Catholic Schools Week, United in Faith and Community

Catholic Schools are some of the most influential as it relates to the faith formation of children. In our schools, minds and hearts are shaped as students are engaged in learning. Catholic schools in the Diocese of Fall River offer academic excellence and a foundation rooted in faith, service, and the teachings of Christ. They form the whole person.

To the families whose children are already enrolled in one of our Catholic schools, I thank you for your support. Know that your child is receiving a transformative education that will prepare them for the rest of their lives. For those considering enrolling their children in a Catholic school, here is a link to open houses in our Diocese. Here are a dozen reasons (in English and Español) from the National Catholic Education Association on the value of Catholic education. As Jesus proclaimed, “Come and See!” 

As we prepare to celebrate Catholic Schools Week beginning this Sunday, January 26,  I thank the teachers, administrators and staff of our Catholic schools for their tireless commitment to providing families in our Diocese a faith-based education. They each make tremendous sacrifices to carry out this ministry.

Walk for Life

Today, we observe our annual  Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children, an opportunity to pray for the innocent and to help create a culture that upholds the dignity of every human person made in the image of God. How can you participate? The USCCB offers suggestions such as going to Mass, praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet or a decade of the Rosary and more

Walk for Life

For several years, the faithful from Dioceses across the country traveled to Washington, D.C. for the March for Life, primarily to pray for an end to abortion legalized in the January 22, 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade. A few years ago, the Court heard another case, Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which ruled that abortions are not a right under the U.S. Constitution. This was a moral victory for the pro-life movement, but our prayers and witness in support of the dignity of all human life are still very much needed. The anti-life strategy to expand access to abortion is now focused at the state level. In our effort to change hearts as well as the law,  the Diocese sponsors events here in Massachusetts to unite and affirm the pro-life community. 

Last year, we began a new tradition, a Mass followed by a local walk. This year’s Mass and walk are scheduled for Saturday, May 17, at 10:30 a.m. at the National Shrine of Our Lady of LaSalette. Please save the date in your calendar. I hope you can join us for this public display of support for all life. 

Word of God Sunday: Embrace the Living Word

Pope Francis shares in Aperuit Illis, “The relationship between the Risen Lord, the community of believers and sacred Scripture is essential to our identity as Christians. Without the Lord who opens our minds to them, it is impossible to understand the Scriptures in depth.” This Sunday, the third in Ordinary Time, we celebrate Word of God Sunday, helping us to  renew our connection to Scripture. The Bible is a gift. I invite you to regularly and purposely reflect on the Scriptures, allowing them to inspire and guide you in your daily life. Together, let us renew our commitment to hearing, living, and sharing God’s Word in our lives and communities. 

Stronger Priests, Stronger Parishes, Stronger Church Update

I am grateful for the continued and widespread support and enthusiasm of the faithful for the Stronger Priests, Stronger Parishes, Stronger Church Initiative for the well-being of our priests. As of this week, we have eclipsed more than 15,000 prayers and sacrifices in less than a month since the inception of the effort when we released my pastoral letter, A Time for Fortitude. (You can sign up for the Spiritual Bouquet here.)

An update on the Spiritual Bouquet:

  • 4,536 Recitations of the Diocesan Prayer
  • 2,075 Offerings of the Holy Rosary
  • 2,331 Offerings of the Our Father
  • 2,428 Offerings of the Hail Mary
  • 1,278 Offerings of the Holy Mass
  • 647 Holy hours
  • 1,708 Offerings of the Divine Mercy Chaplet
  • 1,708 Personal sacrifices

Task Force Work Begins

Our focus has turned to creating four key task forces to examine various aspects of diocesan, parish, and priestly life to develop a series of innovative and practical solutions. Each task force (Parish Life & Ministry, Rectory Life, Seminarian Formation, and Parish Staff Training)  will reflect on the question: How can we support and encourage our current priests and those in formation in health, holiness, and ministerial effectiveness? Those task forces will begin their work this month. 

We were also excited to read that Crux, an online Catholic news organization, published a story on the initiative that you can read on the publication’s website.

Please consider praying the official Stronger Priests, Stronger Parishes, Stronger Church prayer as often as possible, such as before meetings, ministry gatherings, or even in your homes. Through prayer and collaboration, we can move our Diocesan Church forward in relationship to Christ by actively working towards bringing to our priests more stability, hope, holiness, and wellness.

Sincerely,

Bishop da Cunha

The Most Reverend Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., D.D.
The Most Reverend Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., D.D.
The Bishop of Fall River