A Sign of Hope II

     In my last post I spoke of the hope given to Peter, James and John when Jesus was revealed to them in his divinity, preparing them for the difficult days ahead.  I mentioned that the pending publishing of the Grand Jury Report of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania regarding child abuse by priests and the handling of such cases by the Church will paint a picture of the Church that will challenge the faith of many.  The sins and crimes of the few priests over these last seventy years and the response of those in authority will show a Church that is not the Church of today.  I would like to give you a glimpse of the Church of Greensburg today, and present this as a sign of hope that the Lord's message is being lived and shared in wonderful ways.  The next few posts will attempt to do that.

    Bishop Malesic shared these words in a message to the people of the Diocese of Greensburg.  "Today's Catholic Church is committed to higher standards.  The people of the Diocese of Greensburg should know that we have learned from the mistakes made in the past.  Our Catholic Church is a good Church.  We have taken care of the sick.  We have helped the poor.  We have preached the Gospel.  The Lord has given much success to the work of our hands.  I can assure you that the Church in the Diocese of Greensburg today has evolved far beyond the Church described in media reports."

     Who are we as a diocese?

     The Diocese of Greensburg was established on March 10, 1951.  It covers 3,334 square miles in four counties in Southwestern Pennsylvania.  The total Catholic population is currently 137,641, served in 78 parishes by 51 active diocesan priests, 14 Religious Order priests and 14 International priests.  There are 35 retired diocesan priests and 258 Women Religious.  We live in a part of the nation that has an aging population and in an area of the Commonwealth that is economically challenged. Our parishes and population have decreased over the years because of these factors.  We are facing these changing demographics in creative and confident ways.  We are a vibrant Church.

     Today our Diocese issued a report that shares this message of hope to help us weather the storm.  I will attempt to share some of this info in the next few posts, but the full report can be found on the Diocesan website: www.dioceseofgreensburg.org  
     Until the next post, find strength and encouragement in the fact that we are responding to the Lord's call to live out the Gospel and to grow in holiness and grace.