2023 AAA Letter

January 18, 2023

Dear Friends in Christ:

I extend my warmest thank you and gratitude for your ongoing support of our Catholic faith.

As Catholics, we use our gifts and talents to serve others, and it is in serving and loving others that love is returned to us.  One of the primary ways we demonstrate our love in the Archdiocese of San Francisco is through participating in the Archdiocesan Annual Appeal (AAA). 

On behalf of all who depend on the ministries and services of the Archdiocese, I would like to extend my deepest thanks to the thousands of parishioners who have so generously supported the Annual Appeal through the years.  You have a tremendous impact on many lives. 

Through the Appeal, we support retired priests, seminarians, social ministries, our schools, youth and young adults, and ministering to the poor, to name just a few examples.  We also support Archdiocesan departments such as finance and human resources that through some centralization of services decreases the cost to individual parishes. 

The theme for this year’s Annual Appeal is “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light for my path.”  By following Christ’s word, we pursue the path on which we demonstrate our faith – and we do so in countless ways.  One of these ways is by supporting the AAA.  Some examples of ministries you support through the AAA are:

  • Our Chaplain ministry – offered in hospitals and prisons, it supports individuals during some of their moments of greatest need.  
  • The Rotational Learning Initiative – this program increases the proficiency of elementary school students who are below grade level in reading and math via software programs and tools that provide personalized learning.  You are helping change the trajectory of young lives!

Think about your impact on the people in need of our Chaplain ministry – and think about those schoolchildren who benefit from the Rotational Learning Initiative.  Now imagine the consequences if support from the AAA weren’t there – would the people in need of our Chaplain ministry receive the Holy Sacraments…would they find comfort and peace of mind…would the schoolchildren in need of additional, more personalized, instruction thrive?  On behalf of these individuals, their families, and the many others who benefit from the Annual Appeal, I thank you for your generosity and your commitment to our faith. 

Our mission as a Church and people of the Catholic faith continues, so I invite you to participate in this year’s Annual Appeal.  Your contribution is a tangible expression of your commitment to bring Christ to others, and it enhances our ability to spread and celebrate our faith.  Your gift makes a real difference.

With my gratitude and my prayerful best wishes, I am,

Sincerely yours in Christ,
Most Rev. Salvatore J. Cordileone
Archbishop of San Francisco