Cardinal Tobin’s pastoral letter on ‘We Are His Witnesses’
On March 4, Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R., Archbishop of Newark, issued the following pastoral letter regarding the We Are His Witnesses initiative:
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
The peace of Christ our Redeemer be with you.
As we reflect on our mission as disciples of Jesus, I am reminded of the words of Pope Leo XIV in his Apostolic Exhortation, Dilexi Te (On Love for the Poor), issued on October 4, 2025, the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi. He wrote that “Christian love breaks down every barrier, brings close those who were distant, unites strangers, and reconciles enemies…It makes what was apparently impossible happen.” His words remind us that the heart of our faith is love—love that knows no limits, seeks no enemies, and calls us to reach beyond what we may think is possible.
I hope you will agree with me that this reflection provides all of us with a powerful incentive to reexamine who we are as missionary disciples of Jesus Christ called to know, love, and serve him in parish communities throughout northern New Jersey. Are we a Church that “sets no limits to love”? Are we open to making the “apparently impossible happen”? Or do we insist on limiting ourselves to the way we have always done things?
Over the past months, the Archdiocese of Newark has undertaken the initiative We Are His Witnesses as a prayerful and thoughtful response to the realities before us, so that God might renew our Church for mission. I want to share where we are and how we must move forward together, asking ourselves with renewed urgency: What does it mean to be a missionary Church in northern New Jersey today? How can we truly be “a Church that sets no limits to love?”
The leadership of the Archdiocese has listened to you. In the conversation that occurred in almost every parish, many of you spoke with conviction and hope about becoming more missionary parishes: communities ready to share responsibility for forming disciples, eager to reach beyond parish walls and live lives that invite people to Christ. Others expressed fear, uncertainty and resistance, especially about the possibility of parish mergers or closures. Some saw no need for any change at all.
It is important to say clearly that some parishes and parishioners came to believe—incorrectly—that the overall goal of We Are His Witnesses is to close churches. That has never been the purpose. This work is not driven by downsizing, but by mission: by the call to strengthen parish life so that it can truly form disciples and reach those who are not yet engaged in the life of the Church.
Continue reading Cardinal Tobin’s pastoral letter HERE.
