I apologize for the lack of a column last week. We had so many ads and events going on that I wanted to make sure that we had enough space to include all of them in the bulletin. Just this past week in fact we had a blood drive, a presentation on Medicare enrollment, and a presentation on Catholic Principles in Politics. This week we prepare for our parish bazaar during the weekend of November 9th and 10th. I hope to see you there! You might even see me working the kitchen.
This Tuesday is election day. If you have not already voted, then I encourage you to make your way to the ballot box. Fortunately, St. Teresa Church Hall is a polling place (as you can imagine that is very convenient for me, but I hope it will be the same for everyone else in the parish). As Catholics we have a responsibility to participate in civil society in order to work toward the common good. We cannot separate our faith from our politics, since our faith contributes to a just and fair society.
We bid farewell to Archbishop Henning. While he was only in our diocese for a short time, he accomplished much and influenced so many of the faithful here. Many of you told me that he will be missed. I will miss him as well as he has shown himself to be a shepherd after the heart of Christ. What does that mean for us? For one, during the Eucharistic Prayer you will only hear prayers for “Francis our Pope…” Additionally, the College of Consultors (a body of Providence priests) will elect a Diocesan Administrator. This Administrator will handle basic tasks here in the diocese to ensure that we keep spreading and living the faith while we wait for the appointment of another bishop. The Administrator should be named in the next week or so, while the appointment of a new bishop may take longer. Please pray that God sends us another shepherd to lead us.