Discipleship is at the heart of United Catholic Appeal
Tony Pizulo, left, and his wife, Marilyn Pizulo of Our Lady of the Springs Parish in French Lick, enjoy a visit with Archbishop Charles C. Thompson after the Sept. 19 United Catholic Appeal Mass and dinner at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in New Albany. (Submitted photo by Leslie Lynch)
By Leslie Lynch (Special to The Criterion)
NEW ALBANY—For Connie Ignacio, stewardship is a way of life.
“I can’t live without God. How can I not give back? I do my best to emulate Jesus’ teachings,” said Ignacio, a member of St. John Paul II Parish in Sellersburg after a Sept. 19 Mass and dinner at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in New Albany to support the annual archdiocesan-wide United Catholic Appeal (UCA).
The theme for this year’s appeal is “Go and Make Disciples.”
Ignacio’s deliberate focus on a life of discipleship summarized both Archbishop Charles C. Thompson’s remarks and the quiet but passionate quality shared by more than 100 people attending the event. Ignacio volunteers at a food bank. Fellow St. John Paul II parishioner Marlene Chua volunteers at the parish and is drawn to the UCA goal of caring for priests.
The UCA begins in late October and early November with mailings and weekend Mass collections in all parishes in central and southern Indiana.
This year’s UCA goal is $6.5 million. Money raised supports dozens of causes no single parish or deanery could independently support, such as providing shelter and food support for those in need, supporting Catholic school students and staff, funding catechetical programs and young adult ministries, providing counseling and material assistance for crisis pregnancies, sponsoring seminarian formation and sustaining retired priests.
The gathering at Our Lady of Perpetual Help sought to thank and honor the campaign’s most dedicated supporters. Many of those in attendance were members of the appeal’s Miter Society—people who give $1,500 or more annually to the appeal—and others who might be interested in that level of support.
Others were members of the Legacy Society. focused on the future with planned gifts contributed through the archdiocesan Catholic Community Foundation—providing for the Church in their wills, for example, or by starting an endowment.
In his homily, Archbishop Thompson spoke of the necessary first step of encounter with Jesus. “Only after that personal encounter,” he said, “will his teachings make sense. Then it’s up to us to persevere in discipleship.”
Although Marilyn Pitzulo was away from the Catholic Church for 30 years, she spent much of that time serving immigrants and others in urban ministries in Indianapolis.
“My worldview was established the day my mother had me baptized Roman Catholic,” said Pitzulo, a member of Our Lady of the Springs Parish in French Lick.
Rubbing shoulders with Catholic Charities in various capacities helped steer her back to the Church in 2017. She offered this insight: “Look for where the Lord is working, and partner there.”
Her husband Tony spoke of his return to the Church through the lens of the annulment process and growth. The support of priests and volunteers has been invaluable to him. “The process cleanses you. I am so much more content now,” he said. “Marilyn and I talk a lot about our faith, how we’ve grown, [and] how we can give back.”
Jim Evrard, a member of St. Mary Parish in Lanesville, said of stewardship: “I need to do this spiritually. I feel a calling. We’re not giving to just one cause; I let the archdiocese do the hard part of deciding who gets what.”
His wife Maxine added, “The United Catholic Appeal helps all over in central and southern Indiana. Each element has its own importance, and they all depend on each other.”
In his remarks during dinner, Archbishop Thompson said, “If we are not transforming the world, the world is transforming us.”
He spoke of the 24 seminarians and 48 retired priests supported, 800 homeless families sheltered, 48,000 meals served, 1,100 students in inner-city schools aided, and thousands of mothers who chose life for their babies, all served by UCA.
“Every dollar raised for the United Catholic Appeal goes directly to ministry,” he said. “Thanks to the many ministries supported, we get a glimpse of God’s love for humanity and our call to be part of his plan to love our neighbor as ourselves.”
Jolinda Moore, executive director of the archdiocesan Office of Stewardship and Development, said, “As disciples, we are called to actively serve. ‘Actively’ is a key word. That is one reason I’m so excited about the theme of this year’s appeal—Go and Make Disciples. Not sit on the sidelines or wait to be invited, but take action. Archbishop Thompson reminded us at Mass that we become disciples by our witness. It is through our words and actions that we honor Jesus Christ.”
In this year’s UCA video, Joan Hess, agency director for Catholic Charities in Tell City, said, “We’re all the hands and feet of God. If the little toe isn’t there, you’re off balance.”
Father Vincent Gillmore, who was ordained in June and serves as associate pastor of Our Lady of the Greenwood Parish in Greenwood, noted in the video, “We have to decide to be disciples every day. To be a disciple is to be a good steward of God’s gifts. Stewardship is not a way of life; it is the way of life.”
(Leslie Lynch is a freelance writer and member of St. Mary Parish in Lanesville. For more information about supporting the United Catholic Appeal or the Catholic Community Foundation, contact Jolinda Moore at 317-236-1462, 800-382-9836, ext. 1462, or e-mail jmoore@archindy.org. Online resources for the United Catholic Appeal can be found at www.archindy.org/uca; Catholic Community Foundation resources are available at www.archindy.org/ccf.) †
