"Last week, the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul was packed to overflowing for a Mass of Thanksgiving and farewell with Bishop-elect James Ruggieri. At the reception after the Mass, people waited upwards of two hours to greet him personally. It was a truly beautiful evening of prayer and fellowship and I am so grateful to the many volunteers and diocesan staff who worked to make the gathering possible. Of course, I am grateful for the Bishop-elect. His humble gift of himself drew us together as he has done for so many years across multiple parishes of the diocese. While it is difficult to say goodbye to a friend - and there were certainly some tears shed that evening - it was nonetheless an evening filled with a sense of joy in the blessings of God and a desire to send the Bishop-elect to his new ministry accompanied by the prayers and best wishes of Providence.
"I know that too often, we have to read of decline in the practice of the faith. . . . And yet I have to ask, how many other events took place that Thursday evening in Rhode Island that drew more than 1,500 committed and joyful people...?"
In a recent commentary, Bishop Richard G. Henning, the bishop of the Diocese of Providence (RI), reflected on how it "can be challenging in the midst of life's circumstances to clearly discern God's purposes and on how we often can discern, in moments of crisis, the seeds of renewal and new life.
To access Bishop Henning's complete essay, please visit:
The State of Hope: God’s ways are mysterious and marvelous (18 APR 24)
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