The Bishop Writes

(From the Feb. 24, 2000 edition of the Inland Register)

Each month during this Jubilee Year a parish church in the diocese has been designated a pilgrimage church. For the month of January, St. Boniface in Uniontown and St. Gall in Colton were selected as the special place of recognition. I was invited to preside at the Mass on Saturday evening on Jan. 22 at St. Boniface Church where the parishioners honored their hometown priests and nuns as well as all who had served the parishes over the years. In addition to the celebration of Eucharist, vestments and artifacts of the past were displayed in the church. Banners of the early vereins (sodalities) were brought out, all of them in German. Some of the early vestments with their fine needlework were truly outstanding.

The parish also commissioned a jubilee door on the north side of the church with a commemorative plaque indicating that this church had been selected as the jubilee church for the month of January 2000. A brief history of some of the priests and Sisters who had served there were included in a booklet available for everyone. I especially found outstanding the fact that 36 Sisters and 22 priests have come from the Uniontown/Colton area. That response speaks powerfully to the reality of women and men who accepted the call from God to go forth and serve the church as Sisters, Brothers, and priests. We must also recognize and appreciate the family life which supported and affirmed these vocations.

After the Saturday evening Eucharist, everyone drove the three miles to St. Gall’s school gym in Colton for a delicious crab feed. The place was packed. The next morning, I celebrated the 9 a.m. Mass in Colton before driving back to Spokane for a Confirmation in early afternoon. St. Gall Parish also had their displays up in the Church reminding everyone of their history and tradition. People as far away as California came for the celebrations of gratitude, memory, and appreciation.

I hope this Holy Year will help all of us get in touch with our history and tradition. We have a lot for which to be grateful. But we also must look to the future with a sense of joyful enthusiasm and responsibility as we carry on the mission of Jesus in the Church. As one of the parishioners mentioned to me while visiting Uniontown/ Colton, “I wonder what they will think of us a thousand years from now.” May we till the soil of our life in the Church well and plant the seeds of the generous sharing of our gifts.

Early last December, I was at the American College in Louvain, near Brussels, Belgium, for the ordination of the transitional deacons, two of whom were for our diocese. They are two of the six transitional deacons who are preparing for ordination to the priesthood this summer. So this jubilee year will be a special time of looking forward to a significant number of newly ordained priests.

The term “transitional deacon” is used in contrast to the general term of deacon formerly called “permanent deacon.” The Holy See has designated Sunday, Feb. 20, as a Jubilee Day for Deacons. Some of the deacons from the diocese will be traveling to Rome for events surrounding this special time of recognition.

We now have 52 deacons in the diocese. This ministry, restored since the Second Vatican Council, has developed rapidly in the United States. Over half of all the deacons in the world are from the U.S., although in certain countries their numbers are increasing rapidly. The deacon ordained to sacred orders is to be a minister of the altar, of charity, and of the Word. He can preach, baptize, and preside at weddings. He is also to be a special sacramental sign of servant within the community of faith so that others might be inspired and animated to share their gifts in like manner. A deacon is not be looked at as a “mini-priest” but should be recognized as having a special vocation of presence and service within the Church. Their presence in our diocese has certainly enriched our Church’s faith life.

I am profoundly grateful to them and their spouses for generous service to the Church. Incidentally, about 95 percent of deacons are married, so indirectly families are part of their ministry as well.

The restoration of the diaconate has truly been a sign of the Holy Spirit working in the Church. May their service be blessed and grace-filled as the diaconal ministry unfolds and continues to develop.

Also in this section of our diocesan web site you will find my pastoral letter on Reconciliation, in both English and Spanish. This letter has been the result of regional discussions around the diocese over the past few months. There is a strong focus during this Jubilee Year on Reconciliation. As we soon begin the Lenten season, I encourage all of us to reflect on the need for God’s forgiveness and to celebrate the sacrament of Reconciliation. As we focus on our need for this sacrament of forgiveness and healing, we would do well to assess how we use this wonderful gift for our spiritual growth and development. My hope and prayer are that during this Lent we will appreciate more the Lord’s invitation to seek forgiveness and the challenge to extend forgiveness.

May God bless you and give you peace.

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