La pandemia de COVID-19 ha estado con nosotros aquí en el oeste de Texas por aproximadamente cuatro meses. Muchos de nosotros esperábamos que ya se hubiera ido, pero no sabemos cuándo terminará. Ha puesto nuestras vidas al revés. Estoy muy impresionado con las muchas formas en que nuestra gente se está adaptando a las dificultades causadas por el coronavirus.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been with us here in West Texas for about four months now. Many of us hoped it would have gone away by now, yet we don’t know when it will end. It has turned our lives upside down. I have been very impressed with the many ways our people are adapting to the hardships brought about by the coronavirus.

Nuestras ciudades y condados locales han visto un crecimiento en el número de casos positivos de COVID-19 en las últimas tres semanas; los ingresos hospitalarios y los casos críticos también han aumentado muchísimo. Muchos de estos casos están ocurriendo entre nuestro pueblo Católico.

Our local cities and counties have seen a surge in the number of COVID-19 positive cases in the past three weeks; hospital admissions and critical cases have greatly increased as well.  Many of these cases are occurring among our Catholic people.

Bishop Michael Sis sat for an interview about recent comments tying depictions of Jesus as a caucasian man to white supremacy. Click above for a video in which the bishop discusses the Catholic perspective on this issue. [External Link]

Racism is real. On May 25, 2020, Mr. George Floyd died in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His tragic death caused an outpouring of grief and anger. What happened to Mr. Floyd was sickening. I can understand why people are outraged. It was another instance of a pattern that has been repeated far too many times – Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and now George Floyd. Every human being deserves to be safe, but for African-Americans in this country, they have long lived in fear, doubting that their personal safety will be protected in our society.

[click headline for video] "I greet the English-speaking faithful joining us through the media. Dear brothers and sisters in the United States, I have witnessed with great concern the disturbing social unrest in your nation in these past days, following the tragic death of Mr. George Floyd. My friends, we cannot tolerate or turn a blind eye to racism and exclusion in any form and yet claim to defend the sacredness of every human life. At the same time, we have to recognize that “the violence of recent nights is self-destructive and self-defeating. Nothing is gained by violence and so much is lost”. Today I join the Church in Saint Paul and Minneapolis, and in the entire United States, in praying for the repose of the soul of George Floyd and of all those others who have lost their lives as a result of the sin of racism. Let us pray for the consolation of their grieving families and friends and let us implore the national reconciliation and peace for which we yearn. May Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mother of America, intercede for all those who work for peace and justice in your land and throughout the world. May God bless all of you and your families."

"An international gathering of marital experts, presented by Joyful Ever After, and crafted to take your relationship to an entirely new level." June 11–13, 2020. Free to register. [External Link]

For the sake of the service of the people of God in the Diocese of San Angelo, Bishop Michael Sis announces the following changes of assignment of clergy effective July 1, 2020: 

The Augustine Institute recently launched a seven-part series video evangelization program. The first episode is provided free of charge. Click the link above to visit the official site for "The Search." [external link]

Every year, on the first Tuesday in May, the San Angelo Area Foundation organizes a concerted effort to encourage giving to local nonprofits, a drive known as “San Angelo Gives.” Over the 24-hour period of May 5, $2,677,064 were raised for 190 local nonprofits through 10,483 individual donations.

¿Tenemos clara cuál es la misión de los diáconos en la Iglesia? Ellos aportan al clero el mundo de la familia y de su profesión. Tienen mucho que dar. Son hombres con una vocación familiar de servicio a Dios y a sus hermanos muy clara y necesaria para la Iglesia. El servicio en la liturgia, a la palabra y a los más desfavorecidos está en la esencia de su misión. [enlace externo a YouTube]

Do we understand clearly the mission of deacons in the Church? They bring into the clergy the world of the family and of their profession. They have much to give. They are men with a very clear family vocation of serving God and their brothers and sisters, which is necessary for the Church. Service in the liturgy, service to the Word, and service to those most in need are essential to their mission. [external link to YouTube]

World Youth Day USA, the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, and All Saints Parish in Indiana have partnered to bring an 8-day online encounter, happening now. Click the headline above to view. more information in a newsletter from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Secretariat of Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth. [external link]

The Chrism Mass in the Diocese of San Angelo will be held Thursday, September 10, 2020, at 6:30 p.m. at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in San Angelo.

Dear friends in Christ, In the Catholic Churches of the Diocese of San Angelo, we will not be moving to Phase One of the return to public celebration of Mass on the weekend of May 2-3, because a few remaining points of our diocesan safety protocols are not yet finalized. We are making good progress, but there is still more preparatory work to be done. In the joy of Christ's service,

As the world continues to face the ongoing effects of the pandemic of the coronavirus, I invite you to join your prayers with millions of others on Friday, May 1, 2020. At 2:00 p.m. Central Time on that day, we will renew the consecrations of the United States and Canada to the care of our Blessed Mother under the title of Mary, Mother of the Church.

For the sake of the service of the people of God in the Diocese of San Angelo, Bishop Michael Sis announces the following changes of assignment of clergy effective July 1, 2020:

For forty-nine years, the Couple to Couple League International has served as a foundational Catholic apostolate in the spirit of Humanae Vitae, inspiring, educating and supporting couples in family planning that is natural, effective, healthy and consistent with God’s plan for life, love and marriage

Sister Imelda of Jesus was laid to rest on April 7, 2020, at Our Lady of Grace Carmelite Monastery in Christoval, Texas. The video of her funeral Mass can be viewed by here.