| > back | Bishop's Statements Letter on Sexual Abuse and Call for Novena of Reparation and Healing Dear Brothers and Sisters, As the story of sexual abuse of minors by clergy and church employees continues to be revealed across this country, our thoughts are with the victims and their families. They have suffered horribly. As bishop of the Diocese of San Jose, my first responsibility is to make sure, to the best of my ability, that everyone is safe, especially children and vulnerable adults. I take this responsibility most seriously. The priests and other employees of the Diocese join me in working to protect all the vulnerable members of our society. We are committed to preventing abuse through education and screening-including fingerprinting, to taking seriously every report of misconduct, and to complying with civil authorities in reporting allegations related to minors and vulnerable adults. As a Church, however, we must do more. Not only must we listen; we must also work to heal those who have been so gravely wounded. In the same way, we must heal the Church, which suffers from every incident of broken trust. As a Church, our actions should be joined to prayer, and our greatest prayer is the celebration of the liturgy of the Eucharist. For this reason, I call upon all Catholics and every parish in the Diocese of San Jose to join together in a Novena of Reparation and Healing for nine First Fridays, beginning on May 3, and ending on January 3, 2003. I will issue guidelines for the celebration of the liturgy on these nine First Fridays, so that in every corner of our Diocese our common prayer may be joined to the prayer of Christ to his Father. I ask the parishes of our Diocese to review the schedule of their Masses on First Fridays, so that as many of our people as possible will have the opportunity to participate in this Novena of Reparation and Healing. During this Easter Season, when we celebrate the Lord’s triumph over darkness and death, may we find in his Resurrection the source of our hope and life. With every best wish and kind regard, I remain, |
