I write from Louisville, Kentucky, where I have just arrived for the USCCB June Plenary Assembly. It is my first time in Louisville, and so far, Louisville has been very accommodating. Meetings begin tomorrow morning and will extend through Friday, and so I wish to send some brief thoughts before we begin.
On a personal note, you may have heard that my mother has been declining and has been accepted into hospice care. We have had to make some changes in my schedule in order for me to be present to my family at this time and ready to travel as necessary. These past days she has rallied, and I am in constant touch. She appreciates your prayers, as does my family.
The main focus of this USCCB Assembly will be the progress of the Eucharistic Revival. In the midst of this election year, political and cultural issues will dominate the secular media and division will be evident. This is the reality of our time. However, we must remember, our Church has been on pilgrimage for three years, calling on Catholics to turn to the one thing that makes us uniquely different. Our ecclesial leadership has called us to the one thing that matters and the place where life begins, which is the celebration of the Eucharist. This is our time to establish and renew the imprint which has been given to each one of us in our Baptism, that we are graced with salvation by the sacrifice of Christ, and called to bring the Good News into our world, celebrated in the Eucharist.
In gratitude to God, our diocese has just, again, been affirmed and blessed in the Holy Spirit through the Eucharistic Congress held two weeks ago in Grand Junction. Our praise, thanksgiving, worship and reception of Jesus Christ through celebrations of liturgy, adoration, testimony and communion represented another significant step forward for the evangelization of our missionary diocese. We offer gratitude to those who worked hard to bring this about, and to all who supported and prayed for us throughout the process.
There are plans ahead for the growth of the revival. I look forward to this USCCB Assembly, in touching base with brother bishops and hearing new ideas which will be customized and incorporated into those plans. As we begin here, I ask for your prayers for us, and assure you of mine.
+Most Reverend Stephen J. Berg
Bishop of Pueblo
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