Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
In July of 2000, I had the privilege of being installed as the fifth Bishop of the Diocese of Beaumont. Since that time, I have had the opportunity to travel throughout our diocese, meet many members of our diocesan families and see first hand the strength of their faith. I have witnessed tremendous spiritual growth and development in both our parishes and in the diocese. This has happened because we have worked together and because we have let the Holy Spirit lead us.
As we celebrate the Pauline year, we reflect on how we can carry the message of Jesus. Once the great Apostle Paul experienced the love of the resurrected Christ first hand, nothing would stop him from sharing that experience. Like Paul, but perhaps not as dramatically, we are also called to share the love of Christ.
Although the challenges we face today are different from those of the early Church, our fundamental mission remains the same. It is imperative that we meet those challenges with the same courage and conviction as Paul. It is now our opportunity to continue the legacy of faith that has been gifted to us.
What follows is a plan to prepare our diocese to respond to the challenges we face. This plan is filled with hope and optimism and will require sacrifice from us all. We call this undertaking Together for God’s Good Work, and we believe its time has come. This campaign gives us an opportunity to share Christ’s love as exemplified by Paul who said, “It is no longer I, but Christ living in me.”
The success of this campaign will depend on your prayers and generous financial support. I have every confidence that we will achieve our goals. Together as a diocesan family, we can accomplish many great things for Christ.
May the Holy Spirit bless you, your family and your parish.
