Catholic Diocese of Spokane, Washington

From the

Official News Magazine of the Diocese of Spokane

(From the Feb. 2, 2006 edition of the Inland Register)

(Editor’s note: As the Annual Catholic Appeal approaches for 2006, members of the Spokane Diocese offered their thoughts about participation in this crucial fund-raising effort in support of diocesan ministries.)

I believe that to be a Catholic means more than simply going to Mass on Sundays, saying the prayer before meals, and donating a few dollars now and then. The very word catholic means “all-inclusive” and “universal,” according to Webster’s, and I believe that this means not only is our church universal, but if we proclaim ourselves to be Catholics, then we must become all-inclusive with the church in our lives. We should seek out all that our church has to offer, all that she is and does, and offer to do our part to help wherever we can.

The Annual Catholic Appeal is the primary source of funding for our diocese, and the bulk of it comes back to serve us directly in the form of seminarian education, Catholic school and religious education support, and diocesan communication and infrastructure. These funds also help to support some of the poorer parishes in our diocese that might cease to exist otherwise. As Catholics, I believe it is our responsibility to do as much as we can to support our Church in Eastern Washington through this campaign.

(Roger Devaney is a member of St. Thomas More Parish, Spokane, and an active member of the Knights of Columbus.)