Over the last few weeks, we have been reflecting on the importance of knowing our “why.” Before a parish can wisely decide what to do, or how to do it, we need to remember why we exist in the first place. The Church does not exist simply to maintain buildings, organize schedules, run programs, or preserve what is familiar. These things matter, but they are not the deepest reason for our life together. The Church exists to evangelize. We exist to proclaim Jesus Christ, to lead people to Him, and to help one another live as His disciples.

Knowing our “why” helps us understand what we do. Last week, we reflected on the “how” of mission. The readings reminded us that Gospel leadership moves outward, remains united in communion, speaks with gentleness and reverence, and relies on the Holy Spirit. The mission of the Church is not carried out by human planning alone. It is carried by grace, by prayer, by sacrifice, and by the generous cooperation of God’s people.

This weekend, as we begin the Annual Catholic Appeal, we are given a very concrete “how.” The Appeal is not separate from our mission. It is one practical way we share in the mission of the Church beyond the boundaries of our own parish. When we support the Catholic Appeal, we help make possible ministries that no single parish could provide alone. Across the Diocese of Portland, the Appeal supports hospital chaplains, vocations, campus ministry, ministry to priests, and other works of mercy, formation, and evangelization.

Here in Augusta, we experience the importance of the Appeal in direct and local ways. Through diocesan support, we benefit from the ministry of a hospital chaplain at MaineGeneral, bringing prayer, comfort, and the presence of the Church to the sick and their families in moments of fear, suffering, and uncertainty. The Appeal also helps with pension premiums for the teachers at St. Michael School, supporting those who help form our children in faith, knowledge, and virtue. These are not abstract programs. They touch real people, real families, real students, real patients, and real moments of need.

To those who have already made a contribution to the Catholic Appeal, thank you. Your generosity is an act of faith. It says that the mission of the Church matters, and that we are willing to take responsibility for it together. For those who have not yet made a gift, I ask you to pray about it and consider participating. Every gift matters. The point is not that every person gives the same amount, but that each of us asks how the Lord may be inviting us to support the mission we share.

At the same time, our parish is also experiencing several important changes. Bishop Ruggieri has announced new priest assignments, effective July 1. Fr. Dass will be leaving St. Michael Parish to serve as parochial vicar of St. Teresa of Calcutta Parish in Norway and St. Joseph Parish in Bridgton. We are grateful for his priestly ministry among us and will have opportunities to thank him more personally before he leaves. We will also welcome Fr. Felix Udolisa, OP, as parochial vicar here at St. Michael Parish. Please keep both priests in your prayers during this time of transition.

There are many changes right now. The readings this Sunday speak directly into all of this. In Acts, after the Ascension, the apostles return to the upper room and devote themselves “with one accord to prayer,” together with Mary. Before they go out to preach, they pray. Before the mission expands, the Church gathers in unity. In the psalm, we hear the desire to dwell in the house of the Lord and seek His face. In the second reading, Saint Peter reminds us not to be ashamed when we suffer as Christians, but to glorify God. And in the Gospel, Jesus prays to the Father, saying that eternal life is to know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent. That is our why: that people may know God and receive eternal life in Christ. The Appeal, our parish staffing, our priestly assignments, our school, our care for the sick, and all our ministries are part of the how. In this season of change, may we do what the first disciples did: stay united, pray together, trust the Holy Spirit, and continue the mission Christ has entrusted to us.