Special to The Message
“Beloved, if God so loved us, we also must love one another. No one has ever seen God. Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us, and his love is brought to perfection in us” (1 John 4:11-12).
During our 75th Anniversary year, we celebrate 75 years of Christ at work in the Evansville Diocese — yesterday, today, forever. With the idea of living our faith every day, we encourage parishes, schools, ministry groups and individuals to choose a service project – or more than one –that will reflect the love of Christ in our lives.
As you get involved, let your brothers and sisters across the diocese know by posting to your favorite social media using the hashtag #EVDIO75. Also, please share your work with The Message. We hope to have a regular #EVDIO75 feature showing our 12-county Catholic community actively engaged in works that reflect Christ’s love for us and the whole world.
The time frame is from now through December 2020, although there is no reason any group or person can’t continue their projects well beyond the conclusion of the 75th Anniversary Celebration.
Throughout the diocese, any group or person who chooses can develop an act of outreach in love involving “75 of Something.” It could be 75 meals served, 75 canned goods collected, 75 quilts sewn, 75 random acts of kindness, 75 hours of adoration; the sky is the limit! Each of us is unique in our own way… so you have the opportunity to create your personal celebration with an act of service to others.
Here are just a few ideas:
- Collect and donate 75 bags of diapers
- Give 75 volunteer hours to the parish or community
- Distribute 75 cards to the homebound or nursing-home residents.
- Hold a blood drive with a goal of at least 75 units of blood
- Collect supplies to fill 75 Toolboxes for Handy Helper graduates at Catholic Charities
- Build a Habitat Home in each Deanery and/or volunteer 75 hours of labor to a Habitat build
- Collect 75 books for the school/parish library
- Collect 75 instruments to repurpose for aspiring middle-school musicians
- Collect 75 pairs of socks in all different sizes for the local shelters
- Clean-up 75 miles of roads around your parish collecting trash, trimming,
- Organize 75 hours of evening childcare at your parish for young couples or single parents
- Have 75 people gather to pray the Rosary each month
- Organize a 75-hour devotion to the Eucharist
This list probably has sparked other great ideas. Make them happen!
Don’t forget to share your creative stories and pictures using #EVDIO75 to inspire others. Let’s build a momentum of service to take us well into the next 75 years!