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| Bishop Richard J. Malone (Catholic) Diocese of Buffalo |
This week, [we] will be receiving a joint pastoral letter from Bishop Malone and Bishop William Franklin of the Episcopal Diocese of Western New York, calling for prosperity to be shared with all in this new day in Western New York
“This is an historic collaboration in Western New York between our two dioceses. It focuses on important local and regional issues that we both feel should be addressed, in a spirit of both hope and challenge,” said Bishop Malone
The joint letter celebrates the rejuvenation of Buffalo that has been witnessed over the past several years and calls for civic and business leaders to actively seek ways for the new prosperity to be spread throughout the wider region.
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| Bishop R. William Franklin Episcopal Diocese of Western New York |
“Over and over again the Bible teaches us that we are all connected, that we are all neighbors to each other and that we are all equal parts of the body of Christ. We believe that in ensuring opportunities for others, we serve Christ himself,” said Bishop Franklin. “This is why we chose to speak out together. For only by people of all faiths, all races, all ethnic and economic backgrounds and all political views working together can Western New York be healed.”
Calling this time in the region a “new day,” the bishops wrote:
“For us as Christians, as bishops, as spiritual leaders of this region, this new day is not just an economic concern, or a business concern, or a public relations concern. For us, it is a Gospel concern. In this new day before us we hope to see The Kingdom of God on earth reflect the community Jesus built around him: full of women and men, minorities, the poor, and the marginalized. In this new day we hope there will be plenty for everyone, that all will share in the bounty, and that labor will be adequately rewarded. We envision a just society where the dignity of every human being is respected.”
In the spirit of this Advent season, please join Bishop Malone and Bishop Franklin in working to encourage...[others] to become advocates of this new day in their personal and professional lives so that deep and lasting change will take hold in communities, businesses and the halls of government.