Dear St. Martin’s Parishioners,
This Sunday is Commitment Weekend for the Annual Catholic Services Appeal. Thank you for your generosity in responding to the tremendous needs of our local church! Last week in our homilies we explained why it is so important that you make a generous financial commitment to the yearly Appeal. I want to reiterate some of those points here.
The Appeal supports our seminarians. We have hosted eight of our seminarians at St. Martin’s during my time here, and we will celebrate the priestly ordination of a son of our parish, Dylan Prentice, this summer. I can attest to the exceptional quality of these men as well as the importance of supporting them financially as they make the sacrifice of discerning the priesthood.
The Appeal supports permanent deacon formation. Currently, we have one parishioner who is preparing for the permanent diaconate, and, God-willing, he will be ordained in 2025.
The Appeal supports Catholic Charities. The Spanish Catholic Center on West Diamond Ave. in Gaithersburg does tremendous work in the areas of immigration, employment and education.
The Appeal supports parish pantries. This past Monday our pantry served the most families in a non-holiday distribution in its history. I do not see the demand slowing down anytime soon, and the funds we receive from Archdiocesan grants are essential.
The Appeal supports parish schools. In 2025 St. Martin’s Catholic School celebrates its 100th anniversary, an important milestone for the oldest Catholic parochial school in Montgomery County. The tuition assistance we receive from the Archdiocese is key for many families to afford Catholic education.
The Appeal supports Project Rachel Ministry. Although the Dobbs decision was a big victory for the Pro-Life cause, the strenuous spiritual labor to create a culture that protects life from conception to natural death continues. Project Rachel Ministry, which I have participated in for over a decade, helps post-abortive fathers and mothers heal from the pain of abortions.
There are many other important programs that the Appeal supports, but I wanted to highlight these are they touch on the day-to-day work of our parish.
Lastly, I wrote two weeks ago about the danger of physician-assisted suicide becoming enshrined in law in Maryland. The legislation is coming up for vote this month, so I share this communication from the Archdiocese. I hope you take action on this.
A bill that plays into people’s darkest fears and would allow doctors to prescribe lethal drugs for patients to take their lives has been introduced in the Maryland General Assembly, HB 403 and SB 443, the “End-of-Life Option Act (The Honorable Elijah E. Cummings and the Honorable Shane E. Pendergrass Act).” Go here to tell your state lawmakers NO to this extreme and deadly legislation: https://p2a.co/WK2gk7Q. Visit mdcatholic.org/pas to learn more about this proposal which does not offer genuine compassion and is fundamentally incompatible with human dignity.
In Christ,
Fr. Dave
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