Finding Hope through Mercy
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
As we begin this Jubilee Year of Hope, I write to you with deep joy and a heart filled with gratitude. The Holy Father calls us, in this special year, to renew our faith in the power of hope. In the papal proclamation of the Jubilee Year, Spes Non Confundit (Hope Does Not Disappoint), Pope Francis reminds us that hope is not a mere wish but a living force rooted in God's unshakable promises. It is through hope that we come to experience the fullness of His mercy.
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
As we begin this Jubilee Year of Hope, I write to you with deep joy and a heart filled with gratitude. The Holy Father calls us, in this special year, to renew our faith in the power of hope. In the papal proclamation of the Jubilee Year, Spes Non Confundit (Hope Does Not Disappoint), Pope Francis reminds us that hope is not a mere wish but a living force rooted in God's unshakable promises. It is through hope that we come to experience the fullness of His mercy.
It is this hope that leads us to be merciful to others, as we are first recipients of the boundless mercy of God. Through the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy, we put our hope into practice, offering tangible signs of God's love to the world in need. We are not simply performing acts of charity; we are participating in the hope that God has already given us. Each act is an expression of Christ's love, a beacon of His mercy, and a powerful reminder that we are called to be instruments of His love in the world.
We began this year with our new pastoral plan, "A Call to Conversion: Courageously Living the Gospel." Our focus, our priorities for the next five years, is to place God first in all things, to love as God loves and serve as Christ serves, and to go and make disciples.
One of our first initiatives is a challenge! I challenge every one of us in the five counties that make up the Diocese of Saint Petersburg to together complete one million (1,000,000) Works of Mercy by December 15, 2025. I am asking every parishioner, every parish, every school, and every youth group to spend time throughout the year intentionally practicing the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy. These acts are accomplished by treating others with kindness and mercy within our families, workplaces, schools, neighborhoods, parishes, and communities.
I am asking every parish and school to provide formation in order to understand how to live out these Works of Mercy in daily life and then to set a goal of how many they, as a parish or school community, will undertake throughout the year (hopefully a minimum of 2,025 Works of Mercy per parish or school). Invite others, perhaps those who haven't been to church in a while, or those without a religious affiliation, to assist you. By doing so, imagine the transformation that will take place in Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco, Hernando, and Citrus Counties if 1,000,000 Works of Mercy are gifted to others.
This Jubilee Year of Hope invites us to engage more deeply in these Works of Mercy. May the Holy Spirit continue to strengthen us in our journey, that we may be true witnesses of hope and mercy. Let us pray that, through the grace of this Jubilee Year, we may live out, with renewed vigor and commitment, the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy throughout the Diocese of Saint Petersburg. As we are all called to conversion, may we reflect the boundless mercy of our Heavenly Father as we serve as His instruments of hope.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Most Reverend Gregory L. Parkes
Bishop of Saint Petersburg
