From The Bishop

Feast of the dedication of Saint John Lateran. Your excellency Pedro López Quintana, dear archbishops and bishops, dear priests, deacons, religious sisters and brothers, dear bishops and clergy from other religious denominations, members of various levels of government, dear members of my family, distinguished guests, my dear friends. A very scrupulious man once asked a priest whether it was a sin to cheat on his diet. The priest asked the man whether a doctor had prescribed the diet for health reasons. The man said that it was not and that he just wanted to lose some weight. The priest then said to the man, the scriptures tell us that we are temples of the holy spirit, if you want to look like a cathedral that is completely your own decision. Today the church celebrates the feast in honour of the dedication of saint john lateran in Rome. Some may ask why is the church celebrating a feast honouring a cathedral rather than a saint? The answer can be found in what this cathedral church represents. This feast celebrates the anniversary of the dedication of the cathedral church of Rome by Pope Sylvester in the year three twenty four. This is the holy father's cathedral as he is bishop of Rome. Here we find the cathedra (bishop's chair). Above this chair is a latin inscription, “omnium ecclesiarum urbis et orbis mater et caputâ€� â€" the mother and head of all churches of the city and of the world. This feast illustrates the unity of the universal church with the see of Rome and the holy father. The presence of archbishop Pedro Lopez Quintilian, the papal nuncio to Canada, is also a sign of this unity and is an expression of the relationship of the diocese of st. Catharines to the universal church gathered around our holy father pope Benedict xvi. I thank our nuncio for honouring our diocese with his presence this evening. Today is also the fifty-second anniversary of the establishment of the diocese of st. Catharines. In fact i have the great privlege of using the crosier of our first bishop, bishop Thomas Mccarthy for this celebration. The readings of today's mass are most appropriate not only as we celebrate this feast but also for the celebration of our anniversary and the installation of a new bishop. In the first reading from the prophet Ezekiel we share in the vision of this great prophet. An angel takes him to the entrance of the temple where a stream has its source and flows towards the east. Wherever the river goes there is life in abundance on its banks. We are very blessed to live in a region and diocese that is surrounded by water. In the Niagara region we see how water brings life. We have two great lakes, the Welland canal, the mighty Niagara Falls just to name a few. For fifty-two years the diocese of st. Catharines has also been a source of great life for this region. Like living water it has created great life through the service of its laity, clergy and religious and the sacramental life of the church. Ultimately this growth and life can be attributed to Jesus Christ who is the true living water that quenches all thirst and fulfills all desires. In the second reading; saint Paul states, “like a skilled master builder i laid the foundation and someone else is building on itâ€�. In many ways i feel like saint Paul is speaking directly to me this evening. The former bishops of st. Catharines, beginning with bishop McCarthy, have laid the foundation and through the grace of god i continue to build. Through the mystery of god's call i have been chosen to build upon their good work. The lord has called me to be your shepherd and with great humility and joy i have accepted. Our holy father Pope Benedict xvi has stated on many occasions that one of the basic characteristics of a shepherd is that he must love the people entrused to him as he loves Christ whom he serves. Loving means giving the sheep what is truly good and nourishing them with god's truth, god's word, and the nursishment of his presence found in the most blessed sacrament. Loving also means to be willing to make the sacrafice and even at times to suffer. I wish to assure you that as we move forward in faith i will do all in my power to model my life on that of Jesus the good shepherd and that together we will continue to build upon that sure foundation Jesus Christ our Saviour. In the gospel of st. John we understand why Jesus is our sure foundation. In this gospel we see Jesus' zeal for his father's house as he drives the animals and money changers from the temple. Immediately after the resurrection, the disciples are filled with fear, anxiety and uncertainty. We are told in the gospel that the disciples remembered this event and they believed. Jesus was able to offer his disciples the gift of faith and hope. We know that we live in a sinful world and in a church who's members sin. We can become discouraged, fearful and even angry by the actions of others especially when this happens in god's temple the church. The sinful crimes of clergy who are called to live exemplary lives can indeed require great zeal in ridding the church of this terrible abuse. As a church and a diocese we must acknowledge our sins, make restitution for wrongs committed, promote healing and move forward in faith doing all in our power to insure that this will not happen again. In this work we look to Jesus to be our source of faith and hope. When i first received news about my appointment as bishop of st. Catharines i was deeply honoured that our holy father had confidence in me and believed that i had the necessary gifts to faithfully serve the people of this diocese. However i must admit that i was filled with a degree of doubt and even fear as i contemplated assuming this great responsibility. That night in my chapel i was sharing these feelings with the lord in prayer and over and over again i heard jesus say to me, trust me, trust me, trust me, and immediately my response, and i believe this was the inspiration of the holy spirit, was use me, use me, use me. It seems like such a simple formula, trust me, use me and yet in many ways it is truly profound. As i begin my ministry with you as bishop of st. Catharines i pray that we as a diocese will always be able to completely put our trust in the lord so that he can use us to bring good news to the world. With the zeal that Jesus demonstrated in the gospel may we be that living water of the first reading that brings new life to all we meet. I wish to conclude by asking that you please pray for me. Please pray that i will come to love god and you the people of this diocese more and more each day. Please pray that i will have the courage and the wisdom and the faith to serve you and the church without comprimise. I wish to assure you that i will pray for you daily praying that the lord will always carry us and that we will learn to carry each other in faith. My dear friends i look to the future with great joy and hope. I pray that god will bless you and the great diocese of st. Catharines.