June/July 2021 Four County Catholic United in Hope My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, Recently I was thinking of my dear friend, Monsignor Brown, who only a few short years ago was suddenly called from us to eternal rest. He believed that through the strength of faith “we live in hope.” His words were never more ...

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May 2021 Four County Catholic Behold, Your Mother   Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Risen Lord, Spring is here. A time for us to witness rebirth in the blossoming flowers and trees. Another form of rebirth occurred at Easter Vigil Masses in churches across the world. I pray that everyone who entered into our spiritual...

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April 2021 Four County Catholic Hidden to Our Senses “The two recounted what had taken place on the way and how He was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.” Luke 24:35 Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Risen Lord, One of the most interesting and often puzzling aspects about the appearances of our Lord...

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March 2021 Four County Catholic Lessons of the Basin and the Towel “I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do.” John 13:15   My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, Our 40-day Lenten journey of sacrifice and self-reflection is well underway. As we mov...

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February 2021 Four County Catholic The Humility of Dust My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, Lent is nearly upon us. It begins with a simple mark of ashes on our forehead and a reminder of our own mortality. “Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return.” (Genesis 3:19) Lent 2021 is a severely challe...

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January 2021 Four County Catholic A Beauty in Broken Things My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,   I recently saw a photograph of a broken piece of pottery that had been repaired by filling in the cracks with a mixture of lacquer and powdered gold. The process is called Kintsugi or “golden joinery”. The...

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December 2020 Four County Catholic Christmas Message 2020 “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; Upon those who lived in a land of gloom a light has shone. ” Isaiah 9:1 My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,   These words of the prophet Isaiah, taken from the first reading proclai...

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November 2020 Four County Catholic A Christian is a Missionary of Hope   My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, As we approach this Thanksgiving, we find ourselves challenged on many fronts.  Political and social unrest is in our streets and in the media. We are hindered in our normal way of life by a pandemic t...

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October 2020 Four County Catholic Following in His Footsteps   My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, The devastating fires that have been raging in Oregon, California, and Washington and the storms that are impacting the Gulf coast states and the Atlantic shoreline, have taken dozens of lives. In addition, millions ...

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September 2020 Four County Catholic Fortified With a Refreshed Understanding   My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, September marks the start of another school year. Since the beginning of this pandemic I have witnessed the unwavering dedication of our faculty and staff members and the compassionate support from th...

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August 2020 Four County Catholic Hope For The Future   My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, These have become extraordinary times. The world is intensely focused on the pandemic, the economy, politics, and social justice. “Facts” change depending on the source of information. Calumny is running rampant...

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June/July 2020 Four County Catholic Discerning the Will of God My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, In recent weeks we have all experienced life in a way far different than most of us could have imagined. Most of Lent, Holy Week, the Easter Season, the Ascension of our Lord, and Pentecost were spent physically absent from ...

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May  2020 Four County Catholic Hope Prevails Over Fear “Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer.” - Romans 12:12   My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,   As we continue forward during Eastertide we are reminded of the joy and peace that abounds in hope by the power of ...

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April 2020 Four County Catholic There Is A Season   My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,   There was a song that I recall from my youth called Turn, Turn, Turn. The lyric will be familiar to you —   To every thing, turn, turn, turn there is a season, turn, turn, turn and a time to e...

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March 2020 Four County Catholic Journey to the Foot of the Cross   My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, In my Lenten message this year, I spoke of the journey of Our Blessed Lord into the desert for 40 days and 40 nights. His time in the wilderness, away from everyday distractions, was a necessary preparation for ...

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February 2020 Four County Catholic Witness to Steadfast Faith   My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, One of the many pleasures I have in being your bishop is witnessing the numerous acts of faith demonstrated throughout the diocese. As Christians, we are people of faith. It is faith that sets us apart in service...

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January 2020 Four County Catholic Overcoming a Weary World “They that hope in the LORD will renew their strength, they will soar on eagles’ wings; They will run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint.” Isaiah 40:31 My dear sisters and brothers in Christ, “A Thrill of Hope, the Weary World Rejo...

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December 2019 Four County Catholic Christmas Message 2019 “Let us go, then, to Bethlehem to see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” Luke 2:15b My dear sisters and brothers in Christ, Each year as we commemorate the birth of the Lord Jesus at Christmas, it is important for us ...

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November 2019 Four County Catholic Let Us Give Thanks to the Lord   My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, Most people equate Thanksgiving with a once a year tradition involving a family gathering, a shared meal, and prayers of thanks, begun by the Pilgrims in Massachusetts in 1621. Would you be surprised to know that ...

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October 2019 Four County Catholic Christ Our Hope: In Every Season of Life “The thief comes only to steal, slaughter, and destroy. I have come that they may have life and have it abundantly.” John 10:10 My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, Each October, the Catholic Church in the United States celebrates&...

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