Dear friends in Christ,

Thank you very much for your concerns and prayers as I journeyed through covid last week. We all keep praying for all who have been affected by this pandemic and are sobered by the grim milestone of 1,000,000 deaths in our country.

We have also been so deeply saddened by yet another senseless act of gun violence and racism in our country. Where does this hate come from, and how do we get rid of it? I confess I am at a loss. I don’t even know how to speak about it. Yet, we need to have honest conversations about these difficult issues. We must name the disgusting lies that are out there and be actively anti-racist. We also must confront painful truths about systematic racism and reckon with our history. All these things need to be followed by actions that address injustice in our world and the wake of devastation, discrimination, and hopelessness it leaves for us to handle. We are still in the Easter season, and we are still Easter people.

We believe with all our hearts in the power of Resurrection! The ugliness of death and sin call us to remember the empty tomb and to heavily lean on the Lord Jesus in these times.

Another issue that is generating so much division and heat right now in our country is abortion. Again, while I feel strongly about this issue, I don’t know how to speak about it. It is so charged and emotional. I hope you are not upset that I am not getting on a soap box and preaching heavy Catholic pro-life homilies. I feel this would not be helpful and too painful to too many people. Again, you might call me naïve, but on this issue, I turn again to our God of compassion, love, and mercy. Please know I am always available to listen and pray with you, but homilies that alienate and hurt are not something I want to do. I do not pretend to have the answers and I have no great insights. If there is anything I feel I can speak on, it is the life changing love of Jesus Christ heard in the Scriptures and experienced in our life of prayer and in the Sacraments. I believe with all my heart that Jesus is the solution to changing hearts and forming lives that see all human life regardless of age or race as precious, and to bring about real, healing hope and reconciliation when it is needed. This is what I feel most comfortable discussing.

God love you!

Fr. Matt

During the weekend of May 21^st and 22^nd, we will have special gatherings after Mass to talk about the fruit of our Synod listening sessions.  The document striving to capture what was shared in our listening sessions will soon be available online and we will have a chance to share it together and talk about that weekend before we send it to the Archdiocese.