Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

This weekend in Rome, Pope Benedict XVI will celebrate the end of the Year for Priests. Last Saturday, June 5, we celebrated the ordination of a new priest, Father Brian Cline. As I said at that joyful ceremony, ordination is an important day, indeed a milestone, in the life of the one being ordained. But it is also an important event in the life of a diocese, because we become poignantly aware that another one of our brothers has answered the call of the Lord to serve the Church.

For the last eighteen months, we, as a diocesan family of faith, have been trying to ask questions in order to get the right answers. Meetings seeking input from parishioners and clergy on the parish and county level were held. The Executive Committee on Pastoral Planning and the Diocesan Presbyteral Council were consulted.

I have written to the pastors of our parishes to inform them that I would be happy to meet with parish and or finance councils from any parish in our diocese to discuss the proposed Plan for Reconfiguration.

Words are strong.