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The drama and the tension that we have been living with since COVID-19 began to disrupt life as we know it in the United States (and beyond) means that for some of us this day is long overdue while for others it still seems premature.

Dear Catholic Faithful of Oklahoma,

For more than six weeks we have been adjusting to a rapidly shifting landscape brought about by the spread of COVID-19.

“Something strange is happening – there is a great silence on earth today, a great silence and stillness. The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep.”

“Be kind for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle!” These words could have been written specifically with us in mind.

A little more than two months ago not many of us had heard of the coronavirus or COVID19. Today, everyone is on alert.

The season of our Lenten renewal is upon us. On Ash Wednesday, we were marked with ashes and exhorted to repent and believe the Good News, the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Each year, the Church offers us the season of Lent as an invitation to set out on a journey of repentance and renewal. We begin our journey on Ash Wednesday.

One of the special blessings and responsibilities of being a diocesan bishop is making the pilgrimage – ad limina apostolorum.

Among the highlights of my annual calendar are the opportunities for me to visit each of our Catholic schools. I am about halfway through my pastoral visits to our 18 elementary schools, three high schools and one special needs school.

The journey of the past two years has been a fruitful one as we have engaged in a process of pastoral planning for our archdiocese.

We have embarked on the season of Advent, waiting in eager anticipation for the birth of the Lord into our sinful world.

As a kid growing up in Kansas City, Thanksgiving was a memorable day. There was, of course, football and the traditional Thanksgiving dinner that my mother would so lovingly prepare.

I would like to invite you to join me for a first-of-its-kind event in our archdiocese. The Vision 2030 Archdiocesan Convocation is being held at the Cox Convention Center on Saturday, Dec. 7.

On June 29, the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, we rejoiced in the ordination of five new priests at Saint Mark the Evangelist in Norman. It has been a year of extraordinary blessings for our archdiocese, and these new priests are signs of God’s love and care for his Church.

October is Respect Life Month. Each year we have an opportunity to renew our prophetic commitment to promoting human dignity and sanctity of every life from conception to natural death.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, My heart breaks to have to write this letter. Events of this past year, beginning with revelations of the scandal surrounding then-Cardinal McCarrick followed by the release of the Pennsylvania grand jury report, have sent shock waves throughout the Catholic Church in America.

This past week, I had the opportunity to celebrate Mass in the beautiful monastic chapel of Saint Gregory’s Abbey. The occasion of this most recent visit was the observance of the National Day of Remembrance for Aborted Children.

I often have found that when I hear, read or pronounce a sacred text of the liturgy or the Scriptures that a word or phrase may come alive with unexpected power. It may bring insight or understanding.

Sin corrupts everything it touches. The terrible effects of sin include a darkening of our intellect and a weakening of our will. Sin blinds us. It weakens us. Faith enlightens us.