For the Universal Church
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A Message from Bishop Malloy:
October 2025
Dear Friends in Christ,
Through baptism we are called to evangelize and share the love, faith, and hope that comes from Jesus Christ. Your support of our annual Mission Appeal works to carry out our shared mission as Christians – helping our brothers and sisters in Christ continue to share the vital Gospel message of salvation, both at home and abroad.
The Holy Father reminds us that our world, wounded by war, violence and injustice, needs to hear the Gospel message of God’s love and to experience the reconciling power of Christ’s grace. Your gift to the Mission Appeal supports the formation of seminarians and religious men and women, assists in the construction of schools and orphanages, puts Bibles and catechetical materials in the hands of priests, trains catechists, and enables missionaries to build churches in remote and resource-limited areas.
It is through our combined generosity that mission dioceses in remote and economically impoverished areas receive resources that allow people to receive the Sacraments. Dioceses where rural prisons are located also benefit, as funding helps bring the merciful hope of the Gospel to those who need it through the activities of diocesan criminal justice ministries.
Our annual Mission Appeal is the last of the three combined appeals held in our diocese throughout the year (the National Appeal is in January, and the International Appeal is in March). This Mission Appeal supports several Church efforts in one combined collection. Instead of separate parish collections for World Mission Sunday; Black and Indian and Catholic Home Missions in the United States; the Church in Africa; the Church in Latin America; and the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, this single appeal opportunity allows you to support them, as well as the Rockford Diocesan Priests’ Pension and our Catholic schools, all at once.
Evangelization is carried out by meeting people where they are – geographically and in the context of culture. Our generous response to this Mission Appeal will help ensure that our brothers and sisters in the United States and abroad will have access to resources that will help build up the Church. Your gift makes it possible for today’s disciples to evangelize and share the Gospel message of salvation.
Thank you for your support of this appeal!
Most Reverend David J. Malloy
Bishop of Rockford
The Mission Appeal Supports:
WORLD MISSION SUNDAY
World Mission Sunday is a unique, global effort for the entire Church to provide for the building up of over one thousand local churches in Asia and Africa, the Pacific Islands, and parts of Latin America and Europe. Through the work and witness of these churches to Christ, the poor receive practical help and experience God’s love and mercy, His hope and peace. With your help, last year the diocese distributed $42,587.
missio.org
BLACK AND INDIAN MISSION COLLECTION
The Black and Indian Mission Collection (BIMC) provides helpful grants to dioceses across the country to operate schools, parishes, and other missionary services that build the Body of Christ in Native American, Alaska Native, and Black Catholic communities. With your help, last year the diocese distributed $31,224.
blackandindianmission.org
THE CATHOLIC HOME MISSIONS
The Catholic Home Missions Appeal funds important pastoral projects in our poorer dioceses where there are not enough resources to provide evangelization, religious education, and ministry training to their faithful. More than 40% of dioceses in the United States are considered home missions. With your help, last year the diocese distributed $31,224.
usccb.org
CATHOLIC SCHOOL FINANCIAL SUPPORT
This part of the appeal is a special way for you to assist the Diocese of Rockford in supporting schools that have operating deficits and need your help to become financially viable. Thanks to your generous gifts, $57,500 was sent to needy schools in our diocese last year!
rockforddiocese.org/donate
MEMBERSHIP IN THE SOCIETY FOR THE PROPAGATION OF THE FAITH (SPF)
Would you consider making an extra special commitment to the missionary work of the Church as a member of the Propagation of the Faith? As a member, you will pray daily for the Church’s missionary work, unite your personal daily crosses and sufferings with the suffering of Christ for the redemption of unknown men and women, and donate financially whenever you can during the year. By designating this appeal on the Mission Appeal envelope, your name and address will be sent to the National SPF Office. Last year $6,026 was contributed.
propfaith.net/onefamilyinmission/default.aspx
THE CHURCH IN LATIN AMERICA
Funding has assisted the Brazilian Bishops’ Conference in meeting with Afro-Brazilian Catholic leaders, and, in Peru, funding has helped missionaries bring the Gospel to families in the Peruvian Amazon. Your generosity ensures that these missions to children and entire families continues into the future. From this collection, $20,287 was sent to the US Bishops’ Office for Latin America last year.
usccb.org/latinamerica
THE CHURCH IN AFRICA
This appeal supports the Church in African countries including Kenya, Tanzania, Sudan, Ethiopia, and Zimbabwe. The Church in Africa is growing rapidly, but often there are not enough local resources to provide pastoral care for all the communities. The Church in this part of the world needs your help to ensure that all the faithful have access to resources to help them grow in the faith. With your help, last year the diocese distributed $25,422.
www.usccb.org/committees/church-africa
ROCKFORD DIOCESAN PRIESTS’ PENSION
After devoting their lives to bringing people closer to Christ, in retirement our priests continue to serve the faithful in a multitude of ways. They still offer Mass, serve as spiritual leaders, counselors, ministers to the sick, and much more. With gratitude for their years of faithful ministry, the Rockford Diocese has a Priests’ Pension Plan which helps support our 37 current retired priests and those that will retire in the future. Father Jerome Leake, who was ordained in 1968, has faithfully served the people of our diocese for over 50 years. Father Leake has served at Our Lady of Good Counsel and Sacred Heart parishes, as well as Aurora Central Catholic High School. Father Leake also served as a chaplain for the Aurora Police Department since 1975. Thank you, Father Leake, and all our retired priests, for your dedicated service. Last year, the faithful of our diocese contributed $201,650.
