We Are His Witnesses

My dear sisters and brothers in Christ,

On January 6, 2025, the eighth anniversary of my installation as Archbishop of Newark, I published a pastoral letter entitled We Are His Witnesses. This letter, which is addressed to all the People of God here in northern New Jersey, offers some reflections on the themes of “pastoral conversion” and “missionary discipleship” that our Holy Father Pope Francis has called us to prayerfully consider since he began his ministry as the successor of Saint Peter more than eleven years ago.

Here are a few of my reflections in We Are His Witnesses:

• What is this “path” of pastoral conversion and missionary discipleship that we are called to follow as the People of God here in northern New Jersey? Jesus tells us that He Himself is the way, the truth, and the life (Jn 14:6). He invites us to repent, to change the way we live, and to follow Him. What’s more, He invites us to be His witnesses and to share His love and His truth with everyone we encounter.

• Pastoral conversion requires nothing more or less than our willingness to be open to what God’s Word is saying to us and to listen to one another. As we travel together as daughters and sons of God the Father and as sisters and brothers in Christ, united in the Holy Spirit, we are challenged to be agents of growth and change in our world. We must not be afraid to leave the comforts of home, or to risk venturing out into the world, because we are not alone. The Spirit of God leads the way, and we are accompanied by Mary and all the saints who walk alongside us as we follow in the footsteps of Jesus.

• The Final Document, For a Synodal Church:  Communion, Participation, Mission, which was approved by the Holy Father at the conclusion of the Synod in Rome last October, makes this powerful observation:

The Church exists to bear witness in the world to the most decisive moment in history: the Resurrection of Jesus. The Risen Christ brings peace to the world and gives us the gift of His Spirit. The living Christ is the source of true freedom, the foundation for a hope that does not disappoint, the revelation of the true face of God and humanity’s ultimate destiny (#14).

Continue reading Cardinal Joseph Tobin’s latest newsletter.