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Church. Multiple natural and man-made disasters— including an oil spill, severe coastal erosion, and frequent hurricanes, especially the deadly and destructive Category 4 Hurricane Ida in 2021—have devastated communities and destroyed industries. The Catholic Home Missions Appeal supports diocesan communications, especially radio and digital outreach that provide crucial assistance to all residents in the aftermath of hurricanes. The diocese is engaged in a renewal program that promotes high-quality preaching and liturgy, a spirit of parish hospitality, deeper relationships among parishioners, revitalized faith formation, and better support systems for priests. The appeal underwrites the salaries of five diocesan staff members who mentor lay and ordained parish leaders. Their office hosts two annual summits that equip parish and youth ministry leaders to become spiritual mentors who lead others to Christ. Thanks to this work, the diocese is experiencing an increase in Mass attendance. Although this region is celebrated for its blend of Indigenous, Cajun, Vietnamese, and African American cultures, a growing but marginalized Spanish-speaking population calls for new approaches to outreach. A grant from the Catholic Home Missions Appeal supports two priests and three sisters who accompany five migrant Hispanic/Latino faith communities. They administer the sacraments, evangelize, and provide faith formation, pastoral care, resource referrals, and many other services. STOCKTON The Diocese of Stockton, in north-central California, lies in one of the world’s most fertile agricultural regions. Yet its people experience growing poverty and violent crime and have no affordable housing. Nevertheless, residents tend to be open to Catholicism. With help from the Catholic Home Missions Appeal, the diocese is experiencing tremendous growth in church participation by young Latinos between the ages of 15 and 29. A grant from Catholic Home Missions underwrites the annual Hispanic/ Latino Youth and Young Adult Catholic Congress, a one-day evangelization event organized largely by young Catholics. They advise diocesan leaders about themes and topics and go into the streets to invite other young Hispanic/Latino peers to participate. Parish youth and young adult groups write skits that apply gospel themes to real-life situations and perform them at the congress. The Catholic Home

Missions Appeal has also underwritten the training and mentoring of Hispanic/Latino lay leaders, who will in turn train and mentor others. SUPERIOR The Diocese of Superior, in northwest Wisconsin, serves nearly 76,000 Catholics in a rural region that includes five Native American reservations. High unemployment prevails, and public transit is lacking. Nearly a quarter of parishioners’ homes have no computer access. Most of the 51 priests and 65 deacons serve four to six parishes. In 2022 the Catholic Home Missions Appeal responded to urgent diocesan requests for help with several kinds of leadership formation. The Catholic Home Missions grant allowed the diocese to provide direct financial assistance for seminary education and subsidize its increasingly successful vocational outreach program, Called North. In this program, young men participate in monthly virtual prayer meetings for discernment and receive encouragement from current seminarians and young priests. After two years with no priestly ordinations, the diocese ordained three transitional deacons last year; three more men are studying in the seminary, and more men are taking initial steps to pursue seminary studies and discern a call to the priesthood. Priests and deacons are also receiving help to grow spiritually while sharpening their skills in preaching, pastoral ministry, and leadership, especially in clustered parishes. Due to a significant and growing number of international priests from India and Africa, the grant underwrites gatherings to support these priests as they adapt to US culture, the circumstances of the people they serve, the local geography, and Wisconsin weather conditions. Funding from the grant also helped the Diocese of Superior to form more men for the permanent diaconate through a partnership with the neighboring Diocese of LaCrosse. Lay ministry formation is likewise a high priority for the diocese. The Catholic Home Missions grant allows the diocese to remove cost barriers for potential ministry candidates by subsidizing registration fees for training sessions. Because training has become more affordable, course participants can more easily earn certification in faith formation, receive training in ministry to troubled families, and work with people of other cultural backgrounds.