As we find ourselves about halfway through our Lenten journey, my prayer for each of you is that it truly is one of prayer and discipline, drawing you ever closer to the loving, merciful embrace of our Lord and Savior.

I pray this letter finds you healthy and safe. May the Lenten journey we are on be one of growing ever closer to the love of our Lord and ever deeper in our relationship to him.

If anyone contacts you claiming to be me, someone from the diocese (chancery office personnel), a priest, parish employee or anyone else honestly affiliated with the Catholic of the Diocese of Superior calls, texts, emails or contacts you by any other form of communication asking you to send money or get gift cards of any kind, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE DO NOT RESPOND TO THEIR REQUEST. IT IS A SCAM.

As another Advent is rapidly coming to an end, I hope and pray that you are in a better place to truly celebrate the birthday of the Messiah than you were back on Nov. 29 when we celebrated the first Sunday of Advent.

I want to start by wishing everyone a very happy belated Thanksgiving. I hope and pray that, in spite of how very different it was for most, your Thanksgiving was truly a time of giving thanks to God for all his many gifts and blessings.

Heavenly Father, in this time of Thanksgiving, in a year filled with so much turmoil, confusion, violence, angst, and COVID-19, let us pause in your presence truly knowing and feeling your loving embrace.

As we prepare for the Solemnity of Christ the King, it is with hope and faith in our Lord’s power and desire to bring healing to our world. He is the Divine Physician, and we know that his will is to heal; he is the Good Shepherd, and we know that his will is to lead, guide and protect his sheep.

In late May 2020, it was reported that liturgical composer David Haas was accused of sexual misconduct. Since then, Catholic news sources reported that allegations have come from 44 women regarding abusive sexual conduct from 1979 to 2019.