The Cathedral Community

21-Day Catholic Enviro Justice Challenge: April 23-May 16

Walk with other Catholics as we learn, pray, and take action for environmental justice this Earth Day. 

In his encyclical Laudato Si’, Pope Francis invites all people to act on behalf of creation. This call to action is grounded in the principle of integral ecology—the idea that environmental, social, political, and economic systems are interwoven—and sustained by a sense of wonder before the interconnected nature of all life. 

Join us in taking the challenge: igsol.net/interconnected

Join the Ignatian Solidarity Network as we explore these connections through daily emails challenging us to:

·         enter into the complex work of understanding the connections between environmental injustices that disproportionately impact Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC), as well as low income communities;

·         listen to and learn from the voices of environmental justice leaders from frontline communities;

·         better understand the connections between current and historical environmental injustices;

·         respond to the call to work towards a lived vision of a world in which all of God’s creation can flourish.

In June of 2020 when I completed my second 6-year term as Rector of the Cathedral, I was appointed to continue to serve the Cathedral Community unless there was another diocesan need. The need has been identified! I have been assigned to serve the community of St. Theodore’s Parish in Gates, New York, beginning June 29 at 6 p.m.

I am profoundly grateful to Bishop Clark and Bishop Matano for the opportunity to minister to this community which also serves as the mother church of the Diocese. I am also most grateful for the opportunity to serve with such an excellent staff and committed parishioners. I have been greatly blessed.

Bishop Matano has appointed Father Peter Van Leishout as the new Rector of the Cathedral. He was ordained to the priesthood in 2014 and presently serves as the pastor of St. Peter’s Parish with churches at Clifton Springs, Phelps, and Shortsville. He frequently serves as assisting Master of Ceremonies at diocesan Masses.

I ask for your kind remembrance in prayer as I prepare for this new ministry of service to the people of St. Theodore’s.

Thought for the week: “Seek to be ordinary, transparent, simply the person God created you to be” (Robert Wicks).

Smile for the week :   Which day do eggs hate? Fryday!

It was a different but special Holy Week and Easter in 2021! Hopefully by now you will have had the opportunity to view on-line the beautiful and reflective “Cross Project” composed of photos of various crosses and crucifixes of personal significance submitted by parishioners and friends of the Cathedral. Ginny Miller, Rose Davis and Joe Muller and several choir members spent enormous time putting together this wonderful production. Rose, Ginny and Kidane Malik prepared our beautiful Holy Week Morning Prayer Service, celebrated digitally on-line during Holy Week with reflections provided by our parishioner Bob DiFulio. Thanks to the staff and parishioners who spent endless hours preparing, decorating, and executing the beautiful Holy Week and Easter liturgies, and Taizé Prayer. Special thanks to Lynn Marra and her fabulous maintenance team who did much heavy lifting to make everything come together, and the team of staff and parishioners who spent much time preparing the sacred oils blessed and distributed at the Diocesan Chrism Mass. Indeed, our parish is greatly blessed!