Dear John,

I am deeply touched, as will be all priests who read your kind letter, by the power and clarity of your words.

You have rightly noted a little spoken about tragedy and paradox within the Church, a cause of immense suffering within the priesthood.

We know the roots of this lie in an even greater tragedey and injustice, namely decades of abuse of innocents, whose cries went unheard by other bishops.

Both tragedies, sins, will take perhaps generations to heal, forgive and so this Year of the Priest is, I believe, an invitation for all we priests to be renewed, and for all the laity to pray for the healing and sanctification of the priesthood so no innocent will ever suffer again and all injustice be purged from within the Church.

Like Simon of Cyrene you are helping Christ the Priest, Christ in every priest to love, trust, accept, obey, surrender to the Holy Will of the Father, to walk in and with Christ this Via Dolorossa.

I know Jesus and Mary love you and your family and be assured of my prayer and blessing, my immense gratitude.

Fr. Joseph