Yesterday’s Pastoral Letter from Bishop Philip was a great reminder and challenge to us all. Full text below, but here are a few snippets:
“This month, October 2019, has been designated by the Holy Father as an Extraordinary Month of Mission. It is a month of renewal, in which the Pope calls us to rededicate ourselves as missionary disciples spreading the Good News. It is a month of prayer, in which we pray for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. It’s a month of action: of service, justice and charity to the poor”
“My prayer is for all of us, clergy and laity, parishes and schools, to be filled with an even greater trust in God the Father, a more passionate love for His Word, Jesus Christ and a more radical dependence on the Holy Spirit. Thus, with our hearts on fire, we will naturally want to reach out to everyone in works of evangelical mission, social justice and charitable service.”
“Faith is no longer handed on automatically through families, schools and parishes. What is key today is a real, personal, transforming encounter with Jesus Christ Himself. It is the task of families, schools and parishes to create the arenas in which people can encounter Him. This is what our diocesan mission statement means: ‘Bringing People Closer to Jesus Christ through His Church’.”
