Los Angeles, Calif., Oct 12, 2012 / 01:16 am
Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles has written his first pastoral letter to his archdiocese, invoking the Catholic history of California and calling on Catholics to witness to the "New World of faith."
"Los Angeles - like all of California and the Americas -is built on a Christian foundation. And today we are called to build on that missionary foundation to make a new evangelization of the Americas," the archbishop said in his Oct. 2 letter, which was released Oct. 10, the eve of the Catholic Church's Year of Faith.
"The world needs a new evangelization! The people of our city, our nation and our continent are waiting for the encounter with Jesus Christ who makes all things new," he proclaimed.
Archbishop Gomez encouraged Catholics to embrace the Year of Faith as "a time of interior renewal and spiritual preparation for a new Christian witness to our city and our continent." This renewal is for each individual and for the archdiocese in its parishes, schools, catechesis, religious education, and social ministries.