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First of all, Pope Benedict XVI,
taking advantage of the fact that
this year is the 2000th anniversary
of the birth of Saint Paul, the
great Apostle to the Gentiles, has
declared the Year of Saint Paul.
This anniversary celebration will
last from June 28, 2008 until June
29, 2009, the annual Solemnity of
Saints Peter and Paul. Particular
solemnity will be accorded the Feast
of the Conversion of Saint Paul on
January 24, 2009. Additionally, His
All-Holiness, the Ecumenical
Patriarch Bartholomew, has also
designated a year-long celebration
of the Year of Saint Paul for the
Orthodox Church. This Year of Saint
Paul will have an ecumenical
dimension as Christians in various
traditions prayerfully reflect on
the writings of Saint Paul, who
expressed the importance of Church
Unity. To highlight the importance
of the Year of Saint Paul, Pope
Benedict XVI has announced the
granting of a Plenary Indulgence for
those who participate in a religious
ceremony in any place of worship in
honor of Saint Paul on the Solemn
opening and closing of this Pauline
Year. Those who wish to receive this
plenary indulgence must meet the
usual conditions: sacramental
confession, Eucharistic Communion,
prayer in keeping with the
intentions of the Holy Father – and
complete detachment from any form of
sin.
Here in the Diocese of Scranton, we
will open the Year of Saint Paul
with the Rosary and Pontifical
Evening Prayer at Saint Peter’s
Cathedral on the evening of
Saturday, June 28 at 6:30 p.m. I
cordially invite all the faithful of
the Diocese of Scranton to
participate in this solemn entrance
into the Pauline Year in order to
give honor and praise to God for the
grace of the coming Year, as well as
to obtain the plenary indulgence. I
also urge all pastors to make use of
the resources which the Diocese will
bring to your attention. It is not
my intention to hold many centrally
observed and large gatherings during
the Year of Saint Paul. I wish this
beautiful and graced anniversary to
be observed as locally as possible
in our parishes, schools, and
institutions, where I believe a
prayerful reflection on the life and
works of Saint Paul will be most
effective and fruitful.
Perhaps even more to the point is
that as we observe our first full
year of Called to Holiness
and Mission, we will do
Saint Paul great honor if we recall
God’s graces in our lives, if we
take advantage of the Church’s
teachings and Sacraments to convert
to even greater holiness, and if we
bring our precious Catholic faith to
others, in direct imitation of this
great Apostle and missionary. The
title Called to Holiness and
Mission is what I like to call a
mini-gospel, a miniature statement
of the Good News of salvation.
Though in this first year of
Called to Holiness and
Mission we must prepare our
parishes and institutions for the
New Evangelization, we nevertheless
will be reflecting upon the phrase
Called to Holiness and
Mission for many years to come.
In fact, in the year 2018, which is
less than ten years away, the
Diocese of Scranton will celebrate
the 150th anniversary of its
founding. If in the years to come we
truly plumb the depths, always with
God’s help, of what it means to be
Called to Holiness and Mission,
then our 150th anniversary
celebration will be beautiful
indeed.
This summer, two more events will
help us be Called to Holiness and
Mission. I refer to the
International Eucharistic Congress
in Montreal, Canada (June 15-22),
and World Youth Day (July 15-20) in
Sydney, Australia. I urge you to
enter into the spirit of these two
events in the company of our Holy
Father, Pope Benedict XVI. No doubt,
Saint Paul will intercede for us if
we pray to him and ask him to help
us make this summer and indeed this
next year a genuine time of grace.
All of us, clergy, consecrated
religious, and laity, can find much
food for our souls in the writings
of Saint Paul. Please open your
Bible and read them, along with
explanations in the Catechism of
the Catholic Church, and enter
into the genuine meaning of
Called to Holiness and Mission.
Asking God’s choicest blessings upon
you and your loved ones, I am,
Sincerely in Our Lord,
Most Reverend Joseph F. Martino, D.D.,
Hist. E.D.
Bishop of Scranton
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