Pastor's Corner, July 6, 2014

Dear Parishioners and Friends,

We just celebrated the birth of our nation this past July 4^th. We are truly blessed to live in a country that was established on principles of democracy and freedom. But this freedom does not come automatically. We have to continue to promote and defend all our freedoms, especially religious freedom.

I was shocked to read the news a few weeks ago about Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, Archbishop of San Francisco. He was chided by various politicians and publically ridiculed by various media outlets for participating in the March for Marriage this past June 19^th. Other threats to religious liberty include the mandate of the Department of Health and Human Services forcing religious institutions to facilitate and/or fund a product contrary to their own moral teaching. Moreover, in its over-100-year history, the University of California Hastings College of Law has denied student organization status to only one group, the Christian Legal Society, because it required its leaders to be Christian and to abstain from sexual activity outside of marriage.

These examples should encourage us to work hard to promote and defend religious liberty.

Here are some profound words of our bishops that can help us: “To be Catholic and American should mean not having to choose one over the other. Our allegiances are distinct, but they need not be contradictory, and should instead be complementary. That is the teaching of our Catholic faith, which obliges us to work together with fellow citizens for the common good of all who live in this land. That is the vision of our founding and our Constitution, which guarantees citizens of all religious faiths the right to contribute to our common life together” (from “Our First, Most Cherished Liberty”).

In Christ,

Msgr. Baker