LEXINGTON -- Representatives of parishes throughout the Archdiocese of Boston gathered with Archbishop Richard G. Henning at St. Brigid Parish in Lexington on Feb. 1 to kick off the 2025 Catholic Appeal. Each year, the Catholic Appeal raises funds for programs that support the archdiocese's parishes, schools, and ministries.

"I am most particularly grateful this day for that gift of the call to come here to the Archdiocese of Boston and share in that work of Jesus Christ here in this very beautiful local church," said Archbishop Henning, who also led the assembly in praying the Liturgy of the Hours. "I give thanks to God for the gift of you who are coworkers in the vineyard in a particular way. I'm grateful for the coworkers among the priests, and particularly the pastors and the work that they do for the appeal."

It is Archbishop Henning's first Catholic Appeal in Boston. He said the launch event, which also served as an informational meeting for appeal parish volunteers and priests, was part of his "listening and learning tour" as a new archbishop. He has already visited numerous parishes and schools in the archdiocese and said he has seen the appeal's work realized there.

"What we do here today is going to contribute to all of those many ministries in so many places and in so many ways," he said.

He recounted his visit to Boston Children's Hospital on Christmas Day, where he met nine children who had to spend Christmas in the hospital with their families.

"That's another key area of concern for me as the new archbishop, which is, how do we provide pastoral care, support, encouragement, help to families and patients in hospital settings?" he said. "And the appeal is one of the ways that we're able to make sure that we have adequate numbers of chaplains and that they're a resource for that very important work."

In his former Diocese of Providence, the appeal's fundraising goal was $7 million a year. In both years that Archbishop Henning was bishop of Providence, the appeal exceeded that goal.

"It's a little daunting at this scale to come here to Boston and realize that, if little Providence does that, what more do we have to do here? So I will very much be needing your assistance, but I come to this year, as the Holy Father encourages us, with a sense of hope."

He encouraged everyone to make a donation, and said he would be doing the same.

"We should certainly lead by example," he said.

While Feb. 1 was, coincidentally, the feast of St. Brigid, Catholic Appeal Co-Chair John Corcoran told the story of another Irish saint, St. Finnian, who died in 549 A.D.

"I know what you're thinking, what does any of this have to do with the Catholic Appeal?" Corcoran said in his remarks. "My answer to that is everything."

He explained that St. Finnian's mission was to spread the Gospel and create saints, a mission shared by the Archdiocese of Boston and all of its clergy.

"And it's also the same mission that every one of us as laypeople have," he said. "Mission unites and unifies Catholics of all ages. Mission is what the Catholic Appeal enables."

He said the Catholic Appeal is not merely a fundraiser but "an affirmation of who we are as Catholics in this archdiocese."

Archdiocese of Boston Director of Multicultural Ministries Wendy Mejia said that the Catholic Appeal's donations allow the archdiocese to serve over 30 ethnic communities that worship in over 20 languages. Her own family fled El Salvador during its Civil War and settled in Massachusetts. Her parents immediately looked for a Catholic church that offered Mass in Spanish, and found one: St. Mary of the Annunciation in Cambridge.

"For them, it was essential to find a faith community where they could pass down their faith, culture, and tradition to their children through active participation in parish life," she said.

At the time, St. Mary's was one of the few parishes in the archdiocese with a Hispanic community. Now, there are over 40 parishes with Hispanic ministry. Mejia is still a parishioner at St. Mary's to this day, and her own children have been formed there.

"Your support of the Catholic Appeal enables our ministry to ensure that all ethnic communities feel truly welcome, and not as a subset of our archdiocese, but as an integral part of the vibrant tapestry of our church in Boston," she said. "In doing so, we are answering to the greater commission to make disciples of all people and expand the kingdom of God."

Catholic Appeal Manager Arlene Dubrowski said that currently, 233 people in the archdiocese volunteer as Catholic Appeal coordinators. She, Chief Philanthropy Officer Gavan Mooney and Vice President of Advancement P. J. O'Connell took questions from clergy about the appeal, and emphasized how important it is for them to tell their parishioners about it when it launches officially on the weekend of March 15 and 16.

O'Connell acknowledged that while organizing the Catholic Appeal in their parish may be the last thing on priests' minds due to their many responsibilities, their participation is crucial for the appeal's success.

"In-pew presentation is the single largest driver of new gifts to the appeal," O'Connell said. "All other methods are a distant second. That's why it's important. That's why we ask you to do it."

He said that hundreds, possibly thousands, of churchgoing Catholic households may only hear about the appeal from their pastors at Mass. Echoing Archbishop Henning's earlier remarks, he said that parishioners donate because they want to return the generosity that God has given them.

"When we ask donors why they support the Catholic Appeal, almost to a person, they answer with some version of, I believe in my parish. I believe in the church. I've been blessed. I want to give back," he said.