“100 DAYS OF BLESSINGS”

September 27, 2008

This weekend the Diocese of Brownsville, which serves more than 900,000 Catholics in the Rio Grande Valley, will initiate an annual appeal - “100 Days of Blessings”, to respond to the challenges placed before us by the First Diocesan Synod and the continuing growth of the diocese.

The diocesan synod, which included listening sessions at every parish and at regional sessions, identified a number of pastoral priorities and initiatives to promote and sustain the mission of the Church in the Rio Grande Valley. We have already implemented a number of these, such as the San Juan Diego Ministry Institute for the formation of lay members, the Permanent Diaconate Formation Program and Disciples in Mission, our evangelization initiative. Some of the pastoral strategies identified, however, require additional funding to make them a reality. This diocesan-wide appeal will help us raise the funds necessary for some of these projects. Until the initiation of the “100 Days of Blessings” Campaign, this was the only diocese in Texas that did not have an annual appeal.

For this campaign we have two goals. The first is to promote the new evangelization by establishing a diocesan newspaper and expanding local Catholic TV and radio programming. Just as we are the only Texas diocese that does not have an annual appeal, we are the only diocese in the state that does not have a diocesan newspaper. In appreciation for their generosity, we will provide complimentary subscriptions to all the donors who contribute a minimum of $100 to the appeal.

The second project is the construction of a retirement home for priests. Currently, some of our retired priests live in what was once a convent for religious sisters who taught at the parish school in San Juan. We converted it, a few years ago, into very modest apartments for the priests. At this time there is only one vacancy in the facility.

We would like to build a more adequate facility for the priests who are retired and for those who will retire within the next few years. The plan is to construct a comlex pf duplexes that will house priests in individual apartments with facilities for their own use and additional buildings that would include a chapel, common area for meals and a guest house for visitors to the retired priests. The present very modest facility will be maintained as an overflow for retreats or weekend rentals at the Basilica.

The diocese contracted with Bain & Glasscock of McAllen to coordinate the parish-based appeal. The “100 days of Blessings” will be organized in each parish, and each parish will collect the monies for the appeal. Parishes will then provide 70 percent of what they collect to the diocese and keep 30 percent to use for their needs.

This appeal comes at a challenging time in our nation. When we decided and began to plan it, the economy in the country was very healthy; now, as we approach the launch date the economy is very weak.  As generous as our parishioners may want to be, unless the economy improves they may not be able to give as much as they would like. I am confident, nonetheless, that parishioners will respond with generosity. The people who have become familiar with the goals of the campaign are excited and committed to providing adequately for the residence of our retired priests. Many will find a way to make the sacrifice and contribute $1 per day for 100 days.

My hope is that we will raise the necessary funds to carry out the ends for which we make this appeal. The First Diocesan Synod expressed the urgent need of  a newspaper as an effective means of communicating with our people and a valuable tool for proclaiming the Gospel. It will allow us to keep them abreast of what is happening in the diocese, in the parishes and in the church worldwide. Most important, it will enable us to carry out the mission that Christ entrusted to the Church: evangelization, proclaiming the Gospel. Making Christ present in the world is what we are really about as a Church; this is our ultimate goal.

An adequate home for the priests who have given their lives in service to the Church in the Valley will be an appropriate expression of our gratitude to the men who have baptized our children, prepared them for the sacraments, catechized and evangelized our people and buried our departed loved ones.  Many of them have come from distant lands and have no family in the Valley, the Church in the Valley is their family.  

            Pray with me, in the words of St. Paul, that “everyone (may) give according to what he (or she) has inwardly decided … for God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7).

+Bishop Raymundo J. Peña

last updated 11-Jan-2010 8:22 sitemap