April 20, 2020
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
When I began my ministry as your bishop nearly seven years ago, I spoke of the need to build bridges between people. I suggested that each of us is a “living stone” in the bridge that Christ wishes us to create to provide healing and service to our neighbor, especially those in need. Little did I know at that time of the personal and extraordinary challenges that we would all face in our families, parishes and community as a result of the terrible COVID19 pandemic that has upended our lives.
While I am grateful for all who have helped “flatten the curve” and done what was asked by our health officials to help save the lives of the most vulnerable in our midst, the numbers we hear in the media can easily mask the names, faces and stories of the tens of thousands of people who are living in grief for the death of a loved one, struggling against the grip of a faceless enemy, living in fear and isolation, or for the first time facing the prospect of not having enough money to buy food, medicine or pay their monthly rent or mortgage. What the future holds has not been this uncertain in years but the challenges we will face will endure long after the coronavirus has been tamed.
Therefore, in these days when we celebrate the promise of new life in Easter, I write to you now to ask your heroic help to re-launch the 2020 Annual Catholic Appeal in a moment of extreme, urgent need.
I come to you in this emergency to ask for your help to ensure that the Annual Catholic Appeal, which has provided basic human services of food, shelter, education and counseling to many in the past can be maintained and, to the extent possible, be expanded to the many others who are facing real hardship for the first time in their lives. I recognize that some of you are now among those who are facing these hardships. For this reason, I am asking all those who can to give as generously as possible, so that our Church can be there to assist you and your family.
We have seen many faces of heroism in those who have served on the front line of this crisis: doctors, nurses and emergency medical personnel who risk their lives to serve the sick; police, firefighters and first responders who go wherever they are needed; grocery workers and gas attendants who help provide us with the necessities of life. They deserve our deep gratitude, respect and prayerful support.
Added to these heroes are the chaplains in our local hospitals and nursing homes who are serving the most vulnerable, including those infected by the virus; our teachers who continue to teach our children online despite the tremendous workload this creates; our pastors who have reached out in creative ways to connect people to the Lord and one another in a time when faith and hope are needed to help us to persevere.
I ask that you join the efforts of these heroes and heroines in responding to this emergency appeal. Your contribution will help to allow the Church’s mission to endure so that we can respond effectively to the spiritual, psychological and physical needs of our people.
Please make a donation online to this year’s Appeal as generously as your means allow at www.2020ACABridgeport.com or text the word APPEAL to 475-241-7849. All donations of whatever amount will help us to help those in need.
As your bishop, I have seen first-hand your extraordinary generosity and I remain deeply grateful. Every time I have asked, you have responded with compassion, with sacrificial giving, and with deep and abiding faith in the Lord and the work of his Church. In this hour of need, let us together become the living stones of the Church by loving and serving one another by building a bridge that will carry our sisters and brothers safely through this crisis. And let us do so joyfully in the name of the Risen Lord who has triumphed over sin and death and will never abandon us.
With every best wish and prayer this Easter, I am
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Most Reverend Frank J. Caggiano
Bishop of Bridgeport
P.S. If you have already made a gift to the 2020 Annual Catholic Appeal, thank you, your steadfast support is truly a blessing in this time of need.
