While it hardly seems possible, I have now completed ten years as the eighth bishop of Sacramento. The time has gone by incredibly fast. These have been good years for me and, I hope, also for the Diocese. So many positive things have happened since I began my ministry in January 1994. I can honestly say that I felt at home in Northern California and Sacramento from the very beginning. I certainly feel at home and rooted now. I look forward to this being my home, God willing, for many years to come.

I give thanks to God for the many blessings and opportunities of these ten years; for calling me to serve as your Bishop in spite of my limitations and unworthiness. I am grateful to the faithful of the Diocese for the support of your prayers, patience, and generosity. Only because of this and God’s grace have I been able to fulfill my duties as your Bishop. To be the leader of this vibrant and growing Diocese is an honor and a privilege. I have learned so much from you and been very richly blessed.

In a way, it is like a marriage — bishop and people that form this diocesan Church. It is not by accident that the Church places a ring upon a new bishop’s finger, to be an ongoing sign and reminder of his union with, and commitment to, his people. “Take this ring, the seal of your fidelity. With faith and love protect the bride of God, his holy Church.” (Rite of Ordination of Bishops)

The opening of the new Diocesan Pastoral Center occurred just as I arrived. Bringing all diocesan departments together under one roof signaled a new era for our growing diocese. So many other good things followed, to mention a few: new or upgraded parish facilities, expansion of Catholic schools, greatly increased circulation of The Catholic Herald, the growth of Catholic Radio, the beginnings of two Catholic universities; increased seminarians and ordination of priests and deacons; greater service to our Hispanic and other ethnic communities; a successful diocesan capital campaign.

Both the Diocese and I have been singularly blessed by Auxiliary Bishop Richard Garcia, whose tireless efforts are well known. Without Bishop Garcia’s support and generous service, it would be difficult for me to adequately serve this expansive diocese.

I am grateful in a special way to the fine priests, religious and deacons of the diocese. A group of more talented, dedicated, hard-working and generous people I cannot imagine. I express my profound thanks especially to the priests, with whom I have worked most closely, and who selflessly serve the mission of the Church and deserve our utmost respect. But I am also immensely grateful to the corps of lay leaders at both parish and diocesan levels. I am especially grateful to my very competent diocesan staff who give of themselves without stint, deeply love the Church and have been exceedingly kind and helpful to me.

I believe that our Catholic presence, visibility, and impact in Northern California is strong. I had the good fortune to follow Bishops Francis A. Quinn and Alden J. Bell, who were excellent leaders and highly respected on the civic level, as well as in the Diocese. They established considerable credibility for the Catholic Church, upon which I have done my best to build.

On a personal note, I cannot help but be grateful to God for preserving my health. As many of you know, I was diagnosed 23 years ago with a serious liver disease (primary sclerosing cholangitis). While it has slowly progressed, it has been surprisingly stable. With good medical attention, I have been able to function quite normally. There are signs that this may change at some point in the future, and I may be a candidate for a liver transplant. I will be grateful for your continued prayers, but, in the meantime, my energy and function are still good.

I am immensely pleased with the response of so many of the faithful to the CARA survey and the pastoral planning process. I commend you, not only for your faith commitment, but also the willingness of so many of you to volunteer your time, talent, and treasure. Many have generously responded to service on parish pastoral councils, finance councils, school commissions and other groups that support parish and diocesan life. Because of your enthusiastic response and your expressed desire to know the faith and to hand on the faith to the next generation, it seemed to me to be the right time to convoke a Diocesan Synod.

I feel especially blessed to be your bishop as we prepare for our Diocesan Synod in October of this year. This will give us a chance to celebrate the grace and achievements of the past. But more, it will challenge us to recommit ourselves to being and achieving an ever more vibrant Catholic presence, life, and impact for the future. To assist us all in adequately rising to this challenge, please join me around the Synod theme: “Journeying Together in Christ.”

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