In Appreciation

Teacher Appreciation 

Last week our  Catholic schools across the diocese celebrated Teacher Appreciation Week in a variety of ways. I want to take an opportunity to also thank all teachers, principals, and staff of our remarkable Catholic schools for their commitment and dedication to educating our students.
As I have said many times, our Catholic school educators perfectly exemplify the call to service that Jesus asks of everyone. Catholic education is a vocation to educate and evangelize our youngest members of the Catholic faith. Throughout these most historic challenges of the past few years, our schools remained places of safety, consistency, and family.
 

The Catholic School Alliance is highlighting the members of our school communities who are dedicated to making our schools the best they can be. Please complete this form to nominate a teacher, student, parent, or administrator from your school. Each month we will feature a community member for their service to and love for their school. You may make your nomination here: www.catholicschoolsalliance.org/nominate
 

Pope St. Pius Awards

It was a great honor to present this year’s Pope St. Pius X Youth Awards to young people from throughout the Diocese on Monday evening. I am incredibly proud of each of the recipients who have generously shared their faith through service to the Church, families, and community. The world needs more people like these young men and women, more willing to be living witnesses to others—examples of Christian values serving their parishes in a variety of ministries. 
“Don’t pray for an easy life, pray for the strength to deal with a difficult one,” a powerful line in the new movie, Father Stu. Life can be beautiful regardless of the challenges or difficulties when we remain close to Christ. We can make a real difference in our world when we recognize the gifts and talents we’ve been given to learn, grow, and offer what God has given us to the world. You can find true joy and happiness in helping others and working for the greater good. 

Yes, indeed, our Church and the world need more faithful believers, like this year’s Pope Pius Award recipients, willing to love God, practice their faith, help others, and put their gifts and talents at the service of others. My sincerest congratulations to each and every one of the worthy recipients; we are all blessed because of their faithfulness and what they bring to our Diocese.
 

Upcoming Important Event

The Bishops of the United States are calling for a three-year grassroots revival of devotion and belief in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. They believe that God wants to see a movement of Catholics across the United States, healed, converted, formed, and unified by an encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist—and sent out in mission “for the life of the world.”

This Eucharistic Revival will launch on the weekend of the Feast of Corpus Christi this year, and all are invited to a special event to inaugurate the Revival in the Diocese of Fall River. Please plan to take part in a special Mass to be followed by a Eucharistic Procession and Adoration, beginning at 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 18, at Bishop Connolly High School in Fall River. The high school is located at 373 Elsbree St., in Fall River.
Yours in Christ,
Bishop da Cunha

The Most Reverend Edgar M. da Cunha, S.D.V., D.D.

The Bishop of Fall River