By Bishop Joseph R. Kopacz, D.D.
The Capital Campaign, United in Mission, Forming Shepherds + Strengthening Parishes has begun to sink its roots and spread its wings across the diocese. There is no doubt that the expertise within our Catholic Foundation and Diocesan Temporal Affairs, in collaboration with our highly experienced campaign organizers, Guidance in Giving, has produced a clear and compelling case that is already gaining traction for this first ever diocesan-wide campaign.

However, the engine that drives this bus is not so much a matter of the best practices in fundraising and organizational dynamics, as essential as these are, but prayer.

The faithful of the diocese have been planting the seeds for this campaign with heartfelt prayer for vocations to the priesthood and religious life for the past 12 1/2 years of my tenure as bishop, and no doubt well before then. During this time, the Holy Spirit has awakened many in the Catholic Church to treasure the gift of the priesthood, the sacramental life that flows from it and the spiritual leadership across our ministries.
Anchored in prayer, the Holy Spirit has raised up a strong diocesan ministry of vocations and opened the hearts and minds of many more viable candidates to discern a vocation to the priesthood. Indeed, we have sought first the Kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33); we have begged the Harvest Master, as the Lord commanded us (Matthew 9:35-38); now we must continue to remain faithful in prayer so that United in Mission campaign will bring about an abundant harvest for the formation of future shepherds.

The second of two essential pastoral pillars of our campaign is the strengthening of parishes. Covering 65 counties, the diocese is composed of a panorama of parishes, often with unique needs, opportunities and limitations. During our recent diocesan Pastoral Reimagining journey each parish was invited to discuss, discern and pray about how it could better flourish under the gaze of the Holy Spirit.

We call upon the Holy Spirit again so that each parish in the United in Mission campaign can build upon Pastoral Reimagining and identify needs, opportunities and dreams that can be addressed with prospective financial resources that otherwise would not materialize. Pastors, parish leadership and parishioners can walk together as co-responsible disciples building up the Lord’s body in their parish.

The first Christian community in Jerusalem, as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles, is the standard for all parish communities and dioceses in every age. “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42). Two chapters later we read that “all of the believers were one in heart and mind” (4:32).

United in prayer, all are invited to be one in mind and heart for the flourishing of our diocesan family, the Body of Christ. Inevitably, there will be differences of opinion, uncertainty and anxiety over such a major endeavor that we are undertaking. Yet, the Lord calls us to walk together patiently, respectfully and kindly, devoted in daily prayer, at the Eucharist, especially on the Lord’s Day, and in fellowship, all the while clothed by God’s embrace in our One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic tradition under the gaze of the Holy Spirit.

Along the way, each of us will be asked to prayerfully consider how God is directing us to be united in mission. We entrust this endeavor to the intercession of our Blessed Mother, whose presence at Pentecost was a source of consolation and peace for the disciples, united in mission in eager anticipation to be clothed with power from on high.