Going into a Jubilee Year… with a lot of hope

The third edition of the State of Diocese was a great success. People mixed and mingled at 26 Ministry tables, from Catholic Schools to Human Resources to Scouting and the Farm of Hope. Sandra Ficenec, a parishioner at Corpus Christi Cathedral, opened the evening with a prayer before the Scouts presented the colors. MCs Katia Uriarte Philipello and Jesse DeLeon handed the microphone to Justin Medina, who invited everyone to join him for the Blessing of the Food.
 
After the meal, accompanied by live music by Carissa and Andrew Reyes, a video highlighted the work of Sr. Caritas Sparke, SOLT and the Youth Ministry in our Diocese. Two big youth gatherings with more than 200 teens participating, plus several smaller gatherings in rural areas, show a new blossoming of young people feeling at home in the Church.
 
Bishop Mulvey started his keynote address with the highlights of the past year: Silver and Gold Marriage Celebration at the Cathedral in February, his visits to the two Newman Centers in Corpus Christi and Kingsville, the BBQ with the Bishop celebrating all high school and college graduates and many parish confirmations.
 
More than 150 people entered the Catholic Church or received their sacraments and altar servers and scouts were recognized for their service. The Blue Mass honored all those working as first responders, while the Red Mass brings together those in the legal field.
 
The first synodality retreat in Alice marked the start of a deeper exploration of this meaningful style of being Church: “It’s all about listening—because God listens to us,” the bishop said. Sandra Ficenec, who participated in a synodality workshop in San Antonio, where Bishop Mulvey was one of the keynote speakers, shared how listening profoundly changed her relationship with her youngest son.
 
An unforgettable event was the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage passing through our diocese on the St. Juan Diego route. The bishop was installed as the State Chaplain for the Knights of Columbus. At the same time, Sir Knight Ron Alonzo was elected the Texas State Deputy. Lastly, the bishop celebrated his 75th birthday with a Mass with many of his brother priests concelebrating. He thanked all priests and deacons, saying, “You are a blessing for the diocese, and you are a blessing for me.”
 
On June 14, the bishop will ordain three new priests. However, there are only three more seminarians, and priests are needed for the Eucharist. A culture that fosters vocation is needed: “All of us who are here are vocation directors,” meaning everyone can pray for and work for vocations. The bishop suggested that every parish dedicate at least one day of adoration per month to praying for vocations, and every deanery will provide workshops on how to create vocation teams throughout the diocese.
 
On December 24, we will begin the Jubilee Year of Hope. “We are pilgrims of hope,” says Bishop Mulvey. By walking together, praying together, and serving together, we can find hope even in dark times.
 
Lastly, the bishop presented an exciting project – to light up the cathedral with beauty. “Our Cathedral is beautiful, but it needs some help – the pews are in bad shape, and we want to put the tabernacle back into the center.” He showed some stunning pictures of a design done by a studio from Verona, Italy. The people applauded and expressed immediate support for the project in many concrete ways.
 
After a brief exchange of thoughts and questions, the evening ended with a musical homage to our Lady, the Ave Maria by Franz Schubert. The bishop thanked everyone for their attendance, saying, “Together with Jesus in our midst, we can go ahead. And He is here tonight.”