Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

It is with an abiding faith in God that we gather as a diocesan family in love to share God’s manifold blessings as we celebrate the Eucharist, God’s greatest
gift to us.

As we begin the 2010 Diocesan Service Appeal to support and benefit the many programs sponsored by the Diocese of Palm Beach, we celebrate our theme, Gathered in Faith, Sharing God’s Blessings. Your commitment to the faith and your generous support of the diocese is greatly appreciated and I am deeply grateful for all that you are able to do.

The Diocese of Palm Beach is blessed with a continued growth and is rich In cultural diversity. We are building new churches and hope to begin new programs to strengthen marriage, family life and educational programs for our youth. We also need to do all we can to sustain our Catholic schools. We fund numerous outreach and assistance programs that seek to answer the ever growing needs in our community. We enthusiastically embrace the Gospel mandate to preach the sanctity of life and to fund programs which defend the poorest and most vulnerable in our society, the unborn. During this Year for Priests, we have started a leadership program, Good Leaders, Good Shepherds, to better serve our priests so that they can better serve you, the family of God entrusted to their pastoral care.

All of this, and much more, is only possible because of your financial generosity and sacrificial gifts. Your willingness to build the City of God here in the Diocese of Palm Beach is a testament to your faith, hope and love. Fathered in Faith, Sharing God’s Blessings, let us walk together on our journey of faith as the people of God, the family of the Diocese of Palm Beach.

With my deepest gratitude and every prayerful wish, I am
Sincerely yours in Christ,

Most Reverend Gerald M. Barbarito
Bishop of Palm Beach

Every parish is apportioned a share of the annual costs of providing Catholic social and pastoral services throughout the five counties that comprise the Diocese of Palm Beach. As one of the largest, most active communities St. Thomas More Parish’s portion is also great: $383,500.00

This is beyond the capacity of any one person; but every single person must do his or her part. That includes me and you and all who worship at St. Thomas More. We Gather in Faith, We share God’s Blessings. In this we are confident that God will continue to bless us as a parish and as hard-working families.

Over the past two years our financial prospects—individually and nationally—have suffered grave harm. On the very personal level, our families are struggling to keep their homes, their jobs and their dreams alive. Damaged, too, is our ability to support our Catholic ministries to the poor at the very time that they are in greatest need. Who could have foreseen the terrible devastation and consequent human suffering of Haiti? The Catholic Diocese of Palm Beach is no different than any other non-profit charity and foundation. We are already stretched and stressed to the maximum, caring for those whom Christ entrusts to our care. But we always find a way, because that is who we are, as generous Americans and Catholics.

In good times and in hard times we gratefully accept Our Lord’s commission to His Church and we strive to keep faith with God and with our sisters and brothers in need: Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. (Jm 1:27) We at St. Thomas More are a vital part of a living family of churches established 25 years ago by the late Pope John Paul II and we are committed to ministering in solidarity with Bishop Gerald to those for whom Jesus showed the greatest concern because of their vulnerability: the unborn, the impoverished, the children and the elderly, those whose lives are ravaged by natural disasters and the cruelty of evil men, the new immigrants and those who feel abandoned by the roadside. Our Bishop’s Appeal 2010 will unfold over the month of February. When pledge-time comes, please be generous and sacrificial.

Yours in His service,
Rev. Julian P. Harris, Pastor