Always Moving Forward
In his homily during the June 12 Mass of Thanksgiving for newly ordained Father Tyler Tenbarge, Benedictine Father Denis Robinson emphasized the concept of “always moving forward.”
Father Robinson very easily could have been referring to our entire diocese with his thoughts during that afternoon Mass at Father Tenbarge’s home parish, Sts. Peter and Paul in Haubstadt.
This issue of The Message is dated July 1 – an important day in our diocesan history because it marks the birth of several new parishes, among them Divine Mercy Parish and St. Isidore the Farmer Parish, both in Dubois County. We also have two new parishes in Evansville with familiar names – Good Shepherd and Holy Rosary – and a new St. Francis Xavier Parish in Vincennes.
On June 29 – the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul – Bishop Charles C. Thompson signed and, as a result, officially adopted a new pastoral plan for our diocese. You can read that plan in the Special Edition accompanying this issue of The Message – along with Bishop Thompson’s pastoral letter on missionary discipleship and conversion.
In it, Bishop Thompson says, “The most effective invitation, far more than giving lip service to the gospel, is the personal witness of consistently living the principles of our Catholic faith. It is amazing what one simple kind word or gesture can mean to another person.”
Many of you have shown that specific witness to an outsider who arrived in Southwest Indiana three years ago to begin working in the communications office. I am grateful for the way you have welcomed me into our Catholic community.
As we move forward together, let us all remember the importance of the personal witness we provide when we do, indeed, live the principles of our Catholic faith. Let us walk together as members communities across our 12 counties.
Over the next 12 months, we will witness:
Bishop Thompson join youth, young adults and leaders for a pilgrimage to World Youth Day in Poland;
Our 26 Catholic schools welcome students, faculty and staff to the 2016-17 school year;
A visit from Catholic Relief Services Executive Director Carolyn Woo for our annual diocesan Respect Life Celebration;
The conclusion of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy;
The December priestly ordination of Deacon Homero Rodriguez – on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe;
Another Lenten season, including the many regular parish fish fries across our diocese;
Palm Sunday, the annual diocesan Chrism Mass and the Easter Triduum;
Divine Mercy Sunday and the special services some of our parishes will hold;
Corpus Christi Sunday and the processions some of our parishes will hold;
Commencement ceremonies at our four Catholic high schools, which will send their respective ;Classes of 2017 off to college or technical school, the military or the work force;
The late-spring 2017 priestly ordinations of Deacons John Pfister and Jerry Pratt Jr.
Join me in a little exercise. Review each of those bullet points and ask yourself, “how can I provide a personal witness by living the principles of my Catholic faith in celebrating each of the events mentioned above?”
I dare say that if all of us do that – then follow through by actually providing that personal witness – we will arrive to the 2017 version of this place … the beginning of July … as a stronger, even more vibrant Catholic community – always moving forward.
