With great pleasure, I welcome you to the Web site of the
Diocese of Brooklyn. In it you will find many pages that will introduce you to
the varied programs and ministries the Diocese offers as it strives to respond
to the spiritual, pastoral, educational and social service needs of the people
in Brooklyn and Queens.
Several characteristics
of this Diocese make it unique: a large Catholic population, a diverse,
multi-cultural ethnicity, a continuing arrival of newcomers from other nations,
a small geographical area, a totally urban landscape. As you view the Web site,
you will recognize the impact these factors have on the life of the
Diocese.
By means of this
expanding communications medium of the Internet, I am taking the opportunity to
say how honored I am that our Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, selected me to
serve the faithful of the Diocese as their seventh bishop. Together, the
priests, deacons, Religious and laity have assisted my predecessors throughout a
l50-year diocesan history marked by generosity, Christian witness and an abiding
faith. I am confident that this same spirit will be a blessing to me in my
ministry here in the Diocese of Brooklyn.
As we proceed together
in this early stage of the new millennium by “putting out into the deep,” I
invite you to avail yourself of the programs, activities, events, services, news
and information that are provided by the Church in Brooklyn and Queens. We are
delighted to make the vibrancy of the Church known through these Web pages. May
they serve to enrich you in the practice of your
faith.
MISSION STATEMENT OF THE DIOCESE OF
BROOKLYN
At the dawn of a new Christian millennium, we,
the People of God of our uniquely urban and immigrant Diocese of Brooklyn and
Queens, are called by God, and empowered by his grace to be faithful witnesses
to the truth who is Jesus Christ, living the richness of our diversity in unity
and love. In the spirit of the Second Vatican Council, and our recent
Seventh Diocesan Synod, we understand that only Christ can lead us to the love
of God the Father in the Holy Spirit, and give all men and women a share in the
life of the Most Holy Trinity.
Professing a common faith
in Jesus Christ, and sharing in the life of grace through the sacraments,
faithful to the Magisterium, and empowered by the gifts of the Holy Spirit, we
desire that all come to know and share in God's life through Christ's Body, the
Church. To satisfy this desire, we dedicate ourselves
to:
* Evangelization:
proclaiming in word and
deed the Gospel of Jesus
Christ to all persons
in their native
languages, inviting them to share
our
faith.
*
Prayer and Worship: particularly through
the
proper celebration of the seven
sacraments,
especially the Eucharist, the
sacrament of
communion with God and our
brothers and
sisters.
*
Catechesis: faith formation of all the faithful
into dedicated, responsible Christians,
active in
the Church and in the
world.
* Witnessing to Christ and His
Gospel: in
all spirit-filled communities of faith; the
domestic church of the family, parishes
and
clusters, and the diocese as a
whole.
* Service to all Men and
Women: especially
the
poor and needy, by generous acts of
charity, and
uniting with all people of good will
to further
justice and peace in our society and
world, and to
affirm the sacredness of human
life, in accord
with the social teaching of the
Church.
* Ecumenical and
Interreligious
Dialogue: that both foster a
fuller
understanding of and respect for our
neighbors
who follow other paths to God, and
enables
us to give a true account of our faith in
Jesus
Christ.
Mindful of our need for God's grace, we humbly pray to the Father,
the Son and Holy Spirit through the intercession of Mary, the Immaculate
Conception, our Mother and patroness: May Jesus Christ, the way, the truth,
and the life, guide us on our earthly pilgrimage to our heavenly home,
where God will be all in
all.
