Home/Stay Informed/All Diocesan Articles

All Diocesan Articles

Hope Amid Suffering Leads to God, Pope Says in Message for World's Sick

Posted on February 11, 2025 in: News

Hope Amid Suffering Leads to God, Pope Says in Message for World's Sick

The Catholic Church celebrates the World Day of the Sick on the Feb. 11 feast of Our Lady of Lourdes.

 

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- While the Holy Year 2025 refrain, "Hope does not disappoint," can be difficult for those suffering from illness to embrace, Christians are called to recognize God's closeness even in moments of weakness or despair, Pope Francis said.

Sickness "becomes an occasion for a transformative encounter" when one is open to God, he wrote in his message for the 33rd World Day of the Sick, observed by the church Feb. 11, the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes.

In addition, the Vatican will host the Jubilee of the Sick and Health Care Workers April 5-6, an event that will close with a papal Mass celebrated in St. Peter's Square. 

"Suffering always brings with it a mysterious promise of salvation, for it makes us experience the closeness and reality of God's consoling presence," the pope wrote in the message released Jan. 27.

Despite the frailty felt "on the physical, psychological and spiritual levels" during times of illness, "we also experience the closeness and compassion of God, who, in Jesus, shared in our human suffering," Pope Francis wrote. "God does not abandon us and often amazes us by granting us a strength that we never expected and would never have found on our own."

Pope Francis said that suffering can also be accepted by Christians as a gift, for it "makes us aware that hope comes from the Lord."

"Indeed, only in Christ's resurrection does our own life and destiny find its place within the infinite horizon of eternity," he wrote.

The pope compared the journey of the ill to that of the disciples on the road to Emmaus, who, by sharing their anxieties and disappointments with Jesus, came to recognize his presence, enabling them to "sense that 'greater reality' which, by drawing near to us, restores our courage and confidence." 

Suffering, Pope Francis added, develops a profound sense of sharing and encounter. Those who tend to the sick realize that they are "angels of hope and messengers of God for one another," be it at home or at a clinic, nursing home or hospital.

"We need to learn how to appreciate the beauty and significance of these grace-filled encounters," he wrote. "We need to learn how to cherish the gentle smile of a nurse, the gratitude and trust of a patient, the caring face of a doctor or volunteer, or the anxious and expectant look of a spouse, a child, a grandchild or a dear friend."

Such gestures are "rays of light to be treasured," the pope said, which even amid adversity "give us strength, while at the same time teaching us the deeper meaning of life in love and closeness."

Those who care for the sick during the Jubilee year "play an especially important part," the pope said in his message. Their dedication has an impact "far beyond the rooms and beds of health facilities" in promoting charity and are "capable of bringing light and warmth wherever they are most needed."

"The whole church thanks you for this!" he wrote. "I do as well, and I remember you always in my prayers."

This article was originally published by the USCCB on February 11, 2025. 


Most Viewed Articles of the Last 30 Days

Salute to St. Patrick

Posted on March 13, 2025 in: News

983

Salute to St. Patrick
  The heroics of St. Patrick are not appreciated as much as they should be. He is the first person in history to publicly condemn slavery, and one of the first leaders to champion the cause of equal rights. There is much to celebrate on March 17. Fortunately, his writings, though slim, are eye-opening accounts of his life: Letter to the Soldiers of Coroticus and Confession reveal much about the man. Along with other sources, they paint a picture of his saintliness. Patrick was born in Britain in the 4th century to wealthy parents. It is likely that he was bapt...

Read More

Rite of Election Welcomes Catechumens on First Sunday of Lent
On Sunday, March 9, the First Sunday of Lent, the Cathedral of Saint Patrick in Norwich was filled with faith and anticipation as catechumens from across the diocese gathered for the Rite of Election. This significant step in their journey toward full initiation into the Catholic Church marks their formal enrollment in the Book of the Elect, bringing them one step closer to the Easter sacraments. With our diocese still awaiting the appointment of a new bishop, Archbishop Emeritus of the Archdiocese of Hartford presided over the celebration, offering words of encouragemen...

Read More

Latest Employment Opportunities

Posted on March 05, 2025 in: News

509

Latest Employment Opportunities
Looking for a job? We have some open positions that can be found at  NorwichDiocese.org/Employment.   The updated page includes listings for several employment opportunities within the diocese.     The latest job listings are for a Cook at the Academy of the Holy Family - Click Here and a  Spanish Teacher, 2025-2026 School Year — St. James School, Danielson - Click Here   Other job postings are online as well Be sure to keep the link to NorwichDiocese.org/Employment handy

Read More

This Year’s Seton Honorees Announced

Posted on March 26, 2025 in: News, Events

489

This Year’s Seton Honorees Announced
Celebrating 15 Years of Honoring Catholic Educators This year will mark the 15th Annual Seton Scholarship Dinner, titled respectively after Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton who is known as a founder of this country’s parochial school system, established this nation’s first all-girls Catholic School in Emmitsburg, Maryland. Elizabeth was born on August 28, 1774, and originally raised Episcopalian before converting to Catholicism. She was married to William Seton, and they had five children. The Legacy of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Elizabeth Ann Seton was the fou...

Read More

2025 Kicks off with ACA Leadership Meeting

Posted on March 26, 2025 in: News, ACA

454

2025 Kicks off with ACA Leadership Meeting
  The 2025 Annual Catholic Appeal, One Faith One Family, Leadership Meeting and Dinner took place on February 26, 2025, at St. Maurice Church in Bolton, CT. Bishop-Elect Reidy was in attendance and heartfully thanked all of the priests, chairpeople and administrative assistants for their hard work on last year’s appeal. Executive Director, Mary Ellen Mahoney also expressed her gratitude to the attendees, noting that they never would have ended the year so close to goal without everyone’s dedication and sacrifice. Father Richard Breton hosted the even...

Read More

Award Winner Exudes Humility, Warmth and Holiness
Sitting with Lue Ann Watchus in her office at Sacred Heart Rectory in Norwichtown, one quickly becomes aware of being in the presence of holiness. Whether it is her quiet demeanor or the softness in her voice, or the way she ends a telephone call offering a blessing to the person on the other end, there is an endearing gentleness about her that speaks of a life-long relationship with Jesus. She speaks about that relationship not in pious or overly religious tones, but as one who knows Jesus intimately as a friend and companion on her life journey. It is that relationship...

Read More

Annual Catholic Appeal

ACA DONATE

English

Español

 

Latest Articles
Recently Added Galleries
Click to view album: Students Called to Feed the Hungry
Click to view album: 40 Days for Life 2024
Click to view album: Blessing of the Fleet 2024
Click to view album: Mass of Ordination for Fr. Eric Carl Hosmer, Fr. Julian Felipe Cuervo-Lozada and Fr. Alexander James Pandolfe
Signup for Weekly Newsletter

     

    Roman Catholic Diocese of Norwich
    201 Broadway
    Norwich, CT 06360-4328
    Phone: 860-887-9294