remind them that they are not a subset of our archdiocese but rather are an integral part of the vibrant tapestry of the church in Boston.

With Archbishop Richard G. Henning as our new shepherd in the Archdiocese of Boston, we are in a very exciting time. This will be his first Boston Catholic Appeal campaign, and he has been enthusiastically preparing, beginning with a special kickoff for Appeal coordinators and pastors earlier this month.
There are so many wonderful things happening in our parishes and communities that are supported by this annual appeal. As the director of multicultural ministry, I am blessed to see first-hand how the funds raised support individuals, families, and thousands of people across Greater Boston. I also know from my own personal experience that the Catholic Appeal has a direct impact on people's faith formation and the reach of our greater church.
My parents, Ana Maria and Efren Rodriguez, moved to the United States from El Salvador when I was very young.
When I was a child, my parents chose St. Mary of the Annunciation in Cambridge as our family's parish because it was one of the few churches at that time that offered Mass in Spanish. Today, 45 years later, there are more than 44 Spanish-speaking parish communities across the Archdiocese of Boston! This is a testimony to the unique vibrancy of our archdiocese and its broad ethnic diversity.

As a teenager, I was deeply involved in youth ministry, leading initiatives that fostered youth leadership, artistic expression, and spiritual growth. I served as a lector, taught religious education, participated in music ministry, and spent several summers living out missionary life abroad. Throughout my formative years, the St. Mary's Parish community helped my parents nurture my faith -- both in Spanish and in English -- allowing me to experience the richness of our church in all its fullness and becoming a disciple of Christ.
Today, my husband, Deacon Franklin, and our two children are also active members of St. Mary's and, once again, our parish community is helping us raise our children in the faith.
Through my work at the archdiocese, I can help families like mine discover a place to worship, serve, raise their children, and live out their faith in their language, and ultimately encounter Christ in parish life.
The Multicultural Ministry is part of the Secretariat of Evangelization and Discipleship, just one branch of a very large tree that serves the needs of our archdiocese. Our ministry is funded by the Catholic Appeal and aims to foster inclusivity, cultural appreciation, and evangelization in parishes throughout the region by providing resources in diverse languages. We also foster intercultural dialogue within parishes to promote understanding and enhance diversity awareness. Additionally, our ministry facilitates opportunities for Archbishop Henning and other bishops to walk with the multicultural communities so that they can live out their faith and celebrate their rich cultural traditions, including Lunar New Year, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Our Lady of Aparecida, the MLK Prayer Breakfast, the Ugandan Martyrs Celebration, the Asian American Pacific Islanders (AAPI) Marian Procession, and many, many more that occur throughout our communities.
Support for the Catholic Appeal enables our ministry to welcome all ethnic communities and remind them that they are not a subset of our archdiocese but rather are an integral part of the vibrant tapestry of the church in Boston. This is a very important way that we answer the great commission to make disciples of all people and expand the kingdom of God.
I am so grateful to all who give to the Catholic Appeal. Every gift matters and helps make our mission and our work possible.
Thank you for your faithful support.

WENDY MEJIA IS DIRECTOR OF MULTICULTURAL MINISTRY FOR THE ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON SECRETARIAT OF EVANGELIZATION AND DISCIPLESHIP.