Dear Parishioners,
Archbishop Bernard Hebda recently released a pastoral letter to families titled Only One Thing Is Necessary: How Catholic Families Can Strive to Be United in This Life and the Next. As we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity this weekend, the timing could not be better.
Many people think of Trinity Sunday as one of the more abstract feast days of the Church year because it celebrates a mystery — a mysterion, to use the Greek word — meaning a divinely revealed truth that surpasses the limits of human reason. We do not confess three Gods, but one God in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the consubstantial Trinity. Yet the mystery of the Trinity is not a puzzle to solve; it reveals the deepest truth about God and about ourselves.
The Catechism reminds us that “God is an eternal exchange of love, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,” and that “He has destined us to share in that exchange” (CCC 221). Therefore, Christian family life finds its deepest meaning in learning to participate in the communion of love revealed in the Trinity.
That is why Archbishop Hebda repeatedly emphasizes in his letter that family life must be marked by communion, sacrifice, fidelity, and relationships
rooted in Christ. Human beings were created in the image of the Triune God and are therefore made for communion, not isolation; for self-giving love, not selfishness; and ultimately for eternal relationship with God and one another. This is why the family matters so deeply. Christian family life is not merely about maintaining traditions or surviving a busy schedule. Rather, the family is meant to become an icon of the Trinity—a place where love is lived concretely through prayer, sacrifice, forgiveness, fidelity, and joy.
The letter also reminds us that the parish itself is a “Family of Families,” accompanying us through every stage of life. In a culture marked by distraction, isolation, and anxiety, Archbishop Hebda points us back to what Jesus told Martha: “Only one thing is necessary.” Ultimately, that “one thing” is communion with Jesus Christ.
I strongly encourage every household in our parish to spend some time with this beautiful pastoral letter during the summer months. It is deeply hopeful, realistic, and rooted in the Gospel.
You can access the pastoral letter by clicking here, which will take you to the Archdiocesan webpage where you will find links to the full PDF version, a Spanish translation, an audio version of the letter, and additional resources.
May the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit draw our parish family ever more deeply into the communion of divine love. God bless you all!
Sincerely in Christ,
Fr. Bill Duffert