At the root of our Catholic faith is service to others, and so as Catholics, we are called to be servants of God. However, we are also called as a collective Church to pass on our faith to future generations and bring Christ's presence to all those in need. The annual Catholic Appeal ensures that each parish and our collective Church here in the Archdiocese of Boston can carry out that mission every day and every year -- even in the middle of a pandemic.

As the first lay co-chairs of the Catholic Appeal, we welcomed the opportunity to stand in support of the enormous depth and breadth of the ministries supported through this annual campaign. From the extraordinary work of the Pro-Life Office, providing support and hope to women facing uncertain pregnancies, to the impactful work of our Catholic schools -- especially in the inner-city and as we've witnessed during the pandemic -- our Church is changing lives.

Other ministries ensure the future of our faith. The Vocations Office cultivates and forms our next generation of priests, and Transformed in Love, a marriage preparation program offered virtually to couples during the pandemic, helps to ensure that future marriages are built upon a foundation of faith.

Still, other ministries offer a team of experts to assist our parishes day-to-day so that they can do what they do best in serving our faith communities. Risk Management offers expert advice and guidance on everything, from broken pipes and protocols that helped our parishes and schools open safely again to assistance in rescuing parishioners from danger while on a service trip. The Archdiocesan Central Ministries continue to answer the call to serve those in need in these and so many other ways. This simply could not happen without funding from the Catholic Appeal.

We have been blessed to learn firsthand from the example of our parents, Peg and Patrick Gill and Mary and Bob Foley, as well as close family friend Jack Shaughnessy Sr., all true servants of God, who loved their faith and tirelessly served our Church. They instilled in us the importance of doing one's part to take care of each other. Our support of the appeal is one way in which we can show sincere gratitude for the extraordinary pastors we have had at our parishes. It also serves as the way in which we can stand with other Catholics in support of the greater mission of our Church -- a mission which has been entrusted to us by a loving God.

This year's Catholic Appeal officially launches this weekend. We ask for your support to ensure the Archdiocese's Central Ministries continue to support those doing God's work in our world today. Thank you.

To learn more about the life-changing work of the Catholic Appeal, or to watch this year's Catholic Appeal video, visit bostoncatholicappeal.org.

RITA AND KEVIN GILL ARE CO-CHAIRS OF THE 2021 CATHOLIC APPEAL AND HAVE BEEN LONGTIME PARISHIONERS AT THE COLLABORATIVE PARISHES OF RESURRECTION AND ST. PAUL IN HINGHAM.