Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
 
Something on which to ponder, something for which to pray
 
Why be Catholic?  Because of Jesus Christ, who is the savior of the world.
 
Why be Catholic?  Because of the truth of the Catholic faith.
 
Why be Catholic? Because of the centrality of the Eucharist, the Body and Blood of the Lord, and because of all of the other sacraments.
 
Why be Catholic?  Because of the Word of God, the Holy Bible, the Sacred Scripture, and the proclamation of it and the preaching of its truth.
 
The Catholic Church was founded by Jesus Christ, entrusted to the Twelve Apostles, developed and guided by the Holy Spirit through every age, to us today.  It is divine and human.
 
Currently, the Catholic Church has been experiencing the reported and corroborated tragedy of sexual abuse of children by clergy specifically.  Anger, hurt, disbelief, disgust, humiliation and bewilderment are feelings in my heart.  Assuredly, these feelings are shared by all in the Church, and by all caring persons. 
 
Truth is an essential dimension of the Catholic Church.  Honesty and transparency are paramount in this crisis.  Honesty and transparency are essential for promoting truth, cultivating trust, and for the healing of spiritual and emotional wounds.  Courage, wisdom and fortitude, gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit, are needed to allow the light of Jesus Christ, which dispels all darkness, to find a home in the hearts and minds of the members of the Church and of society.  We are, as St. Paul says, one body in Christ.  We share in the hurt, and participate in the process of healing.
 
The joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties of the people of this age, especially those who are poor or in any way afflicted, these are the joys and hopes, the griefs and anxieties of the followers of Christ.  Indeed, nothing genuinely human fails to raise an echo in their hearts.  For theirs is a community composed of people, united in Christ, they are led by the Holy Spirit in their journey to the Kingdom of their Father and they have welcomed the news of salvation which is meant for every person.  That is why this community realizes that it is truly linked with all mankind and its history by the deepest of bonds.
(Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, Gaudiem et Spes)
 
Let us open our hearts to prayer:
 
“God of endless love, ever caring, ever strong, always present, always just:  You gave your only Son to save us by the blood of his cross.
 
Gentle Jesus, shepherd of peace, join to your own suffering the pain of all who have been hurt in body, mind and spirit by those who betrayed the trust place in them.
 
Hear our cries as we agonize over harm done to our brothers and sisters.  Breathe wisdom into our prayers, soothe restless hearts with hope, steady shaken spirits with faith:  Show us the way to justice and wholeness, enlightened by truth and enfolded in your mercy.
 
Holy Spirit, comforter of hearts, heal our people’s wounds and transform our brokenness.  Grant us courage and wisdom, humility and grace, so that we may act with justice and find peace in you.  We ask this through Christ, our Lord.  Amen”
(Prayer for Healing of Victims of Abuse, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops)
 
In Christ,
 
Fr. Ronald G. Falco, Pastor  

Bishop Confirms Commitment to the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People

The full text of Bishop McManus' letter can be found here.

As I See It:  Why am I Catholic?  Bishop's Plea in a Time of Sorrow and Anger, Do Not Lose Faith

Bishop Robert Barron
Published on Aug 29, 2018

Why Remain Catholic? (With So Much Scandal)

Friends, in light of the recent scandals, I know many people are wondering whether they should remain in the Catholic Church. And I totally get that; the outrage is warranted. But in this time of crisis, I beg you not to flee, but to fight--not violently, with the weapons of the world, but with the weapons of the Spirit. We need you.