Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, In his message for the Fifth World Day of the Poor, Pope Francis observes that the COVID-19 crisis, “continues to affect millions of people and, even when it does not bring suffering and death, it is nonetheless a portent of poverty.” Yet, he continues, “poverty is not the result of fate; it is the result of selfishness. It is critical, therefore, to generate development processes in which the abilities of all are valued, so that complementarity of skills and diversity of roles can lead to a common resource of mutual participation.”

Have you ever seen or participated in a relay race? Teams of runners work together and depend on each other in this competition. When one team member finishes her or his part of the race, the baton is passed on to the next person in the relay. Only then can that next runner begin, and the baton is passed again after that stretch to the next person.

For the past 50 years since the inception of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD), organizations funded by CCHD lead the call for all of us to stand in solidarity with those who have been marginalized in their communities and to act against injustice.

This year's Annual Catholic Appeal theme renews and reinvigorates us. We hear Jesus say to us, "Come, Follow Me...and bring hope to the world."