Thank you for 6 years!

Here is Bishop Peter Sartain's letter to us here in the Diocese of Little Rock, as he leaves us for Joliet.

I am very pleased to share this part of his letter with you all. Bishop Sartain has been an especially great shepherd for our diocese in promoting a proper understanding of marriage, family, and sexuality. Even here in his final letter to us, he continues to teach us:

"Could I have said "no" to the apostolic nuncio? Some years ago it dawned on me that I had already said "yes," without knowing it, when I was ordained a deacon in 1977. It was then that I promised obedience to my bishop and his successors, and that promise implicitly contained a further promise to the Holy Father. One aspect of the promise, of course, involved accepting assignments my bishop might ask me to undertake; but even that was secondary to the fact that by making a promise of obedience I was surrendering myself to God and the needs of his people, whatever and wherever they might be.

I see a direct parallel in the commitment of marriage, when wives and husbands give themselves completely to one another for life, not knowing exactly what that gift will entail through the years. They make the gift with confidence because they love one another and know that "giving themselves away" will bring them joy."