Pastoral Letters from the Bishop

Diocese of Norwich Office of the Bishop 201 Broadway Norwich, Connecticut  06360 (860) 887-9294   Lenten Message, 2021 “And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.” Matthew 6:18 Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Lord, In the Gospel reading offered for our reflection each Ash Wednesday, the Lord instructs His disciples that when we pray, fast, and perform works of charity, we are not to do so in a public manner that would draw attention to ourselves or with the praise and admiration of others. Instead, we are instruct...

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Diocese of Norwich Office of the Bishop 201 Broadway Norwich, Connecticut  06360 (860) 887-9294   January 4, 2021 Pro-Life Pastoral To be read at all Masses or published in the parish bulletin on the weekend of January 16-17, 2021. My dear sisters and brothers in Christ, January 22, 2021 marks the 48th anniversary of the landmark Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion. The day is set aside as a day of prayer and penance. Traditionally, each year in Washington, D.C. there is the National March For Life. The theme of this ...

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Diocese of Norwich Office of the Bishop 201 Broadway Norwich, Connecticut  06360 (860) 887-9294 October 27, 2020 (To be read at all Masses or reprinted in the parish bulletin on the weekend of October 31-November 1, 2020.) My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, A blessed All Saints day to you and your families. This solemnity on the Church’s calendar is a day to honor all the saints, known and unknown. Today also begins National Vocation Awareness Week, a fitting reminder of our need for saints in every vocation. To quote Pope Francis, &ldquo...

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Diocese of Norwich Office of the Bishop 201 Broadway Norwich, Connecticut  06360 (860) 887-9294 October 15, 2020 (To be read at all Masses or reprinted in the parish bulletin on the weekend of October 31-November 1, 2020.) Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Discover Catholic Schools Week, which is celebrated from November 3 to November 9, is now a second annual celebration of Catholic education in our country, together with Celebrate Catholic Schools Week that will take place from January 31 to February 6, 2021.  During both weeks, our school...

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 “Respect Life Month” 2020 and the 25th Anniversary of The Gospel of Life One year ago, even before the unthinkable effects of the pandemic and the social unrest and division that we are now witnessing, a piece in the New York Times stated: “The world we live in now is one in which no place is safe, no lives really matter, when it comes to violence” (9/2/19). This statement was prompted by the tragedy of repeated mass shootings in our country. To this we must now add the outbreaks of random violence and the deaths that have prompted outrage a...

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English Spanish Diocese of Norwich Office of the Bishop 201 Broadway Norwich, Connecticut  06360 (860) 887-9294 September 24, 2020 To be read at all Masses or published in the parish bulletin on Respect Life Sunday, the weekend of October 3 & 4, 2020. My dear sisters and brothers in Christ, The Catholic Church proclaims that human life is sacred and that the dignity of the human person is the foundation of a moral vision for society. This year marks the 25th anniversary of Saint John Paul II’s landmark encyclical, Ev...

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“For they did not yet understand the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead.” John 20:9 Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Risen Lord, The passage from the Gospel of John cited above is the last verse proclaimed in the Gospel for the Mass of Easter Day. It speaks to us of a very interesting dimension that is common to many of the events and appearances surrounding the Resurrection: the disciples are confused. They do not yet understand all that the Scriptures had foretold and that Jesus Himself had revealed to them during his public ministry. This is no...

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