Remarks Board Member Kathleen McCann made at the Foundation’s Oct. 3 launch event follow:

I’m so appreciative of the nice introduction, but it occurs to me that the first word I should want used to describe me isn’t CEO or Chair or volunteer or wife or daughter, for that matter – but disciple – intentional, joyful, missionary disciple. We’re His first, before all else, of course.

We all travel in our professional and social circles and are continually surprised by and grateful for the growing number of people we recognize who share our faith. It’s motivating and powerful when we realize we share in this great, big, beautiful family we call Church. When we know we are part of a community of faith, the power is palpable. I know it is for me.

This is one of the reasons I agreed to help with the launch of the Catholic Foundation of Michigan. The primary one? I love our Church. It’s where Joy is. It’s where Truth is. It’s where Beauty is. And it’s where Jesus is. And if launching this Foundation helps to bring more people to Him . . . helps to witness to His joy and His truth and His beauty . . . helps to unleash the Gospel by showing the world who He is – and who we really are through the sharing of His good gifts . . .  then I’m in!

I’m in because being part of this community of faith brings me joy. I’m in because whenever I trust God enough to follow His lead and get out of the way, when I let His gifts spill through my fingers to others, he refills my hands to overflowing.

I’m in because this feels like one more sign that we are really on the right path – that we are witnessing together that God is alive and loves us and is working regular signs and wonders in our midst – here in the Archdiocese of Detroit.

There is so much momentum in our Church and in the Church of Detroit today! Think of it – the prayers for a New Pentecost, the Mass for Pardon, the Year of Mercy, Synod 16, The Archbishop’s Pastoral Letter, the Sistine Chapel Choir’s Detroit visit and concert, the upcoming Beatification of Solanus Casey at Ford Field, the reimagining of our schools, and now the launch of The Catholic Foundation of Michigan!

As the Archbishop encouraged us in his letter, what we’re really about now is writing Chapter 29 of Acts. We’re being called from maintenance to mission in the Archdiocese of Detroit, and we each have a role to play.

This Foundation comes at the perfect time in the writing of this chapter. It’s creating a platform for us to work together – to use our gifts to create a force-multiplier that emerges when a Catholic community of faith collaborates and combines its resources.  Together we can accomplish so much more than we could on our own.  And with Him we will accomplish so much more than we could ever ask for or imagine.

That’s why I’m in. I hope you’ll decide to come in, too.

Kathleen McCann chairs the Archdiocese of Detroit’s Catholic Schools Council and is a member of the Catholic Foundation of Michigan’s Board of Directors. She is the Chairman and CEO of United Road Services.