Year of Faith

Beloved in Christ,
 

“ ‘The door of faith’ (Acts 14:27) is always open for us.” Benedict XVI
 

On Thursday October 11, 2012 the Holy Father will open a special Year of Faith. The Year of Faith will be observed by the faithful around the world. The opening date is also the 50th anniversary of the start of the Second Vatican Council. The Year of Faith will conclude on November 24, 2013, the Feast of Christ the King.

Here in the Archdiocese of Nassau we will observe the Year of Faith in a fitting manner. I will be attending the Synod of Bishops in Rome at the time of the start of the Year of Faith. I am therefore asking that Evening Prayer be celebrated in every parish of our Archdiocese on the evening of October 11th 2012.

The official opening of the Year of Faith here in the Archdiocese will be on Sunday, November 25, 2012, the Feast of Christ the King. The 11:00 a.m. Mass at St. Francis Xavier Cathedral will serve as our official opening liturgy. Four representatives from each parish in the Archdiocese will be invited to be present for this liturgy.

To assist in deepening our knowledge of the faith during this Year of Faith, a list of books will be issued. The books listed will provide beneficial reading for all who wish to learn more about the faith. We should each set a goal of reading at least one of these books in the course of the year. The Catholic Bookstore will have these books available for sale.

Additionally, a special, multi-part video presentation on Catholicism will be presented at designated parishes throughout the Archdiocese.

To further enhance the experiences of this special Year of Faith, a number of pilgrimages are being planned, some within the Archdiocese and some to other countries where places of great significance to our faith are located.

The observance of the Year of Faith will conclude with a special Eucharistic celebration on Sunday November 24, 2013.

These activities may certainly be supplemented by activities within each parish. I strongly recommend that each parish organize reading groups to discuss the books on the recommended reading list. The Documents of Vatican II, the Catechism of the Catholic Church and for youth and young adults, Youcat, may also be read and discussed with much profit. Indeed these texts should be next to the Bible in every Catholic home. The DVD series “Free to Love” is also worthwhile for group discussion by young Adults in the various parishes. It may be obtained from the Catholic Bookstore.

A committee will be appointed to coordinate the various archdiocesan events during the Year of Faith.

Let us resolve to make the best possible use of our time during the Year of Faith. May it be a time of true renewal and Evangelization for the entire Church with each of us doing our part to make this a reality.

May God grant us a fruitful and blessed Year of Faith.
 

Devotedly Yours in Christ

Most Reverend Patrick C. Pinder

Archbishop of Nassau