The devastation delivered by this past weekend’s tornadoes, especially in our neighboring Kentucky, reminds us of how fragile are even those things we consider most stable: our homes and neighborhoods, our health and security, our faith and confidence in God. As a young priest, I served in Louisville a decade after the 1974 tornadoes that destroyed properties and lives. Even those years later, I had parishioners who continued to suffer the practical, emotional, and spiritual effects of that profoundly destabilizing experience.

As we make our way through Advent toward new spiritual beginnings, I write to inform you of two departures of treasured Diocesan staff members who are leaving for new beginnings in their own lives.