For a moment, I thought I had been “scooped” — by our own Beacon! You may recall the front-page story headline in last week’s Beacon, “Pope warns against becoming a ‘sedentary’ church after synod’s close.”

This is the time of year when we conduct our Diocesan Ministries Appeal (DMA) and invite all the faithful to become active participants in transforming the Gospel into concrete action. By making a pledge to our DMA, you support the formation of our seminarians, Catholic urban education, our senior priests’ healthcare/retirement needs, and our Catholic Charities ministries, where tens of thousands of people receive assistance. This is all done in response to Christ’s call to care for his people.

I have said before that I have been inspired by (St.) Mother Teresa of Calcutta and her Missionaries of Charity since I was a sophomore in college in the fall of 1989. Over the years, I have read a great deal of what has been written and reported about Mother Teresa, her life, and her work. I have also listened to “Mother” speaking on many different occasions.