Together on the Journey: A Weekly Word from Archbishop Hebda
When I moved to Northern Michigan some years ago, I was told that I would experience two seasons: winter and construction. I’m realizing that the same could be said about Minnesota. The drive to and from the office each day has in recent weeks become a bit of a challenge. The reconstruction of East 7th (the main artery near our office) has created an obstacle course of sorts, introducing my Bronco Sport to manhole covers that had previously gone hidden. Fortunately, the glimpses of the new curbs and sidewalks give me hope that the finished project will be worth the effort.
We’re seeing a little of that at the Archdiocesan Catholic Center as well. A good portion of our parking lot has been taken over by heavy equipment and supplies as we replace our roof. I love being in a landmark building with such a rich history…but the owners of historic structures always have to be attentive to maintenance. Today’s inconvenience is the cost of tomorrow’s renewal.
My bet would be that many of you are enduring construction projects these days as well, whether that be roadwork in your neighborhoods or capital improvements at your parishes, especially as our schools and parishes begin to benefit from the successes of our Lord, Renew Your Church capital campaign.
The hope, of course, is that these projects, while they might result in an inconvenience or two for a time (like constant banging on a roof or traffic due to construction), will eventually be of benefit to our life together. I’m confident, for example, that the new roof at the Archdiocesan Catholic Center will enable our staff to be even more supportive of our parishes and parishioners once we don’t have to worry about dodging leaks each time it rains!
As I hear about all the improvements that are being undertaken in your parishes (Bishop Izen and I have to sign off on all proxies for parish projects), I get excited to think about how that work will enable your communities to provide an even warmer welcome to newcomers, to broaden your service to the poor, to improve our educational outreach to our children, and to show Christ to the world in all kinds of new ways.
In his recent encyclical letter, Magnifica Humanitas, Pope Leo XIV drew a contrast between the building of the Tower of Babel, which led to isolation, and the building of Jerusalem, a collaborative project that brought people together and forged even stronger bonds of community. I am praying that the fruit of our current efforts will be not only new parking lots, roofs and boilers but ever stronger communities. I’m hoping that when we look in the months to come at a newly refurbished sanctuary or a new space for the parish food shelf we will recognize the good that can come from our working together and openness to God’s grace.
Today’s feast—St. Lawrence the deacon—reminds us that the greatest riches of our Church are our brothers and sisters in Christ. In the earliest days of the Church, it was the deacon who had responsibility for distributing the Church’s material resources to those in need. When Lawrence, before his martyrdom, was asked to gather the treasures of the Church and bring them to the emperor, he brought before him not rubies and diamonds but the poor of Rome, noting that they were the true “treasure” of the Church.
I hope that you will join me in praying that the Lord will keep us always focused on that “treasure” and will bring renewal in this Archdiocese—to his Church—through our common efforts. I’m also hoping that our little “successes” will provide us with the encouragement that we need to persevere in our collaboration.
As I have mentioned before, I feel privileged as your Archbishop to see so many signs of renewal. I spent this past weekend at the Dunrovin Retreat Center with our Archdiocesan seminarians. I wish that you all could have had that experience with me, knowing that you would find these men and their openness to doing God’s will to be such great signs of hope. Please keep our Vocations Director, Fr. Mark Pavlak, and all of our seminarians in your prayers—especially the 17 who will be entering seminary for the first time this fall.
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