Sunday School is a familiar to term to many of the faithful. It is in this setting that we have traditionally done, catechesis, that is, the passing on of the faith. This task is essential to the growth of our Church universally and locally. For Archbishop Dunn this is a priority - a pastoral priorities. In his January letter to the faithful he said:
Knowing who you are is important. As followers of Christ, we know we are sons and daughters of Christ, individually. Yet we live our faith communally as part of a parish. What is the identity of your parish. In the last 18 months, the parishes of the Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth have not only lived a new reality in light of a global pandemic but ALSO as new parishes.
“For you always have the poor with you...” Matt 26.11
We heard Jesus express this to his Apostles in Matt’s gospel only a few weeks ago. The phrase is as true for us today, as it was then. We know everywhere around us there are many who go without or have to make difficult choices about what basic necessities they can afford. Living through a global pandemic has only highlighted the needs of those who are vulnerable. If the poor are always with us, then as followers of Christ today we must always seek ways to help those in need. When Archbishop Dunn moved to Halifax, he was struck by the number of poor and vulnerable he came across as he walked down the street. Moved by this new-to-him experience he reflected on what he could do, and what we as a people faith could do.
January 28, 2021
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
As we begin 2021 it is important to build on the good work done in our pastoral plan Equip the Saints and set some goals and priorities for our work this year. In my letter to the clergy on November 27, 2020, I outlined some of the areas of pastoral concern that I see within our archdiocese. In addition to these, I have also heard the concerns of people and pastors in our many meetings and visits over the course of this pandemic. With these reflections in mind, I would like to highlight the following pastoral priorities for the Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth for 2021:
