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Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I
t is my pleasure to present this annual report on the
activities of the Subcommittee on Catholic Home
Missions from the year ending December 31, 2015.
As the bishop of a mission diocese, I can personally
attest to the vital assistance that the Catholic Home
Missions Appeal provides. Without support from the
appeal, my diocese, like so many others across the country, would not
be able to provide many of the pastoral ministries our faithful need.
Over 40 percent of the United States is considered mission territory.
It is likely that you have either lived or visited it, as it covers so
much of our country. Over 40 percent of our brothers and sisters,
our neighbors, live in dioceses that are financially challenged and
geographically isolated.
As Pope Francis reminded us during his 2015 visit to the United
States, “Mission is never the fruit of a perfectly planned program or
a well-organized manual. Mission is always the fruit of a life which
knows what it is to be found and healed, encountered and forgiven.
Mission is born of a constant experience of God’s merciful anoint-
ing.” Because of their limited resources, our mission dioceses rarely
find themselves with perfect plans or manuals, but they still offer
places for people to encounter Christ, to be healed and forgiven.
These dioceses reach the faithful and encourage them to be part of
the mission.
I thank you for all you have done to accompany your neighbors who
live in mission territory. Without your continued support through
both financial contributions and prayers, the Church here in the
United States could not continue to be strengthened. May God bless
you and all you do.
Sincerely Yours in Christ,
Most Reverend Paul D. Etienne, DD, STL
Archbishop of Anchorage
Chairman, Subcommittee on Catholic Home Missions