Archbishop’s Annual Appeal Beer Tasting Mixes Fun, Fellowship and Thanks
Story by Shelley Wolf
This year’s Archbishop’s Annual Appeal Beer Tasting & Cocktail Reception offered frosty weather and brews in an atmosphere of warm Catholic fellowship.
Approximately 300 people braved the frigid weather Feb. 6 to gather at the Aqua Turf Club in Plantsville, where they shared an evening of fun and fellowship, sampled local beers and wines, and met Archbishop Christopher J. Coyne in a relaxed setting. Donors also learned how the Appeal is making a difference.
“We take care of people,” Archbishop Coyne told attendees during brief remarks, sharing the many reasons the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal is so vital.
Giving an update on the current landscape of charitable need, Archbishop Coyne reported hearing about college students turning to food pantries, people in cars driving up to soup kitchens, and families appearing at shelters that once served only homeless individuals.
“We’re not just seeing the usual people,” he said. “What we’re seeing now is a lot of rent poor, with no money left for food.”
Archbishop Coyne cited agencies on the front lines of providing food and shelter – House of Bread in Hartford, St. Vincent DePaul Mission of Waterbury and St. Vincent De Paul Mission of Bristol – which receive Appeal funds.
“We fill in the gaps. We never ask for credentials,” the archbishop said. “We just say, ‘How can we help you?’”
At the event, two invited speakers also shared their heartfelt appreciation to donors for making their ministries possible.
“Malta House of Care is a great example of what can be accomplished by a grassroots organization when needs are identified and people decide to put their time, their resources and energy into meeting those needs,” said Brian Sheehan, board chair for the Malta House of Care.
Today, Malta serves 1,500 uninsured individuals, providing primary medical care. With a $1.7 million budget, the agency is funded solely by private philanthropy, Sheehan said, which includes the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal.
The Appeal contributes to the Malta van and the stationary Malta Clinic located behind the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Hartford.
“Old friends are the best friends,” Sheehan said, “and all of you have been great friends to Malta House of Care, since its inception 20 years ago.”
Father Anthony Federico, director of Vocations and director of Seminarians for the Archdiocese of Hartford, asked, “Do you know what gets me fired up? Now it’s being a part of the Archdiocese of Hartford, as the Lord does an historic resurgence of the Catholic faith in our state.
“Since we started praying the Prayer for Priestly Vocations together three years ago,” Father Federico said, “the Lord has been on an absolute heater.”
In the last three years, an unprecedented 157 young men have come forward to discern a vocation to the priesthood. Another 22 are in formation for the diaconate, 33 women have entered convents, and the archdiocese is seeing a surge in sacramental Catholic marriages.
With 30 seminarians in formation next year at a cost of $65,000 per year for eight years each, the archdiocese must fund their education.
“The good Lord just sent us a bill for $15 million,” Father Federico said with good humor, “and that’s where you come in. I want to thank you. The vocations office is funded almost entirely from your generosity.”
For more information on the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal, or to donate to the 2026 campaign, visit archdioceseofhartford.org/appeal
