A Letter from Bishop Lou
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
“Do Everything for the Glory of God!” This is the theme for this year’s Annual Diocesan Appeal. As disciples of Jesus, we are to live out our mission to “Go Make Disciples” – and we do so not for our own sake, but for the sake of God’s kingdom and for the “Glory of God!”
In the coming year, the Church will be blessed with her first millennial saint when Blessed Carlo Acutis is canonized. In his brief life, he showed a heroic witness of faith. He is quoted as saying, “Everything fades, anyway. … What will make us truly beautiful in the eyes of God is only the way in which we loved him and how we loved our neighbors.” To love as Jesus loved is to “do everything for the glory of God!”
To ensure that we as a diocese can carry on our mission, it is vital that we receive the generous support of the faithful across the twenty-six counties that we call home. Our efforts to reach out to others and invite them to encounter Jesus through our parishes, our schools, our Newman Centers on college campuses, and through Catholic Charities are all examples of sharing the Gospel. Our efforts to defend and support human life, from conception until natural death, demonstrate our deeply held belief in the dignity of the human person. Our encouragement and support for those in formation to become priests demonstrates our deep desire that the Church’s Sacraments will continue to be available to feed and enrich the life of the faithful. All of these endeavors give glory to God.
I ask you to join with me in supporting the ADA through your prayer and through your financial support. Together, we can make a significant impact spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ. Together, we can show that we truly desire to “Do Everything for the Glory of God!”
Know that I daily pray with and for you. I am grateful for the many ways in which you show the love of Jesus right here in the Heart of Illinois – it is what makes our Church so beautiful in the eyes of God!
God love you and God bless you!
+ Most Reverend Louis Tylka
Bishop of Peoria
