 |
|
As I begin episcopal ministry in the great Diocese of Madison, the Lord has filled my spirit with joy, enthusiasm, and gratitude.
I am particularly thankful to Msgr. Jim Bartylla for his dedicated, effective, and loving leadership of the Diocese these past seven months.
Stepping into my new role has been easy because of his hard work. I am grateful to all the diocesan staff, the priests, permanent deacons, Religious, lay leaders, and the faithful who have all welcomed me with such kindness and love. I am already feeling very much at home!
Bishop Morlino’s legacy
We honor the legacy of Bishop Morlino as we continue to pray for him and lift him to the Lord.
I am grateful for his attention to growing the priesthood, the beauty and reverence of the liturgy, and the importance of faith formation for our leaders and people.
Bishop Morlino’s legacy will live on in his love for the Lord and the Church, as he led our Diocese for the last 15 years. May he rest in the peace of the risen Lord and know the fullness of eternal life.
June, a liturgically rich month
Liturgically, this month of June was remarkably rich.
On the consecutive Sundays, we celebrated the Ascension, Pentecost, the Most Holy Trinity, Corpus Christi, and now we enter into Ordinary Time.
On full display, we see the fruits of the Paschal Mystery — the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ — in His return to heaven, the sending of the Holy Spirit, the revelation of the inner Trinitarian life of God, and the Most Holy Eucharist as the enduring presence of the Lord in the Church until the end of time.
We ponder and pray over all of these essential mysteries of the Faith in the beautiful context of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
We honor this fiery, divine heart which was conceived in the womb of the Virgin Mary and began to beat, grew and expanded in the Word made flesh, showed forth the compassion and mercy of God in the preaching, miracles, and forgiveness of the Lord, was pierced and died on the Cross, and then began to beat again in the great surprise of the resurrection.
The Sacred Heart lives forever, pulsating with the radiant love of God, pumping out divine grace to the Mystical Body, calling us to live in the compassionate mercy of God and to become ministers of that reconciliation won for us on the Cross.
In the Heart of Christ, we witness the triumph of love over hate, life over death, grace over sin, and mercy over cruelty. Love always wins.
As we live in this world of seemingly increasing violence, hatred, and indifference, we know, proclaim, and live the truth that only the love of Jesus can heal, forgive, and save us.
Ministry dedicated to Sacred Heart of Jesus
For all of these reasons, I dedicate the beginnings of my ministry among you to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
I want to love, serve, and be with you. I desire to share the saving Good News of Christ with you and want us to continue to proclaim the Gospel to a world that needs to hear Jesus’ voice now more than ever.
Please do not hesitate to call on me, invite me to things, ask for my help. That is why I am here — to be a servant of the Lord Jesus by placing myself at your service.
In the profound context of the Communion of Saints, we are bound together in Christ as both His Body and His Bride. This fundamental relationship with the Lord saves, defines, and marks us.
Jesus is our Savior, Master, Redeemer, and Teacher. He is our passion and purpose. He is the answer to our deepest questions about life.
What a joy for me to begin to live Jesus with all of you!