Bishop’s Annual Appeal

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The “call to discipleship” is a universal call to love, one that is a commission to all of the baptized faithful. Jesus calls each one of us to discipleship — to live a life that proclaims Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior by embodying His love and mercy in our words and actions. We do so, not as individual believers who stand alone, but as members of the larger community of faith within the Diocese of Burlington who are nourished at our local parishes. I grew up in a strong and active parish. My vocation to serve the Church as a priest was nourished within that community. The parish is how most of us experience the Church. These parishes need to be alive with the faith of true disciples of Jesus Christ. It is there that we are nourished by word and sacrament, strengthened by Communion and empowered to go out and spread the Good News. This requires that the parish be a place of welcome where the Church’s liturgy is celebrated well, where people pray together and care for one another as brothers and sisters. Our parishes need to be places of growth: growth in holiness, growth in wisdom and growth in faith. One of the outcomes of the year-long Diocesan Synod was the strong recommendation by the delegates to prioritize the fostering of these vibrant parishes within our Diocese. This work has begun already in a diocesan-wide program called the “Discipleship Maker Program,” directed by the Catholic Leadership Institute, a national organization that helps Dioceses and parishes institute policies and programs to foster Christian discipleship within parishes. At the same time, I have been listening to the faithful of Vermont, and I am working with my staff to develop lay leadership formation programs and engagement opportunities that already are bearing fruit throughout the Diocese. We are in the midst of a second cycle of lay ministry and diaconate formation classes; our new youth discipleship program is designed to keep young people active in our parishes beyond Confirmation; the Diocesan Worship Commission is actively seeking ways to improve liturgy and worship in each parish; and so much more. Your gift to the Bishop’s Annual Appeal enables us to create new programs while sustaining many vital ministries. Will you please join me in this task of building a vibrant Church in Vermont and make a donation to help strengthen our parishes and empower the laity to lead?

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Most Rev. Christopher J. Coyne Bishop of Burlington