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My Brothers and Sisters in Christ: Forty years ago, when our Diocese of Orlando was formed by papal decree, the region consisted of 50 parishes and served 128,000 Catholics. Today, the Diocese of Orlando is one of the fastest growing in the nation and has swelled to 80 parishes and 10 missions, spread over the nine counties of Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Marion, Lake, Volusia, Brevard, Polk, and Sumter. We serve a population of approximately 500,000 Catholics. Thirty-seven schools are centers of evangelization where Catholic values are instilled and academic excellence is the standard. As a thriving and growing community of Catholic faithful, the Diocese of Orlando represents believers of all ages, income and education levels, and many cultural and ethnic groups. In addition to English, Mass is celebrated in seven foreign languages: Brazilian, Filipino, Spanish, Polish, Korean, Vietnamese and Creole. But, we are united in the universal Catholic Church. We call Central Florida home and the Catholic Church is our spiritual home where we meet our Savior at the table of the Lord, grow in our relationship with Christ, lead others to holiness and share our blessings. It is this unprecedented growth which brings me to you today, because we are called to invest in the life of the Church in Orlando through Our Catholic Appeal. As Catholics, we are a people who commit to grow, lead and share our living faith in Him. Please join me in this year of evangelization as joy-filled witnesses to hope, alive in Christ. In so doing, I again invite you, through our Catholic Appeal, to make your gifts transformational and change lives, in the Lord’s name. Please be generous. May your gifts come from your heart and be based on love. Sincerely yours in Christ,
Most Reverend Thomas G. Wenski |
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