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As I finish my eighth month as Bishop, I am still experiencing many “firsts.” I suppose that this will continue, at least for the next four months. This past Sunday, I experienced my first Rite of Election as Bishop. The Rite of Election is a ceremony that takes place in most Catholic Dioceses each year usually on the First Sunday of Lent, when the adults who are preparing to receive the Easter Sacraments (Baptism, Communion, and Confirmation) are presented to the Bishop to be formally enrolled in the Book of the Elect. The “Elect” are officially accepted as candidates who will be fully initiated as members of the Church at the Easter Vigil. They are usually accompanied by their Godparents (sponsors) and representatives of their parish communities. This year we have 75 “Elect” from 22 parishes, as well as schools and ecclesial communities. The numbers of “Elect” and those accompanying them were significantly less than the previous year, due to the pandemic and restrictions. At the same time, the gathering of these candidates is a very clear sign that the Church in the Diocese is alive and growing.

For almost all baseball fans, the phrase “pitchers and catchers” has a special meaning, especially in January and early February, when fans will ask one another, “How many days until pitchers and catchers?” For those who may not be baseball fans, the phrase and question refer to something called spring training and the custom that the players who are “pitchers and catchers” report to spring training a few days earlier than the rest of the team. So “pitchers and catchers” reporting for spring training, especially after winters that have been difficult, cold, and snowy, is a sign for baseball fans that winter is almost over and spring is near.

In last week’s column, I shared my opinion that the Sacrament of Reconciliation (a.k.a. Confession) is the most misunderstood and underappreciated of all the (seven) Sacraments. I also believe that the Sacrament of Reconciliation is making a comeback, from seeming to have fallen out of practice in some places to a growing number of Catholics who are returning and gaining an appreciation for this beautiful “Sacrament of Healing.” As we enter the season of Lent, I am so happy to hear of and learn about the Welcome Home to Healing Penance Initiative here in our Diocese.

We hear these words in the Second Reading at Mass every year on Ash Wednesday. Along with the First Reading from Joel (2:12–18), Psalm 51, and Matthew’s Gospel (6:1–16, 16–18), each and every year as we enter the season of Lent, we hear the same readings. Do we hear the same message every year? That may depend on our individual circumstances and also on the homilist or preacher.

“Instituted by St. Pope John Paul II in 1997, World Day of Prayer for Consecrated Life is celebrated in conjunction with the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, also known as Candlemas Day, which commemorates through the blessing and lighting of candles that Christ is the light of the world. So too, those in consecrated life are called to reflect the light of Jesus Christ to all peoples.”

I recently finished reading a book published earlier this year, called American Catholics: A History by Leslie Woodcock Tentler. I would recommend it for anyone who enjoys learning about American History, especially those who are interested in the history of the Catholic Church in the United States. Towards the end of the book, Ms. Tentler recounts and analyzes the five-day visit of Pope Francis to the United States in 2015.

In recent days, my thoughts have turned to the words of the Pledge of Allegiance: I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. I would encourage you to Google “Pledge of Allegiance.” I was surprised to learn that its history is traced back to 1892 and that, “The last change in language came on Flag Day 1954, when Congress passed a law which added the words “under God” after “one Nation.”

Pope Francis announced a Year of St. Joseph for the whole Church just over a month ago. Shortly afterward, in my Beacon column, I wrote that friends had given me two copies of Father Calloway’s book Consecration to St. Joseph: The Wonders of Our Spiritual Father, which offers a 33-day preparation and a form for the consecration.

This Jan. 22 will be the 48th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion on demand in our country. As we speak about and experience political and other divisions, I am not sure if there has been any issue that has been more divisive on the national and many other levels of society over these past 50 (plus) years.