Fishers

I drove to Fruitland tonight with a teen and his mother for the Rite of the Elect with our new Bishop Peter Christensen. The evening allowed me a couple observations.

First, the Church and her people are built to receive and welcome people into the faith and into the family. The excitement of seeing these newly elect catechumens and candidates enter the final stages of their journey into full communion with Church was tempered by the realization that among the nine churches in our deanery only about 40 people are in this process currently. There is great joy in their welcome; there is immense potential to welcome more. As Catholics, outreach is vital. Evangelization is our primary mission. Let's get to it.

Second, I am wholly impressed by Bishop Peter and excited for the energy he is generating in our diocese. He preaches humbly and applicably. Every person he meets leaves the encounter with a story about how the bishop made him or her feel valued. Our priests, our diocese, our parish staffs, and all the faithful are experiencing an injection of enthusiasm and new vision, much of it stemming from Bishop Peter's arrival. He is evangelizing in a way we can emulate, and to see our shepherd take the lead in this vital task empowers me (and hopefully you) to go fearlessly into the deep waters of our world to become fishers of men, fishers of women, fishers of hearts burning for Christ and for the Church.