Hello and a belated Happy 2015!

As we begin this New Year, my first as your bishop, I wanted to

take this opportunity to speak with you, the many members of my new diocesan family.
First let me say how grateful I am for the warm welcome that has been extended to me since
the Holy Father named me as your bishop. I have had the chance to visit many communities
already, and in every instance I have been inspired by the great sense of faith I have found. I
have been made to feel very much at home and that has been a wonderful gift.
In my travels and meetings I have heard from so many on the need to revitalize our faith
community, to welcome back disenfranchised Catholics, to energize our young people. Many
have come to me with thoughtful ideas on how we might achieve these goals. I am committed
to these causes, because I believe our Catholic faith is the source of so much hope and
inspiration, a bright light in a sometimes challenging world.
In every corner of our diocese there are critical needs which I would like be able to address. But
like so many of you, I must my weigh these concerns against the limited resources available. It
is the same reality so many of us face every month when we have to pay our bills and balance
our checkbooks. Our diocesan church is no different!
Among my objectives in the coming months is to continue to listen and be attentive before
setting course on my own initiatives.
Of course some matters cannot wait, and have required my more immediate attention.
And among the most pressing and one that will have a long-term impact on our diocesan
community is the future of Cathedral High School. Since announcing a review of options last
November there has been much public discussion. Unfortunately this has led to some
misunderstanding which Id like to address now in the effort to clarify the issue before us.
Lets start with some facts everyone should be able to agree on that Catholic schools have
played an important role in our diocesan church, that Cathedral High School and its legacy have
played an important part in that history. At the same time, our support for Catholic education
as a whole and Cathedral High School in particular has increasingly taken up a larger and larger
portion of our increasingly limited financial resources. It is a situation which I must be
completely honest with you, is no longer sustainable.
With this in mind I asked that a coordinated process of facilitated dialogues and problem solving
sessions be developed to try to find the best solution for the diocese. I am extremely grateful to
those who have given up their time over the last two months to undertake this process. I am
pleased to announce we have concluded the first phase and now are preparing for the critical
problem solving workshops which are scheduled to begin January 24.

Those who will participate in the problem solving sessions will be asked to come not just as
representatives of their constituency groups but as members of the diocesan family with an
open minds and hearts so as to honestly confront our challenges and develop a realistic plan.
This, and this alone, offers us the only route to resolving this challenge.
Many have engaged in rallies and other public demonstrations of support for Cathedral High
School. Their commitment to this beloved school is to be commended- and I join them in their
admiration for the great legacy of Cathedral High School, but those actions in and of themselves
dont respond to the financial and enrollment challenges we face. That is why I remain
committed to this process as the only route to find a realistic solution. A solution which cannot
be based on highly speculative projections but based on a realistic plan based on the facts we
know regarding our Catholic population and the economic reality of our community.
The task is daunting, I will grant you that! But as a church we need to be honest and open
considering all of the facts- even those which highlight the challenges which have had a
negative impact upon our diocese and this school. Although the focus is Cathedral High School
this is not a decision limited to one city or neighborhood, but it will have an impact on the
whole of the diocese and in some regards the future direction we take for all of Catholic
education.
Ultimately I must decide on what direction to take based on the needs of the whole diocesan
community and how to best utilize the limited resources with all of the needs we face.
In the coming weeks there will be more to share, for now I ask for your prayers for all those who
will be engaged in these discussions. In the end let us remember that we are brothers and
sisters in Christ, it is him we serve, it is only him that we follow on whatever path his spirit leads
us.
Wishing you all Gods blessings!