In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Peace be with you.

When someone from Dolton, Illinois, comes, we have to open all the doors! There aren’t many of us around anymore.

Your Eminence, Your Excellency,
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, dear friends,

I am pleased to welcome you, the Members of the Board of Catholic Extension, together with your families, on your pilgrimage to Rome and to the Vatican. I pray that your time here allows you the opportunity to pray at the tombs of the Apostles and to strengthen your bonds with the Successor of Peter and the Universal Church. Such an occasion is particularly significant for you as a Pontifical Society.

Your visit to Rome takes place as we approach the Solemnity of Pentecost, a pivotal moment in the life of the Church that has particular relevance for us today. Indeed, it was only after receiving the promise of the Holy Spirit that the Apostles began to proclaim Jesus of Nazareth to men and women of “every nation under heaven” (Acts 2:5), announcing the Good News of salvation and new life in Christ. What follows in the book of Acts is the story of the early Church and the spread of the Gospel, first in Jerusalem and then to the surrounding areas. As the Lord added to their numbers, they began to form communities grounded in fraternal unity and in the teaching of the Apostles, nourished and strengthened by the Eucharist and a life of prayer (cf. v. 42-47).

The same zeal that moved the Christians of the early Church to share the news of Jesus Christ and the gift of the Spirit inspired your founder, Father Francis Clement Kelley over 120 years ago. He sought to reach out to remote faith communities across the United States in order to bring to them the very life of Christ through the sacraments and the support of a larger Catholic community. This missionary enthusiasm is still needed today, and so I would like to thank you for your continued efforts to minister to the needs of the poorer Catholic communities both in the United States and abroad.

In a particular way, I would like to commend your work in Cuba and in Puerto Rico. The support you provide to these communities is a beautiful expression of the universality of the Church and a living reminder that “love for our neighbor is tangible proof of the authenticity of our love for God” (Dilexi Te 26). I likewise encourage the pastoral care you are offering to the disadvantaged, as well as to the many immigrant families in the United States. It is imperative that our brothers and sisters experience the warmth of a community which is marked by the presence of Christ.

The early Church bears witness to the fact that wherever there is a true faith community, Christian charity inspires its members to alleviate the suffering of others and tend to those in need, especially the poor (cf Acts 2:45; 6:1-6). Love for the poor can therefore be understood as “the evangelical hallmark of a Church faithful to the heart of God” (Dilexi Te 103), and also open the door for those we serve to come to know the Lord more deeply as we bear witness to his love. 

As you continue your mission, the dedication of Catholic Extension to not only alleviate the temporal needs of those less fortunate, but also invest in building up vibrant Catholic communities is particularly necessary today. Faith-filled communities provide an opportunity for individuals to experience the joy of new life in Christ lived out in a daily, ordinary fashion. They provide support, as we have seen, for the poor, but also the strength that we all need in order to face the challenges of life with faith. In a particular way, these communities are also the “good soil” in which new vocations to the priesthood and to religious life can take root and begin to grow (cf. Mt 13:8), providing new laborers for the harvest for years to come (cf. Lk 10:2).

Dear brothers and sisters, let us continue to serve the Lord with gladness and generosity, motivated by love of God and neighbor and the certainty that the Father “who sees in secret will reward you” (Mt 6:4). Entrusting all of you to the loving intercession of Mary Immaculate, I willingly impart my Apostolic Blessing, which I extend to everyone associated with The Catholic Extension Society, as a pledge of peace and joy in the risen Lord. Thank you.