Pastor’s Letter: March 20

Pastor’s Letter: March 20

18 Mar 2022 | Posted by: chadmin

The March 20 bulletin is available online. 

Dear friend,

While the members of our RCIA class have prepared to join the Church since last August, the Season of Lent intensifies the preparation for the Easter Sacraments. The Sacraments of Initiation – Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation – are often called the Easter Sacraments as those preparing to join the Church receive these Sacraments at the Easter Vigil. Like marriage or priesthood or many occupations in life, I don’t know that anyone is fully ready to join the Church and receive the Sacraments. The faith is something that we need to “practice.” Our weekly participation at Mass is the minimum we need to celebrate or practice the faith in order to experience growth as Christians. The Sacraments bring God’s grace and certainly God’s grace is always effective, but we do need to respond. When we study the lives of the Saints, I think we learn that they just responded better to God’s invitation and grace than the rest of us. As we pray for those joining the Church this Easter, let us pray that we each respond better to God’s invitation to communion with Him. We answer this call through prayer, fasting, almsgiving, Biblical and Church study, and seeking to live a virtuous life.

Bishop Louis Tylka officially became the ninth bishop of Peoria on Thursday, March 3, 2022. When he was ordained a bishop in our Cathedral, he was named the Coadjutor Bishop; meaning, he would automatically become the Diocesan bishop upon the Holy Father accepting Bishop Jenky’s retirement request. If you follow Diocesan news in the Catholic Post, you know that Bishop Lou spent a significant amount of time in his first year traveling the Diocese and meeting with priests, deacons, religious, and lay persons. During his time of listening, Bishop Lou has planned how to he wants to use his personal gifts and talents to serve the needs of our Diocese. Last week Bishop Lou addressed all the priests of the Diocese.  We had a Mass together at the Cathedral followed by a lunch and meeting. Bishop shared 5 Foundations that he would personally like to focus his ministry and the ministry of the Diocese. The 5 Foundations he presented are Evangelization, Discipleship, Eucharist, Vocations, and Fulton Sheen. These are all key themes within the Catholic life of the Diocese of Peoria and ones that Bishop Lou wants the presbyterate and faithful to use to focus our growth as a Church. Along with Bishop Lou, the priests of the Diocese will focus preaching and ministry around these 5 Foundations, as the Bishop begins his service in Peoria. I am personally so grateful for the ministry of Bishop Jenky and excited for the future ministry of Bishop Lou. Please join me in praying for Bishop Jenky and Bishop Tylka as they both enter a new stage of life and ministry.

God bless,

Father David