My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,
As we embark on 2013, a new year is always a time to take stock and decide what goals one may have and what one may seek to achieve in the future. This year, I cannot help but remember and contemplate on my upcoming 10th year as Bishop of Brooklyn. I was ordained to the priesthood in May of 1970 and to the Episcopacy in October, 1996. Always I am thankful for the many blessings the Lord has bestowed upon me during these wonderful years of ministry.
Over the course of the next few months, I will be reporting to you what we sought when my ministry in Brooklyn began. While these past years have been a challenge at times, they have also provided me with much joy.
When I think about this past year of 2012, I realize that we have many reasons to celebrate here in Brooklyn and Queens. We received the great gift of two new Auxiliary Bishops for our Diocese; those who teach the faith and also ensure the continuation of the ministry of Christ by the ordination of priests and deacons. Also, through the grace of God, we have added to the number of young men who are in seminary formation. These men will continue the wonderful work of those priests of Brooklyn and Queens who came before them, ensuring the Eucharistic celebration throughout our Diocese into the future.
One element that has been interesting to me is that our Diocese has the largest population of Chinese parishioners in the United States outside of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. This year, we were blessed to welcome into the Church 132 Chinese men and women.
As I think of the devastation that many of our families faced as a result of Hurricane Sandy, I am proud of the faithful of Brooklyn and Queens for joining together, without hesitation or question, and addressing the needs of those families most in need of our care.
In this Year of Faith, we also saw the canonization of two native New Yorkers: St. Marianne Cope and St. Kateri Tekakwitha. Their canonization is an opportunity for us to reflect on how we are living our own faith and how we are going about the work of the New Evangelization. It is also beautiful that we begin the New Year by invoking the Blessed Mother, as she is the model of Christian discipleship.
As we put out into the deep waters of the wonder and excitement of a new year, let us emulate the Blessed Mother, who is the perfect model of Christian living. Happy New Year.