2023 Disciples Response Fund Annual Appeal

Consider the impact we create when our generosity is united through The Disciple’s Response Fund. As we embrace this invitation to make a difference
in our parishes and community, I am always inspired by the love and generosity we have for each other and our Catholic heritage.
As we enter the second year of the National Eucharistic Revival, we celebrate the Parish. It is in our parish homes where our primary expression
of being Catholic is lived out. Next summer it’s my hope that we will have many parishioners throughout our Diocese join us for the National
Eucharistic Congress being held in Indianapolis. There will be more information in our Western Kentucky Catholic.
The three-year focus on the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist reminds us that being a Eucharistic people requires two actions. The first is that
we receive the Eucharist often, believing in the grace and power that comes with the Sacrament. Second, it requires us to go out and live as Christ
told us to live. If you’re like me, it’s always easier receiving the Eucharistic, than living out what the Eucharist calls us to be in our communities.
Devotion to the Eucharist calls us into a closer relationship to Jesus Christ, which is expressed in our actions, behaviors, and attitudes.
There are numerous ways in which we reflect our Eucharistic attitudes, and while generosity stands out as a significant aspect, it’s not the only one.
I humbly urge every Catholic home to embrace their utmost generosity by contributing to the Disciples Response Fund. Your unwavering support
is truly cherished by the Diocese, and through your heartfelt gifts, we are able to provide support for important efforts to every parish, school, and
ministry in western Kentucky.
The Diocese of Owensboro is a powerful resource of support. Over 1,000 youth grow in their love for Christ and the Church through the efforts
of the Gasper River Catholic Youth Camp and Retreat Center. When I ask many of them what their favorite part of the camp experience is,
they reply, “Eucharistic Adoration.” We know Gasper River is changing lives. But the Disciples Response Fund also subsidizes efforts going on
in our parishes and schools. Additionally, we provide important services to the homeless, and we have ministries of hospitality for the migrants
that God has entrusted to our care. Our expenses for seminarian education and retiring priests continue to grow. There are many more regional
efforts of evangelization and faith formation that we support. However, we can only respond as we have the means, your generosity provides more
opportunities throughout the diocese when you give to the Disciples Response Fund.
While the Disciples Response Fund provides important dollars to meet the needs of the Church at large, it also provides another opportunity for all
of us to evaluate our generosity. Jesus Christ calls each one of us to respond generously, and our response should be based on a prayerful evaluation
of the gifts that God has entrusted to our care. Please consider, if you can, becoming a first-time donor to our effort. And while it is my hope you
can respond to this request, I’m also aware and appreciative of the many ways you may be responding to the needs of your families, and to others
in your communities.
I also want you to know how much your active participation in your parish is appreciated. God can do powerful things for parish communities that
unite in prayer and service. It is a blessing to me when I see parishes doing great things for their families and their communities.
May God Bless You All,

SIGNATURE william f medley BW

Most Reverend William F. Medley
Bishop for the Diocese of Owensboro