Each day when I walk through the Archdiocesan Catholic Center lobby doors, I glance at the memorial plaque on the wall with the picture of James and Florence Trainor, the couple whose generous estate gift allowed us to purchase in 2022 the former 3M headquarters that we had been renting since 2017. In that moment, I always remember to pray for the Trainors, and for their family members, some of whom were here to help us dedicate the building to the memory of James and Florence.

I feel that same profound gratitude whenever I reflect upon your generosity — the generosity of the faithful of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis — which enables the Archdiocese to fund all of our operations and all that we do to support your parishes, our nearly 100 Catholic schools, and the many other Catholic initiatives that help the residents of the 12 counties of our Archdiocese to encounter Jesus Christ and his love.

When I look at the annual financial report, I see not only numbers and statistics but also your generosity, and the great work that has been undertaken by the staff of the Archdiocese. At the Archdiocesan Catholic Center, I am blessed by nearly 130 collaborators, most of them laity, who are passionate about sharing their gifts with our Church. Some of them are longtime employees who’ve served the Archdiocese for decades, but there is also a growing number of young people who have come on board because they desire to serve the mission of the Church. They come to us from a variety of backgrounds and experiences, but all have in common great professionalism, energy, love for Christ, and hearts for service and mission. As we come to the end of the year and review our 2023 annual report, please join me in giving thanks to God that he has blessed us with the resources and people to do his work.