Forward Momentum of Hope and Faith

By Kristine Rilling
08/06/2025

This year, we find ourselves living in a truly historic time for the Catholic Church. With hearts still tender from the passing of Pope Francis, we now look with hope to Pope Leo XIV — a shepherd rooted in prayer, shaped by global service and already calling us to greater unity and courage in proclaiming the Gospel. His words echo across continents and into our own pews here in northwest Pennsylvania: In the One, we are one — a reminder that unity in Christ is not only a theological truth but a call to walk together in faith as one diocesan family.

That message resonates deeply with me, both professionally and personally. Having stepped into a new role within the diocese this year, I’ve been blessed to begin building relationships with so many passionate, mission-driven leaders. Each conversation reminds me that we are a church made up of people — people who care, who collaborate and who quietly carry the faith forward every day.

In many ways, I feel the same sense of hope in this work as I do watching my own child cross the stage at his high school graduation — a mix of gratitude, awe and renewed purpose. That moment was a reminder not only of personal milestones, but of the collective hopes we carry for our children: that they will be strong in character, rooted in truth and confident in their place in the world. Faith is what makes that possible. It grounds them. It grounds us.

Moments like that remind us why our faith and our efforts matter: because the church has something life-giving to offer — not just to adults, but to the next generation who are growing, questioning and learning what it means to live with purpose and hope.

This is where our shared mission becomes real. Through the ongoing synod, we are listening more deeply than ever. Across our diocese, we are working to strengthen the church, connect it more closely and make it more responsive to the needs of the people we serve. And thanks to initiatives like the Catholic Services Appeal, we quietly support the diocesan offices and ministries that help our children grow in faith, accompany families through difficult seasons and bring people back to the sacraments.

This work isn’t always visible — but it is always vital.

As we continue through the Jubilee Year of Hope in 2025, I invite you to stay close to this mission. Pray for our Holy Father and for the church. Share your gifts, your ideas, your presence. Take a moment to look around — at your family, your parish, your neighborhood — and ask how the Holy Spirit might be calling you to bring hope to someone else.

Together, grounded in faith and united in purpose, we are writing the next chapter of the church in our diocese. And it is filled with hope.