In today’s second reading St. Paul wrote, “Some people God has designated in the church to be, first, apostles; second, prophets; third, teachers; then, mighty deeds; then, gifts of healing, assistance, administration, and varieties of tongues.” (1 Cor 12:28) 

St. Paul’s rank order listing of ministers was an accurate description of the Corinthian church community’s leadership structure at the time.  This description was not, however, an accurate representation of the leadership structures of all church communities at the time.  We know from other ancient Christian writings that some communities were led by people referred to as prophets, while other communities were led by people referred to as bishops and/or presbyters. 

For the first hundred years or so of the Christian faith, the leadership structures of church communities were diverse and fluid.  Even the leadership positions that sound familiar to us, namely, bishops and priests, were not the same as the ordained bishops and priests that minister in the Church today.  As time passed, those varied, ad hoc organizational structures evolved into the Church structure that is familiar to us. 

Practical necessity led to the process of slow development from spontaneous and often, temporary leadership roles to the Church’s leadership structure of ordained bishops.  As Jesus’ original apostles grew old, there arose the necessity to preserve Jesus’ teachings faithfully, to adapt the Church’s practices to changing circumstances, and to provide for productive interactions between individual church communities.   

If you remember what it was like to travel to Europe before the adoption of the Euro currency, you can sympathize with those ancient congregations’ struggles to work together.  If you flew to Paris before the adoption of the Euro, you needed French Francs to pay your sidewalk cafe bill.  If you then took the train to Switzerland, you had to exchange your French Francs for Swiss Francs to buy a box of chocolates.  Later, if you travelled to Germany, you needed to make another currency exchange to have Deutsch Marks to pay the bill at the Bier Garten.  If you then went to Italy for a good meal, you had to exchange your Deutsch Marks for Lire.  When you returned home from your vacation, you’d have a handful of small change that you couldn’t use.   

The Euro currency has made European travel and commerce immeasurably easier than it used to be.  In a similar manner, the Church’s current leadership structure exists in order to make evangelization, catechesis, worship, and administrative tasks easy to accomplish. 

The metaphor of the Church as a “one body” is an apposite description of how individual congregations in St. Paul’s time understood their relationship with all other Christian congregations.  Their unity in faith led eventually to unity in missionary activity and uniformity in structure.  Church structure has changed, but the Church’s identity remains the same; unity among Christians remains the central value in Catholicism. 

Every year at this time, our diocese runs its Catholic Ministry Appeal, a fundraising campaign that supports our diocesan central offices and their ministries. You probably received information in the mail last month about this annual campaign.  The money contributed to the Catholic Ministry Appeal pays for a wide variety of services and activities that facilitate parish ministry and coordinate our parish’s activities with the activities of other parishes in the diocese. 

Our diocesan central offices provide training to men who want to be priests or permanent deacons, nursing care for elderly priests, preparation for young couples approaching marriage, guidance for parish religious education programs for children, help to Catholic school administrators, and countless other services that support parish ministry.  There are also ministerial activities in the diocese performed solely by the diocesan central offices.  The Pinellas Hope homeless shelter is an example of those diocesan ministries. 

The Catholic Ministry Appeal is a valuable, necessary fundraising campaign that allows All Saints and the other parishes in the diocese to fulfill Jesus’ command to make disciples of all people.  Our parish goal for this year’s Catholic Ministry Appeal is $89,857.  Last year, we were able to meet our goal due to your faithfulness and generosity.  If you contributed to last year’s campaign, I ask that you repeat the pledge or gift you made last year.  If you didn’t participate last year, I ask you to consider doing so this year. 

The leadership of dioceses and the worldwide Church settled into a stable structure long ago.  The world around us, however, is often less than stable and predictable.  There has never been a time when the Church’s ministry was not necessary for the world’s salvation; our era is no exception.  Your support of the Catholic Ministry Appeal benefits All Saints directly and helps the Bishop and the diocesan central offices to minister to people throughout the diocese. 

You can make your pledge using the materials that were mailed to you.  If you didn’t receive pledge materials in the mail, the Ushers will provide you with a pledge envelope.  You can donate online, as well.  There is a link on the homepage of our parish website that will take you to the campaign pledge page. 

The Catholic Ministry Appeal is a necessity that simplifies and promotes our Church’s mission to evangelize and sanctify the world.  The Bishop, his administrative staff, parish catechists, classroom teachers, Eucharistic Ministers to the hospital, and all the others who work together as “one body,” in St. Paul’s words, continue to accomplish God’s will with your help.  I ask you please to support this annual campaign.