Bathurst Bishop Michael McKenna has released Hail Mary!, a pastoral letter inviting Catholics across the diocese to reflect on Mary’s unique place in Christian faith and her role in drawing people closer to Jesus.
Drawing on Scripture and Church teaching, the letter explores Mary’s response to God, her motherhood and her companionship with those who follow her Son.
Bishop McKenna writes, “She is our sister chosen to be the mother of the only begotten Son of God. She is unique and indispensable”.
Through reflections on the Annunciation, the wedding at Cana and Mary’s presence at the foot of the Cross, the Bishop encourages readers to spend time with these Gospel passages in prayer.
Bishop McKenna also commends the Rosary as a way to contemplate Scripture in Mary’s company.
The letter encourages Catholics to ground their devotion in Scripture and Church teaching, keeping Jesus at the centre.
Bishop McKenna also recalls placing the diocese under the care of Our Lady of the Central West at the beginning of his episcopal ministry 17 years ago.
The opening page features The Moment Everything Changed, a water-colour painting by Piper, a Year 6 student at Holy Family Catholic School in Bathurst, NSW, which won the Bishop’s Award in this year’s Christmas Storytelling and Art Competition.
The letter concludes with the bishop’s prayer asking Mary to protect the diocesan community, strengthen its faith and keep its eyes fixed on Jesus.
Read Bishop McKenna’s pastoral letter.
FULL STORY
Hail Mary! A Pastoral Letter to God’s People of the Diocese of Bathurst (Bathurst Diocese)
