The day began with prayer that focused on one of the key themes of the Year of Faith – reconnecting with one’s personal experience of Christ. The audience watched video testimonials of parish or school staff members from each vicariate who shared how God has revealed Himself to them.
After some small group sharing on similar questions, Bishop Barnes stepped to the lectern to deliver his annual address, which reflected on the living of the first four months of the Year of Faith in the diocese amid a variety of “tests,” from threats to religious freedom, to the re-emergence of the sexual abuse crisis in the news, to renewed prospects for immigration reform, to the recent resignation of Pope Benedict XVI.
“We look now in these four months hopefully with different eyes as we encounter Christ in all of these circumstances and events,” Bishop Barnes said.
Parishes have been encouraged to offer at least one mission or retreat for their people during the Year of Faith and Bishop Barnes said he has asked priests to focus on preaching.
“I’ve asked them to make their homilies more alive, occasions of evangelization and catechesis for the people,” Bishop Barnes said.
With the Year of Faith nearly half complete, Bishop Barnes mentioned many positive examples of how the Year has been observed in parishes and in diocesan ministry. He then invited audience members to share unique ways that their parish has lived the Year of Faith. Some examples included neighborhood missionary work (Our Lady of the Valley, Hemet), studying specific Catholic books and media (St. Francis Cabrini, Crestline; Holy Name of Jesus, Redlands) and keeping a weekly holy hour (Sacred Heart, Rancho Cucamonga), among other observances.
Bishop Barnes also singled out vibrant ministries in youth, marriage, faith formation and civic participation as promoting the Year of Faith. “I see a hunger in many of our people to know the faith,” he said, referencing strong participation in diocesan faith formation programs.
With the 35th Anniversary of the diocese also falling this year, Bishop Barnes urged a spirit of gratitude for the many blessings, past and present, in the diocese. He announced, in that spirit, that he would bestow his Episcopal ‘Amar Es Entregarse’ Award this year upon founding diocesan Bishop Phillip Straling, Rabbi Hillel Cohn, a longtime supporter and interfaith ally of the diocese, and the Sisters of the Incarnate Word, who established St. Bernardine Hospital (see related story).
The day closed with a Mass as each Vicariate processed to a designated location in the large Church.