I flunked retirement.
My friends tease me about it, and I admit it.
But I’m glad. I’ll take an “F” in retirement because I love the ministries I am involved in.
I love being at St. Bartholomew Parish in Bethesda. I am blessed to be in residence there and able to offer Mass, support the priests, and participate in parish activities.
I love being a chaplain at my alma mater, St. John’s College High School in Washington. I spend between 20 and 30 hours a week working with the staff and students. St. John's is on a roll right now with almost 1,400 students. It's just a great place with lots of energy.
After Cardinal Robert W. McElroy became our archbishop of Washington last year, he asked me to help in some development and fundraising efforts. I am particularly passionate about the Annual Catholic Services Appeal because it is so important to the archdiocese, its many ministries, and living the Gospel as Jesus calls us to do.
I have heard it said that every single day, the Catholic Church feeds more people, houses more people, clothes more people, visits more imprisoned people, and educates more people than any other institution on Earth.
That’s probably true in our own archdiocese as well, which is why I hope you will strongly consider making a gift to the appeal. I would never ask you to give a specific amount; rather, I would ask you to participate as you are able.
Let me be honest: We have lost some of our energy for supporting these important ministries after the McCarrick scandal and the pandemic. We haven't been as focused, motivated, or committed as we were and as we need to be. I am hopeful that we will get back on track this year, enabling us to grow the Church and help our neighbors.
We have a new committee of 14 priests from different deaneries who are working with other pastors to encourage all of us to participate in the appeal. We have met several times already, and I know these priests are excited, enthusiastic, and committed. I think they will make a real difference in their own parishes and neighboring communities.
I wrote about the Annual Catholic Services Appeal in the last issue of the Catholic Standard. I want to write about it again so we can be the Church that we all want to be.
You may have received a letter from the archdiocese asking you to participate. You may also have heard about it at church from your pastor, Cardinal McElroy’s reflections, or another speaker.
Please do not think of this as an unimportant interruption. This appeal is really important to our archdiocesan family, the ministries that we care deeply about, and the people we serve every day – those who might otherwise be forgotten.
After my 12 years at Catholic Charities DC, I still know people who are experiencing homelessness. I have people calling me for help with rental payments, utility bills, car repairs, and more. I try my best to say “yes,” and Catholic Charities DC does the same. This appeal helps make that possible, and your support makes a meaningful difference in people’s lives.
Most of us cannot spend our days serving in the ways the Church provides. We have jobs, families, and responsibilities. I think almost all of us can offer financial support to help those in need.
The ideal, of course, would be for everyone in the archdiocese to participate. I can feel the momentum and energy, and I am hopeful that people really want to participate.
We all must decide based on our own situations but imagine what our archdiocese could do if we all teamed up to support the 2026 Annual Catholic Services Appeal. That's my hope for this year. I hope you’ll join me!
(Msgr. John Enzler serves as the mission advocate of Catholic Charities of The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington and is a chaplain at his alma mater, St. John’s College High School in Washington. He writes the Faith in Action column for the archdiocese’s Catholic Standard and Spanish-language El Pregonero newspapers and websites.)
