A letter to medical personnel, staff and volunteers at Ascension Sacred Heart from Bishop Wack

Dear Brothers and Sisters:
 
Greetings in the Lord.  As the bishop of the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee, it is my special privilege to shepherd God’s people in good times and in trying times.  This includes not only those who are Catholic; all of us fall under God’s loving gaze and are part of this beloved community.  For us who are Christians, we know that Jesus Christ had a special love for the sick and the suffering.  Indeed, he said, “…I was sick, and you cared for me” (Mt. 25).
 
We are living in a very challenging time, a time of great anxiety, concern, and fear.  Every soul on earth feels the effects of the novel coronavirus, and all of us are in this together.  I am especially grateful to you and to your loved ones right now.  No doubt you – like myself – are also anxious and maybe even a little fearful, and yet you bravely face all kinds of dangers simply by showing up for work every day, treating our brothers and sisters who are ill and infirmed.
 
Thank you.  Thank you for your courage, your expertise, and your generosity.  Please know that you are not alone.  The whole Diocese is praying for you and pulling for you.  I pray for you every day (actually, every evening, when I say my night prayers!), and I will continue to do that.
 
May God bless you and your families, particularly in this momentous time for us on earth.  God is with us!  God works through and in you.
 
With the grateful heart of a shepherd, I am,

Sincerely yours, in Christ,

Most Rev. William A. Wack, CSC
Bishop of Pensacola-Tallahassee