Dear Holy Spirit Parish:
“Blessed are you who weep,
One day you will laugh.” (Luke 6:21)
There can be no forgiveness, no healing, no growth in a relationship until the offender acknowledges they have done wrong, expresses sorrow and a firm resolve to change. This truth is at the heart of the Sacrament of Reconciliation as well as all Twelve Step programs. And this truth is at the heart of Bishop Battersby’s plan for renewal in the Diocese of La Crosse.
He feels we cannot simply go on as we always have, not acknowledging faults or harms done, and hope that the future of the Church is going to be different. As in all personal relationships we as a church must squarely face the wrong we have done, express our sorrow, and firmly set our feet on the path to change if we hope for growth in the future. Said again, we cannot turn the diocese toward growth and vitality until we have lamented harms done, whether knowingly or unknowingly. And that “we” needs to begin with the Bishop, priests and deacons of the diocese.
For this reason, Bishop Battersby has directed all clergy to gather in La Crosse for a Mass of Reparation on Thursday March 31st. It will be a day for the clergy to squarely face the many reasons we have given for people to leave the church, express our sorrow and begin a new way of ministry. And to make that an honest and therefore transformative experience, he is inviting you, and all the people of the diocese, to help us.
Help us by naming what we need to make reparation for. Help us by bringing to light things the Church and its ministers have done that have harmed you or your loved ones and injured your relationship to the Church. There are obvious things like the clergy sexual abuse scandals and their cover ups. If they have damaged your relationship to the church, please include them. But there are no doubt many things that are not so obvious. Please share them as well.
You can share them by writing them down and getting them to me. They can be anonymous, or you can include your name. I will not include names when I forward them to the Bishop. Please write on the envelope or subject line: Mass of Reparation. If you would rather speak to someone in person I, Deacon Bill or Julie Meadows would be most willing to meet with you. To give time for them to be integrated into the liturgy on March 27th, please send them by March 16th. They will be integrated into a Litany of Lament prayed during the Mass of Reparation.
This is a remarkable opportunity for our diocese! One that already fills me with new hope that the Church can change and grow and be a vital part of the lives of coming generations. Blessed are we who weep now, joy and peace shall follow.
If you are interested in joining Holy Spirit Parish, please call the office at 715-344-9117.
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