Dear People of Hamilton Diocese,

We have just complete the celebration of the great Jubilee. All of our wonderful Jubilee celebrations in the diocese - whether they involved liturgy, study, prayer, or entertainment - were intended to bring us closer to our Lord Jesus Christ and to make His Presence more visible to our world. Hopefully each one of us can say that we have succeeded to some degree.

Now the holy season of Lent is near.

The season of Lent - with its forty days of penance, fasting, charity, and prayer - asks from each of us an intensified effort in our quest for a greater friendship with the Lord, and for a greater fidelity to Him. Lent reminds us that before the glory of the Resurrection there comes the Passion of the Cross. Lent recalls us to the need to take up the Lord's Cross and follow Him.

For some, our Lenten practice may involve a better acceptance of inevitable pain or difficulty. For others, it means voluntarily doing without things that we enjoy. For all, it should mean more frequent and better prayer - especially the greatest prayer, the Eucharistic Sacrifice of the Mass.

One of our Jubilee initiatives was a renewal of common baptismal vows with members of the Anglican and Lutheran churches in our diocese. Our Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, has urged all Christians to take steps toward healing the rifts which divide the Body of Christ. This small step will be repeated across our diocese this year on the First Sunday of Lent.

Almsgiving, the sharing of material goods for the benefit of the needy, is also a Lenten tradition. For several years, a major focus has been the collection for the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace. This collection continues this year. But because of the financial support that they gave to the World March for Women, many in the past year have indicated to me an unwillingness to contribute to Development and Peace. Therefore, I am offering the charitable Relief Fund of the Holy Father as an official option in this diocese. (This differs from the Peter's Pence collection which will occur later in the spring.)

May this Lenten Season be a time of dedicated renewal in the Lord for each person in the diocese.

Yours sincerely in Christ,

BISHOP OF HAMILTON