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You know that feeling when it’s just easier to do something than not do it?” For most of us, that probably means everything from completing a mundane chore to answering an email. For Theresa McFall, that was the simple explanation for why she volunteered her nursing skills at one of the nation’s COVID-19 hotspots, for the Congregation of Sisters of St. Felix of Cantalice Third Order Regular of St. Francis of Assisi (commonly known as the Felician Sisters).

As many families experience more together time, from distance learning or remote work or other life changes, now is an opportune time to revisit how you celebrate faith at home.

Black Catholic history in the United States dates back to the 1500s, when blacks were baptized at St. Augustine Church, Fla., America’s first Catholic parish. The National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus of the United States designated November as Black Catholic History Month in 1990. This is a time to recognize and celebrate the history and incredible heritage of Black Catholics. Black Catholic history has continued and thrived in the United States through the powerful and instrumental work of many Black men and women.

When Kevin and Jane Sutton heard a priest mention Catholic Charities’ food distribution ministry, they knew it was just the help they were seeking.

Stewardship. The word conjures immediate images. For some it’s synonymous with fundraising. For others the word’s meaning is rooted in the three “t’s”: time, talent and treasure. And for others, it’s careful attention to all the gifts entrusted to us. For Marci McCarthy stewardship is a way of life — one that can’t be explained by a single idea, sentence or pithy meme or quote.

As we walk with the parishes and each of you during this time of pandemic, we continue to offer various opportunities for your enrichment and growth in our Catholic faith. Below are some of the opportunities that are available at the diocesan level in coordination with the parishes.

Our diocesan offices have been hard at work to create safe and engaging ways for all to continue their faith formation and education.

In his third encyclical, Fratelli Tutti, On Fraternity and Social Friendship, Pope Francis focuses on many of the issues that serve to fracture our relationships with each other and with society. Released on the eve of the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the eight-chapter papal document studies the effects of our social ills and proposes a pathway to human fraternity and social friendship.

THE CROWN REMAINS the most classic symbol of a king. And many kings of old believed in the adage, “The greater the king, the fancier the crown.” But of course, history has proven that correlation doesn’t hold up. The greatest king of all wore a crown made of simple woven thorns.

Q: With all this new technology the Church is using, why can’t I just receive my sacraments virtually? A: These tough days of battling the worldwide epidemic COVID-19 are slowly revealing more challenges than just those who are struggling to fight the disease. I suspect these days will be the subject of thousands of studies over the next 100 years until this current generation outlives those who battled the pandemic. And, God forbid, if the world ever faces a pandemic like this again, these days will be remembered and decisions will be based upon the successes and failures of how we faced the pandemic of the 2020’s.

When my husband Tony and I married, we were eager to serve one another to the point of self-sacrifice. In every detail, we made sure to be open to the needs and ideas of the other. Yet, there remained the area of disagreements or differences in points of view. We struggled with how to navigate our individual preferences without becoming controlling or uncaring. Longing to be a great spouse for the other, we worked each day at growing our relationship.

Fue por esta época el año pasado cuando nuestra Diócesis fue bendecida con el Congreso Eucarístico vibrante y extremadamente concurrido, que reunion a más de 1,000 personas de toda la Diócesis, que centró nuestra atención en el 2020 como nuestro “Año de la Eucaristía”.

It was just about this time last year when our diocese was so greatly blessed with the vibrant and extremely well-attended Eucharistic Congress, which brought together more than 1,000 people from across the diocese, which focused our attention on 2020 as our diocesan “Year of the Eucharist.”

Geez Mom, isn’t it time to retire that robe? That was the unsolicited wardrobe advice I was greeted with on a recent Saturday morning as I groggily poured my first cup of coffee. “This was G.G. Mae’s — I’m keeping it,” I said.

During this current pandemic, the Office of Schools has worked tirelessly with administrators in ensuring best practices are in place and health and safety policies are being followed. All 21 of the Diocese’s Catholic schools developed reopening plans and welcomed students back into their buildings. The health and safety of students, staff and school communities is of the utmost importance as well as ensuring that students’ social, emotional, spiritual and educational needs are met during this challenging time. Faith formation is the root of Catholic education and all of the schools continue to celebrate Mass, pray daily and find ways to help students grow closer to Jesus.

En el caminar con las parroquias y cada uno de ustedes durante este tiempo de pandemia, seguimos ofreciendo varias oportunidades para su enriquecimiento y crecimiento en nuestra fe católica. A continuación están algunas de las oportunidades que están disponible a nivel diocesano en coordinación con las parroquias.

Diocese Honors Bishop James A. Murray (1932 – 2020)

El pasado 5 de junio del 2020 el Obispo James A. Murray murió y fue al encuentro de Nuestro Señor. El Obispo Murray nació el 5 de julio de 1932 en Jackson, Michigan. Se graduó de St. Mary High School en Jackson, Michigan y obtuvo su grado universitario de Bachiller en Artes del Seminario el Sagrado Corazón en Detroit. Sus otros títulos académicos fueron Bachiller en Teología del Seminario San Juan de la Universidad Católica de América y Licenciatura en Derecho Canónico de la Universidad Católica de América.

Bishop Murray had a great heart for the Hispanic community. He was the one who started the Masses in the migrant camps. Each summer he celebrated several Masses in the fields and welcomed the farmworkers who each summer come to the nine counties of the diocese for the harvest. He always had a great smile and simplicity for the families.

March 2020 certainly lived by the old adage and “roared in like a lion.” What followed only amplified as the faithful grappled with all the challenges of the pandemic, which impacted all aspects of daily life from how we get groceries to how we do our jobs. And of course included on that list is how we practiced our faith. We’ve highlighted just a few of the many ways Bishop Bradley, diocesan staff, priests, deacons, parish staffs and Catholic Charities continued the work of the Church: