Dear friends,

As I drove from Chicago to Cincinnati on the day before the announcement of Archbishop Schnurr’s retirement and my appointment as the next Archbishop of Cincinnati, my thoughts turned toward the journey ahead. I found myself not only considering the immediate journey of the coming weeks, as I would pack up my life in the Windy City and relocate to the Queen City; I thought about the journey we share as disciples on the road of life.

Wherever we may be born and wherever our life takes us, we quickly discover that the gift of life places us in the midst of a community. Our life is connected to the lives of everyone around us, impacting our family of birth, the broader human family, and all of God’s creation. We journey together, pilgrims of hope traveling along the path of life and striving to look to the future “with an open spirit, a trusting heart and far-sighted vision” (Letter of the Holy Father to the President of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization, for the Jubilee 2025).

Centuries ago, two disciples of Jesus journeyed together on the road to Emmaus. As they made their way, they found themselves conversing and debating about many things. Their conversation surely included moments of agreement and moments of disagreement and might well have led them to go their separate ways upon arriving in Emmaus. Instead, they found themselves more united through their time together, reaching Emmaus in greater communion with one another. What happened on that journey to assist them in the discovery of true communion?

Their eyes had been opened to discover Jesus in their midst. Recognizing the presence of Christ transformed them. They no longer focused on their own words, speaking at each other with words to convince or cajole. Rather, they focused on the Living Word, the Emmanuel—God with us—calling them into communion and not competition. With the Word of God as their focus, the disciples found the ability to accompany each other on the way, walking together with Jesus on a journey to greater holiness.

We have been called to that same encounter with Christ, alive and present among us just as He was alive and present to those disciples on the road to Emmaus. Sometimes we may find ourselves like those disciples of old, focused on our own words and firm in our resolve to make our point to those with whom we are speaking. In those moments, we need to set our gaze upon Christ and give the Word of God the ability to speak through us as the source of all we say and do.
Pope Francis, in his message during the Angelus of January 23, 2022, reminds us, “The Word of God is also the beacon that guides the synodal journey that has begun throughout the Church. As we strive to listen to each other with attention and discernment—because it is not about conducting an inquiry on opinions, no, but about discerning the Word, there—let us listen together to the Word of God and to the Holy Spirit.”

As I begin my journey with you in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, I look forward to discovering together the presence of Christ in our midst. With Christ to instruct and guide, I hope that we can help one another to view the world around us in the Light of Christ and experience together the blessing of being one with God and one with neighbor. With the Word of God as our inspiration and the Divine Light of Christ as our beacon, we will find our way, each step leading us out of the darkness of sin and division and into the light of reconciliation. With the assistance of God’s saints and angels, who intercede for us, I look forward to walking with you and sharing the peace, love and joy that has been offered to us through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.