Sometimes We Are Heard....

I received the following email yesterday....

Thank you Andy for your encouragement and prayerful support. These are difficult times for the Church. I count on your continued prayers for me and all my brother Bishops. Thanks too for your blog site. May the Lord give you peace.

Bishop Walker Nickless

Diocese of Sioux City

1821 Jackson Street

Sioux City, Iowa 51105

 While it is not very long, it is very encouraging to see that my Ordinary is aware of those in his flock who do take the time to contact him.  If you don't think that writing to your bishop makes a difference, let this encourage you.

Here is an excerpt of the letter I sent to His Excellency;

 Excellency, this is exactly why I have the attitude I do about the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the other Sacraments.  If we don't have a strong liturgical/Sacramental life, then we as Christians and specifically Catholics lose the very real support we have to be pro-life.  I have held the opinion for a very long time that since the early 1980s, Catholics and bishops have hung their hats on equating being pro-life (and other social justice issues) as being supremely Catholic.  I don't think that this is the case.  I think that fully embracing the whole of the life of the Church makes being pro-life easier (as well as embracing the various social justice issues); not that being pro-life (or socially aware) makes being Catholic easier, which I believe became the mentality of the "Bernadin era" bishops.  This trickled down to the priests and local lay leadership; and this is a big part of what we deal with as Catholic laymen today.

I want to say thank you for making the statement that you did.  I blogged about it on Friday 27 January.  It was re-blogged yesterday.  I hope that your message continues to gain steam.  It is important.

There was more to the email, but  this was part of an ongoing correspondence that I am engaged in with His Excellency.  It does make a difference.  His Excellency is my territorial authority.  I have the right to speak with him, via whatever medium.  Bishop Nickless is a great example of tolerance and orthodox Catholic thought.  May his reign in Sioux City continue to be fruitful!