In welcoming all of you here today I would like share a passage from "A Place at the Table," a pastoral statement issued by the Catholic Bishops of the United States at the end of last year. A copy of this document is included in the press kit. It will serve as a reminder of why all Catholics – bishops, clergy, and our faithful people – are expected to re-commit themselves to work toward overcoming poverty and assuring a place at the table for every human being.

A table is where people come together for food. For many, there is not enough food and, in some cases, no table at all.

A table is where people meet to make decisions—in neighborhoods, nations, and the global community. Many people have no place at the table. Their voices and needs are ignored or dismissed.

As Catholics, we must come together with a common conviction that we can no longer tolerate the moral scandal of poverty in our land and so much hunger and deprivation in our world. As believers, we can debate how best to overcome these realities, but we must be united in our determination to do so. Our faith teaches us that poor people are not issues or problems but sisters and brothers in God's one human family.

You riders, as well as the national staff of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development and all its diocesan volunteers and generous donors, help the bishops to put into action their pastoral statements and the rich body of Catholic Social Teaching. Through your efforts, poor and low-income people in this nation find the hope and the encouragement to break the cycle of poverty in this nation and in other parts of the world. I realize that, after riding so many thousands of miles, you may not want to even think about another bike ride! However, I pray that you – and all of us – will never abandon our efforts to overcome poverty – at least not until there is a place at the table for all.

May God accompany us on THAT journey and may it come to a happy conclusion very soon.