April 2, 2005

My Dear People of God,

It is with deep sadness that I note the passing of the Holy Father, John Paul II, on April 2, 2005.

In keeping with Church tradition, I am announcing a nine-day period of mourning. During this mourning period, I ask you to keep the Holy Father very much in your prayers. One way to pray is to recite the Lord’s Prayer, one Hail Mary and Glory Be for the intentions of the Holy Father. Another method is to pray the rosary either privately (as a family) or in a group, as the Holy Father was very devoted to the Blessed Mother and to the recitation of the Rosary.

A series of memorial liturgies and events will be held in various parishes throughout the mourning period. On the day of the Holy Father’s death, Evening Prayer was celebrated at St. John’s Cathedral in Fresno. Memorial masses will be held in various parishes according to a schedule determined by each pastor and Dean. A Diocesan-wide Mass will be held on April 9, 2005, at 6:30 p.m., at St. Anthony of Padua Church in Fresno. Please consult your parish office for more details as to specific dates and times for liturgies in your area, and for a suggested prayer list.

It would take volumes to summarize the positive contributions of the Holy Father during his pontificate. It is an understatement to say that his passing is a profound loss for the entire world community, as well as for the Catholic community. The Holy Father was a strong voice for the poor and vulnerable. He brought a new energy and zeal to youth ministry. He was a vigorous defender of life at its every stage. He upheld the sanctity of marriage and family life. The Holy Father was a model of piety and spiritual strength in dealing with his own personal struggles. His words were an eloquent exhortation to live the Christian message; his silence in the midst of physical suffering was heroic testimony that every moment of life has meaning and value.

The Holy Father was a great spiritual leader and a great political leader who traveled tirelessly to spread the Gospel message. He narrowed divisions among Jewish, Muslim and Orthodox communities. Because of him, walls of indifference, alienation, and separation have crumbled. The world will never be the same.

“Be not afraid!” With those words, John Paul II began his papacy in October 1978. Our human nature often reacts with fear and anxiety during any significant change in life. And it is human nature to mourn the loss of a loved one, as the Lord did at the death of his friend Lazarus. Let us comfort each other with the words of the Gospel with which John Paul II began his remarkable pontificate. Let us pray that the Resurrected Lord has welcomed home his good and faithful servant, John Paul II.

In Christ, our Lord,

Most Reverend John T. Steinbock

Bishop, Diocese of Fresno