Dear Friends in Christ:
Last year, with the strong support of our pastors, we initiated an annual special collection to assist the Cathedral of Saint Peter. As always, you responded with outstanding generosity. I am asking for your help again this year.
As our Cathedral celebrates its 200th year, we are reminded of its rich history. Saint Peter’s was founded in 1816 by Father Patrick Kenny, an Irish-born priest who dedicated his life to serving the spiritual needs 
of the area’s slowly growing Catholic population. In 1868, Pope Pius IX established the Diocese of Wilmington. Shortly thereafter, Saint Peter’s was named Cathedral of the new diocese with the Most Reverend Thomas A. Becker as the first bishop.
Over the years, the Cathedral has changed and grown with the times. Currently, it remains a place of beauty, prayer, and history in a section of the City of Wilmington that faces the challenges of poverty and crime. The Cathedral parish strives to address the spiritual, educational, and charitable needs of its urban neighborhood, while attending to the physical maintenance needs of a historic structure.
The special collection to benefit the Cathedral will take place in all diocesan parishes the weekend of August 20 and 21. I ask you to be as generous as possible. The Cathedral of Saint Peter is our cathedral. It belongs to all Catholics who call Delaware or the Maryland Eastern Shore our home.
For more information about the Cathedral, its history, and its bicentennial celebration, including the Cathedral’s 200th Anniversary Gala that will be in October, please visit the Cathedral’s website at www.cathedralofstpeter.com or the diocesan website at www.cdow.org.
May our Lord bless you for your generosity.
Sincerely in Christ,
Most Rev. W. Francis Malooly
Bishop of Wilmington
