Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

First, I am incredibly grateful for all the volunteers and staff that helped make our liturgies this past Holy Week and Easter so remarkable and profound. It’s amazing to see the enormous preparation that is necessary behind the scenes to support the beautiful, ancient (and sometimes a bit complex) liturgies that directly connect us to our very roots as Catholic Christians. I express my deep gratitude to all those who helped in any way. Thank you!

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

You meet someone and say, “Christ is risen!” They respond, “Truly, He is risen!” This ancient Christian greeting is still used in countries with a strong, Catholic/Orthodox culture. Our western culture, particularly our American ethos, formed by a strong current of Calvinism that was suspicious of such outward expressions of faith, long ago abandoned such greetings. (Although “Merry Christmas” has hung on for now!) You and I must find new ways to evangelize just as the earliest Apostles, disciples, and martyrs did when they all but ran out into the world for the very first time, taking with them the good news of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

At last, you may have noticed the three plaques for the Our Gifts – His Glory program. Recall that OG-HG is the program (not the capital campaign) that allows parishioners to donate certain meaningful articles in and around our church in memory or in honor of a loved one, such as statues, pews, liturgical items, ornamental trees, etc. Plaques for the items within the church are displayed as you come in through the main doors, opposite the capital campaign plaques. The plaque for the items outside the church is located on the north wing (where the St. Vincent de Paul Society operates). We are immensely grateful to all who donated to help make our church even more beautiful. Thank you!

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Last Friday, March 29, “with a heavy heart and in the spirit of transparency and accountability,” Bishop Guglielmone published a list of clergy who have been credibly accused of sexual misconduct or abuse involving a minor in the Diocese of Charleston since 1950. I encourage you to read the Bishop’s letter and the Q & A that accompany the list. You can access them on the diocesan website: sccatholic.org or charlestondiocese.org. None of the priests listed are in active ministry. Almost all of them are deceased.