Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Fr. Stanley Rother's beatification was held in Oklahoma City last Saturday. This is the 14th United States Saint. The U.S.A. also has its first beatified martyr.

So who is Fr. Stanley Rother? He was a farm boy raised from our nation's heartland. He was raised in Okarche, Oklahoma and his Catholic parish, school and family farm were the pillars of his life. He had good priestly examples so that when the Holy Spirit called him to priestly ministry, he had good examples to guide him.

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Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

This past week on the Feast of the Exultation of the Holy Cross and the 30th anniversary of St. John Paul II's historical visit to the Arizona desert, I formally announced to the public a campaign to strengthen evangelization and discipleship efforts in the Diocese of Phoenix.

Bishop Olmsted's Complete Letter

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Do you know that people “confess” all the time today? Not to a priest and certainly not in the confessional (the normal place people go to receive the sacrament of confession). No, very often people share their sins openly… with the world… on the web… without any hope of counsel, penance, or absolution. Some people post all kinds of sins on Facebook, tweets and so on. Tragically, people can search for a solution to their problems in the wrong places.

A brother priest recently found a number of “confession websites.” Some were just places that troubled people typed regrets for all to see. But one of them even used Catholic confessional verbiage and had a disclaimer that read, “This is a free service provided for the Internet community and not endorsed by the Church…”

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Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I recently had an entire day off away from the parish. So I went to visit with my brother and his family. As I drove off for the day, I realized that I forgot my smart phone. I almost turned back, but thought twice. Perhaps, from time to time, I need to be less connected to my email, text messages and phone that seem to keep my priestly duties front and center.

It was an interesting and good day. I noticed that it was difficult to not be plugged in. I was nervous that some crisis was not being tended to, despite the fact that my capable Parochial Vicar, Fr. Daniel, was at the parish and ready for duty. By the end of the day, I realized too, that constant multitasking between work and leisure isn’t so leisurely. And that even doing my beloved priestly ministry, I have to live a life that balances work, faith, leisure, family and so on. It was a timely experience as we approached Labor Day.

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