The following letter from The Most Reverend Dennis M. Schnurr, Archbishop of Cincinnati, is dated Feb. 15, 2015 and will also appear in the March 2015 print edition of The Catholic Telegraph.

The complete letter is reprinted here:

February 15, 2015

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Grace and peace to you as we prepare to enter into the season of Lent.

As you may have heard, I have asked every parish or pastoral region in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati to participate once again in the initiative called, The Light Is On for You.   We participated in this initiative for the first time last year and found it to be a very positive experience for those who took advantage of this opportunity.   Many who had not participated in the Sacrament of Reconciliation for some time expressed great gratitude to once again experience the healing power of Christ through this Sacrament.

Pope Francis said, “The Church, who is holy and at the same time in need of penitence, accompanies us on the journey of conversion throughout our life. The Church is not mistress of the power of the keys, but a servant of the ministry of mercy and rejoices every time she can offer this divine gift” (General Audience, Wednesday, 20 November 2013).  The priests of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati hope to provide this gift of Christ’s mercy as they listen to you and accompany you on your search for healing and reconciliation.

The Light Is On for You is an opportunity for each of us to experience the forgiveness and joy given through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. I, too, am a sinner. I know it is never easy to speak aloud our faults and ask forgiveness.  Yet, we meet Christ, the Divine Healer, in the Sacrament.  I am humbled each time I hear the confession of a person seeking the mercy of Christ and spiritual wholeness.

I invite every Catholic in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati to experience the grace and healing balm of this Sacrament this Lenten season. Whether you come to one of our churches on Tuesday, March 3, from 7 p.m.-9 p.m. or participate in a communal penance celebration at your parish, or experience the Sacrament on some other occasion. I welcome you home to this Sacrament and to the peace and joy of being reconciled to Christ and to one another.

Bishop Joseph R. Binzer and I, along with our brother priests, look forward to the great privilege of ministering the healing mercy of Christ on March 3, as we do throughout the year.

Please, do not let anything keep you from the welcoming embrace of our heavenly Father. As Pope Francis reminds us, “Let us not forget that God never tires of forgiving us; through the ministry of priests he holds us close in a new embrace and regenerates us and allows us to rise again and resume the journey. For this is our life: to rise again continuously and to resume our journey” (General Audience, Wednesday, 20 November 2013).

Sincerely yours in Christ,
Most Reverend Dennis M. Schnurr
Archbishop of Cincinnati

 Posted Feb. 15, 2015