Fr. Tom’s Letters

Each week Fr. Tom writes a letter to parishioners in our bulletin. Every letter is comprehensive, including current information about the Parish, an explanation of Scripture for that Sunday, and an invitation to become more engaged in the life of the parish.

October 19, 2025

Dear Parishioners,

HEALING MASSES MONDAY, OCTOBER 27^TH AT NOON AND 7:00PM

All are invited to these two Masses on Monday, October 27. We offered this Healing Mass experience last spring and many parishioners took the opportunity to come together to pray for healing for themselves, family members, parishioners, and friends. We again look forward to a very prayerful experience this year. We offer these Masses at Noon and 7:00PM to accommodate the various schedules and needs of our parishioners. Our needs for healing are of many kinds. Physical, emotional, spiritual, relationship, mental health, needs all look for healing. At these Masses, the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick will be offered. Feel free to invite friends, relatives, and colleagues who may want to share in the experience.

POPE LEO XIV – DILEXI TE – ON LOVE FOR THE POOR

I have read the full text of Pope Leo’s letter which was given in Rome on October 4, the Memorial of St. Francis of Assisi. Released to all the world on Thursday, October 9, Pope Leo’s Apostolic Exhortation was received with great anticipation as this was his first extensive publication as Pope. A pope issues an apostolic exhortation “to inspire and call the faithful to a particular way of life or to take action on a specific theme.” It is considered a form of ordinary papal teaching. An apostolic exhortation carries significant moral and pastoral authority.

There are some observations about Pope Leo’s letter that are abundantly clear.

1. Pope Leo builds his guidance and encouragement in his letter on firm biblical foundations. Throughout the document Pope Leo makes references and quotes both the Old and New Testaments.

2. Pope Leo deeply respects the history and tradition of the Church. He cites the many efforts through the centuries of the Church and its various communities to address the needs of the poor and to love the poor. He particularly notes the contributions of religious orders through the centuries.

3. Relatedly, Pope Leo writes in continuity with his immediate predecessor Pope Francis and the other popes of his lifetime. Pope Leo was born shortly before Vatican II and he expresses his deep appreciation for the Council and all the popes of the past 60 years who have worked to implement the wisdom of Vatican II.

4. Pope Leo includes reflection upon his experience as a missionary bishop in Peru, South America. He never places any focus on his accomplishments but shares how the Church demonstrated love for the poor in South America. For me, his experience in South America and his understanding of our nation gives him profound credibility in addressing contemporary issues.

5. Pope Leo proclaims clearly Jesus’ identification with the poor. Jesus’ poverty included the circumstances of his birth, his lack of material goods and comfort, and the utter poverty he suffered by his rejection leading to his suffering and death. That identification of Jesus with the poor is a foundational element of the Church’s preferential choice for the poor.

6. Pope Leo is direct in his assessment of the world’s need to understand better the poor and to learn how to love the poor and respond to the presence of the poor in our midst. He addresses contemporary issues of government, education, economics, immigration, and the increasing gap between the wealthy and the poor. He underscores the need for learning and change if we are truly to love the poor. Included is his insistence that we must learn from the poor as we recognize Christ’s presence in the poor.

In his encouragement for all Catholics to receive Pope Leo’s letter, Archbishop Timothy Broglio, president of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops writes, “I invite all people to read, reflect, and pray with the message offered by our Holy Father. May it call us to renewal of our Church and society so that we can learn to approach each person with the same love Christ has for that person.”

In the spirit of Archbishop Broglio’s encouragement to us, I would like to offer St. Anne’s parishioners and others the invitation to read, reflect, and pray with Pope Leo’s Apostolic Exhortation. We will begin on Tuesday, October 28 with two sessions, one at 2:30PM and the second at 7:00PM. You may choose either one. At that gathering, we will read the document, paragraph by paragraph, offer an opportunity for reflection, comment, and questions. We will begin and end with prayer. Subsequent gatherings will be planned based on our experience of October 28^th. You are asked to let me know if you would like to attend (tharold@drvc.org). I will prepare a copy of the document beforehand for you and give it to you at our gathering.

I think it important that Catholics become familiar with Pope Leo’s teachings on love for the poor, the Church tradition of love for the poor and Pope Leo’s guidance on how we move forward. Accepting a summary or news story about Pope Leo’s teaching cannot do justice to the importance of his words and teaching. So join us if you can to know the official and latest teaching on “Love for the Poor” and its teaching on related topics. Be correctly informed! (tharold@drvc.org)

Have a Blessed Week!

Fr. Tom

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