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Bishop Wack does not plan on granting a dispensation in the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahasssee on Friday, March 17, 2023. People are still obliged to abstain from meat on Fridays during Lent. Bishop Wack encourages the faithful to honor the life of St. Patrick with our prayers and devotions by attending Mass and asking for his intercession, keeping the season of Lent holy and preparing ourselves to celebrate the risen Christ at Easter.

On January 22, the Catholic Church in the United States celebrates the twentieth anniversary of the pastoral letter Strangers No Longer: Together on the Journey of Hope. This landmark document, issued jointly by the bishops of the United States and Mexico, addressed the need to manage migration between the two countries more humanely and emphasized the importance of providing pastoral care to newcomers. The letter also underscored a part of the Church’s identity that is frequently affirmed by Pope Francis: we are a Church that transcends borders, in which nobody is seen as disposable and all are welcome.

TALLAHASSEE, FL (January 17, 2023) – Florida’s Catholic bishops have released a joint statement that observes January 22, 2023, as marking 50 years since the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade. The Catholic Church annually designates January 22 as a day of prayer and penance, called the "Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children.”

Please join us on Monday, January 16 at 10 a.m. for a "Celebration of Life" Mass at St. Anne Catholic Church in Pensacola (5200 Saufley Field Rd.) for Father George Sammut, who passed away on December 27, 2022. Bishop Wack will be the presider. All are welcome to attend.

PENSACOLA, FL (December 31, 2022) — I was saddened to learn of the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI early in the morning on Saturday, December 31. I urge all our pastors, religious and faithful, to offer prayers today and during this period of prayer for the repose of his soul. May God receive him into the heavenly banquet.

WASHINGTON – On Tuesday, the U.S. Senate passed the Respect for Marriage Act (H.R. 8404). The bill, which first passed the U.S. House of Representatives in July, will codify the nationwide redefinition of marriage to include same-sex couples in federal statute for the first time.

WASHINGTON – In advance of Monday’s Senate vote on H.R. 8404, the “Respect for Marriage Act” (RMA), Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee for Religious Liberty, and Bishop Robert Barron of Winona-Rochester, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life, and Youth, issued a joint letter and analysis urging Congress to oppose the measure.

Worldwide Marriage Encounter (WWME), the original faith based marriage enrichment program, recently selected a new United States leadership team. The new United States leadership team is Peter & Sheila Oprysko from Oakland, NJ and Fr. Dennis O’Brien from Pensacola, FL.

Governor Ron DeSantis announced on November 15 the schools across the state that will be designated as Florida’s first class of Purple Star campuses. St. John Evangelist School in Pensacola was one of 114 schools selected in 10 counties — one of only two Catholic schools in the state to earn this status.

The Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee continue to pray for the victims of Hurricane Ian. If you're looking for a way to help, please consider a gift that will help those whose lives have been forever changed by this disaster.

As Bishop Wack celebrates his fifth anniversary this year, he addresses the faithful by sharing insights on the state of the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee.

Bishop Wack has selected David Ell for the position of Diocesan Chief Operating Officer. In his role, David will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Pastoral Center, as well as assisting Bishop Wack with strategic planning for the diocese.

Bishop Wack announces priest personnel appointments in the diocese.

"While this decision is what we have been praying for, we know that the issue of abortion will not simply go away. Our ministry to assist women and families will continue. More than ever, we must be attentive to the needs of women facing unplanned and crisis pregnancies — to help them choose life for their child. We need to remember that every situation we face is personal; it comes down to how we treat the person who is right in front of us." - Bishop William A. Wack, CSC

On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court of the United States issued a landmark ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, overturning Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey. In response, the bishops of Florida issued the following statement:

The revival launches on the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Feast of Corpus Christi). The National Eucharistic Revival is a three-year initiative called upon the United States Bishops. The revival is intended to form, heal, convert and unite the people of God through a profound and renewed encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist. We are then called to be sent out into the world as "Eucharistic missionaries" to tend to the hurting and needs of the world. 

WASHINGTON - In response to the news of the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas reported this afternoon, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) offered the following statement from its spokesperson, Chieko Noguchi, director of public affairs.

Faithful Invited to Fast and Pray the Rosary on Friday in Midst of Tensions Over Leaked Draft Supreme Court Opinion In response to the leak of a draft opinion in the U.S. Supreme Court case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, some abortion advocates are calling for nationwide demonstrations, disruptions of church services, and the personal intimidation of specific Supreme Court justices.

Bishop Wack announces priest personnel appointments in the diocese.

The bishops of Florida are elated to see the ruling by Judge Angela Dempsey of the Second Judicial Circuit Court upholding a 2015 state law that gives women 24 hours to reflect on information provided by physicians before proceeding with abortions.