Messages to the Faithful

Rooted in biblical teachings, social justice has and remains central to our Catholic faith.

May this celebration of Advent and Christmas encourage each one of us to join the Holy Family in accompanying one another in wisdom and holiness.

January 1 also marks the World Day of Peace, further amplifying Our Lady’s role in helping us create a world filled with peace and hope and a world in which we are called to grow in our commitment as stewards of God’s gifts, the greatest being the human person.

We reflect how our Lord moves among us in our lived experiences as we reflect during these last few days of Advent.

As we prepare our hearts for the celebration of Christmas, we also consider Christ’s second coming at the end of time.

This graced time of quiet contemplation is also a busy time of celebrating God’s providence in our lives, especially with the Blessed Virgin Mary.

As citizens of Christ’s kingdom, we are called to take our rightful place in his creation and see all things through the lens of the Gospel.

While we come from different cultures and backgrounds, sometimes with different languages and customs, we find our truest identity as being created in the image and likeness of God. As Catholics, this oneness finds its most profound meaning in the reception of Holy Communion.

As we return to enjoying time with family and friends, the celebrations of All Saints and All Souls Days this week were even more poignant and meaningful for so many. In celebrating these feast days in remembrance of those who have gone before us, many painfully felt the feelings of emptiness and loss. 

We must remember that Living the Gospel of Life does not begin and end in October, we are called to live that commitment every day. Each day, we have the opportunity to extend our hearts and our hands to help our neighbors.

Let us open our hearts and minds and listen intently to the voice of God, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, who will lead us through this important process.

Together as the Body of Christ, we are called to give thanks, to walk with one another and share the graces given to us.

Let us listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit so that we may respond to the call to serve one another. May God bless you as your prayers bless me.

As we enter October, enjoying the changing of the season and cooler temperatures, we pause and reflect on an important time on the Catholic calendar - Respect Life Month.

In solidarity with the Holy Father, the Diocese of Austin embraces this year’s National Migration Week theme, “Toward an Ever Wider ‘We’”. This focus captures our Catholic tradition -- to act boldly, dispelling the culture of “them versus us” so that we can truly be witnesses to the teachings of Christ.

Please join me in praying that this holiday will offer hope for a future where all people will work to bring about the needed transformation of our understanding of true life, charity, and justice in the United States of America.

Effective May 23, 2021, Pentecost Sunday, the temporary protocols for the celebration of the sacraments initiated during the COVID-19 pandemic will be rescinded and the temporary dispensation from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass, which I granted because of the pandemic, will be lifted. I joyfully invite all Catholics back to in-person participation in the sacraments and the life of the parish.

As we approach the Sacred Triduum, Bishop Vásquez shares his message to the faithful.

Bishop Joe S. Vásquez, of the Diocese of Austin, issued the following pastoral message to the Catholic faithful on December 4, 2020: I am grateful for the recent news from Governor Abbott that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has earmarked over 1.4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines for the state of Texas to start arriving in mid-December. While this is wonderful news, we know that vaccinating an entire country will take several months and our precautions to stop the spread of the virus remain as important as ever.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ: This week Governor Greg Abbott issued a new executive order related to COVID-19, effective March 10, 2021, which rescinds his previous statewide mandate requiring face coverings. This order also allows for 100% capacity in most businesses. While rescinding the statewide mandate for the “wearing of a face covering,” the governor encourages all Texans to continue using face masks “wherever it is not feasible to maintain six feet of social distancing.”