In the romantic comedy, Wild Mountain Thyme, that debuted in 2020 and which takes its name from the Irish tune woven throughout the film, one of the main characters played by Christopher Walken laments the possible loss of the farm that has been in his family for generations. At the deepest moment of his fear, another character, played by Dearbhala Molly, said to him, "Things end when God wants them to." Her words were intended to provide comfort and assurance to this elderly man that if he is to lose his ancestral farm, it is because God believes it is the proper time for that loss to happen. In the end, it becomes a matter of trusting that God’s providential will is always designed for our best interests.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

We, the Catholic bishops of Illinois, write with a sense of urgency. Unless the General Assembly acts to renew the Invest in Kids scholarship program, more than 9,000 children currently relying on this program to attend a non-public school may have their educational path disrupted. Without an extension of the program in Illinois law now, no scholarships will be awarded for the school year that will begin in September 2024. Most of these children will have to leave the school their families determined was their best chance to receive a high-quality education in a safe and wholesome learning environment. This is an injustice that should and can be avoided, but only if the General Assembly acts when it reconvenes on October 24, 2023.

Dear Parishioners,

The back cover of this quarter’s Notre Dame Magazine features the following quotation by James Carroll,

The very act of storytelling, of arranging memory and invention according to the structure of the narrative, is by definition holy. We tell stories because we can’t help it. We tell stories because we love to entertain and hope to edify. We tell stories because they fill the silence death imposes. We tell stories because they save us.

Recently, some friends and I were debating if “milleversary” is a real word. I’d never heard of it, but some insisted it is a legitimate word that means 1,000-day anniversary. Some cleverly invented alternatives like “kiloversary,” or “k-day.”

This summer I celebrated my “milleversary” here in the Diocese of Joliet. September 29 will mark three years since I was installed as your bishop. I still remember my installation Mass as if it were yesterday. It was in the midst of the pandemic. Even though my heart raced with joy and excitement as I walked down the aisle and looked around, I thought to myself, what strange days these are with the pews only 20 percent filled with masked people.