Broken Bay Pastoral Letter by Bishop Anthony Randazzo
The first pastoral letter by Bishop Anthony Randazzo to the community of the Church in Broken Bay is “Jesus Christ: Our Beginning and End”. This letter outlines six important priorities Bishop Anthony has identified in his first year as the Bishop of Broken Bay.
The letter is addressed to the community of communities that form the Body of Christ in the Diocese of Broken Bay, some 215,000 Catholics living within the Diocese. However, Bishop Anthony makes it clear he is speaking personally to each one of us.
“I address this letter to you,” he says. “I had you in mind when I asked the Holy Spirit to inspire my words and guide my writing to communicate these important matters.”
The six priorities begin with the person of Jesus Christ and include such themes as discipleship, building a culture of vocation, unity, education and the poor. The letter develops each priority with teaching and personal examples from Bishop Anthony’s own life and experience within the Diocese.
Bishop Anthony sets the context of the letter in the midst of the difficulties the community, and indeed the world, has endured throughout 2020. Though these have been real, Bishop Anthony has identified new opportunities.
The 2020 year is a memorable year. During 2020 we have seen bushfires, floods, a pandemic, and dramatic changes to our way of life. We have also been reminded that we have creative ways of living as the community of the Church. Most importantly, as a community of faith, this year has provided new opportunities for us to see Jesus Christ in our neighbour and in our midst.
Bishop Anthony encourages us to take the pastoral letter as a point of reflection, discussion and prayer for spiritual growth and development.
“With this pastoral letter I offer to you, my brothers and sisters, the thoughts of my mind and heart and the fruit of my prayer. I hope that you will see in this work my desire to be close to you as your bishop so that together we might follow Jesus Christ as his disciples, seek the path of holiness, proclaim the Gospel to the world, and live life in the Spirit.”
The Pastoral Letter is available at the link below and in booklet form throughout the Diocese during Advent.
Pastoral Letter