
After six years as Archdiocesan
Director of the Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith I will be
returning to full-time parish ministry at Saint Gerard Majella Parish in Canton
as of July 1. Since Cardinal Cushing’s
coat of arms hangs on my office wall and since I work at his desk, I thought
that his episcopal motto would make a fitting title for my final column. Indeed, these words express the primary goal
of all missionary activity—to know God and respond to a personal invitation to
a covenant relationship with Christ.
I owe a huge debt of gratitude to
many people. First and foremost, to Cardinal
Seán for appointing me to this
office and giving me the opportunity to experience the work of ministry and evangelization
from an international perspective. To the countless missionary bishops,
priests, deacons, religious men and women, and lay missionaries who have met
with me in person or communicated their stories in writing, a sincere word of
appreciation.
I am indebted to my brother
priests in the Archdiocese for their support, particularly in the
implementation of the Missionary Cooperative Program. The pastors of our parishes are a vital link
between our office and the people in the pews. Those who use our enrollments and Mass cards help us to provide
significant financial support to priests in mission countries.
Our office staff in Braintree is
not only extraordinarily competent but totally dedicated to their contribution
to the work of missionary outreach. I
am especially grateful to Maureen Crowley Heil, the Director of Programs and
Development, for the vast experience, dedication, and background she brings to
her work. Likewise, to Stephanie
Yovchev, Mary Bolles, Grace Luk, Janice Pecoraro, Mike Pecoraro and Sister
Agnes Wan.
And finally to you, our faithful supporters
and readers—those who contribute regularly and who remember us in your wills
and in your prayers—blessings on you and your loved ones. May Mary, Queen of the Missions, draw you
ever closer to her Divine Son.
-Rev. Rodney J. Copp, JCL
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