On Sunday, September 14, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Bishop Joseph celebrated Mass at Saint Mark’s Roman Catholic Church in Burton. Following the liturgy, he joined parishioners for their annual parish picnic, where they enjoyed delicious food, great music, fun, and a sense of community.
Bishop Joseph expressed heartfelt gratitude to Rev. Praveen Chattumala for his dedicated and faith-filled ministry, and to the parish community for their ongoing love and support of the Church and the Catholic faith. He encouraged all to continue participating in diocesan events, especially those connected to the Jubilee Year, and warmly invited the faithful to attend the upcoming diocesan celebration on September 28th, 5pm, at St. Dunstan’s Basilica Cathedral, where he will launch his vision for pastoral renewal in the Diocese.
A thought from the Bishop’s Homily
In his homily, Bishop Joseph reflected on the profound mystery of the Cross: once a symbol of death and shame, now exalted as the sign of God’s victorious love. To exalt the Cross, he said, “is to proclaim that even in suffering, Christ is present. Wherever the Cross is, Christ is. And wherever Christ is, there is life.”
