Bishop Neary: ‘Hope is a person, and He is Christ’

It is amazing to think how the early Christian Church survived, when humanly speaking, the odds were all stacked against it. It came from Palestine, a small, despised corner of the Roman Empire, and was considered an illegal and depraved religion. The earliest Christians did not have church buildings. They typically met in homes. They did not have public ceremonies that would introduce them to the public. They had no access to the mass media of their day.

By Bishop Neary, CSC

They were, however, zealous missionary disciples, and they spread the Gospel by forming friendships wherever they went. The faith spread as neighbors in cities saw the lives of believers up close on a daily basis. They saw families modeling kindness, sharing what they had with those in need, praying for their enemies, and modeling honesty in business dealings. They modeled for us that the Church is more than a building. It is people. As St. Teresa of Calcutta once stated, “The Church
is you and I!”

Missionary disciples are needed now more than ever. People are increasingly feeling lonely, depressed and hopeless. In 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy placed a spotlight on America’s problem with loneliness by declaring it
an epidemic.

It was no surprise to me that Pope Francis chose the theme “Pilgrims of Hope” for Jubilee Year 2025, reminding us of what we are called to be every day: pilgrims of hope. Linked to this theme is the recent talk he gave on the upcoming World Communications Day that draws attention to the fact that today too often communication is violent, aimed at striking and not at establishing the conditions for dialogue. In his words, “It is therefore necessary to disarm communication, to cleanse it of aggression. From television talk shows to verbal wars on social networks, there is a risk that the prevailing paradigm is that of competition, opposition, and the will
to dominate.”

He also stated, “For us Christians, hope is a person, and He is Christ. And it is always linked to a community project; when we speak of Christian hope we cannot disregard a community that lives the message of Jesus in such a credible way as to give a glimpse of the hope that it brings, and is capable of communicating the hope of Christ with deeds and words even today.”

In these times, we are increasingly aware that one of the best ways to spread the good news to people of all ages and walks of life is through contemporary media platforms. One of the most effective ways we accomplish this as a diocese is through our award-winning magazine, “The Central Minnesota Catholic.” Our magazine’s mission is to “form, inform and transform” our readers through news, updates, catechesis and the personal stories of the people living out missionary discipleship right here in our diocese. With this issue, we are launching a newly redesigned magazine that will focus on the call that each of us has received from Christ, through our baptism, to embrace the vocation of being missionary disciples. May all who encounter us on a daily basis find a community of believers that lives the message of Jesus in a credible way, modeling loving kindness, caring for the poor and homeless, listening without condemning or judging others and modeling integrity and fairness in
our dealings with others.

Yours in Christ,

+Bishop Patrick M. Neary, CSC, is the 10th bishop of the Diocese of St. Cloud, Minnesota.

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OUR MISSION

We, the people of Godof the Diocese of Saint Cloud, in union with the Universal Church, believe in and proclaim the presence of Jesus Christ in our world.

Our mission is to be his heart of mercy, voice of hope and hands of justice.

OUR PRIORITIES

The well-being, support and enrichment of pastoral leaders across the diocese

  • Support for ongoing formation, professional development and pastoral and spiritual care for our priests, deacons, diocesan pastoral team and lay leaders across the diocese.

Seeing synodality as a model for the Church in the Diocese of St. Cloud

  • Encountering the Lord in others, listening, accompanying, discerning where the Holy Spirit is leading us.

Fostering a eucharistic culture in our diocese

  • In the “Missionary Year” of the Eucharistic Revival, how do we help peopleto see themselves as modern missionaries? How can we bring people together to listen to one another’s experiences of the Eucharist — their own eucharistic love stories?

The Latino presence in the Diocese of Saint Cloud

  • Continue to listen to our Latino brothers and sisters and invite them more fully into the life of our ACCs and the Church as a whole.

Strategic planning for the next phase of our ACCs

  • ACCs represent a needed transition from a traditional one-parish-one-priest model to what we have at present. But given present and future realities, we need to look at a new way of “being Church.”

Author: Bishop Patrick Neary, C.S.C.

1 comment

Our very good Bishop is a servant leader! I love how he becomes one of us – the faithful of the St. Cloud Diocese – encouraging us with the messages of hope, love, and consequently growth in faith. May we answer the callings of the Spirit in hope!

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