Bishop Tobin on Our Passing Lives

"A few years back, I was travelling to a bishops meeting, dressed in clerical attire, seated next to a very nice young lady who engaged me in conversation. (Usually I avoid talking to people on planes, but for her, I made an exception.)

"'Hello, Father. Are you a priest here in Rhode Island?' she asked. 'Yes,' I said. 'I work in Providence.' 'What church do you have?' she inquired. 'Actually, I'm the bishop here so in a way I have all the churches.' ' Oh,' she said. 'So you must be Thomas.'

"Our continuing conversation revealed that my companion wasn't a Catholic but was in the process of becoming one. She explained that when she and her Catholic fiancé attended Mass together, she noticed, during the Eucharistic Prayer, the prayers offered for 'Francis our Pope and Thomas our Bishop.'"

In a recent commentary, Bishop Thomas J. Tobin, of the Diocese of Providence (RI), reflected on how it is good to remember that, in the flow of history, our lives are passing and we will "be easily replaced and quickly forgotten. Others have come before us, and others will come after us."

To access Bishop Tobin's complete essay, please visit:

The Imitation of Christ: So, You Must Be Thomas (19 MAR 20)