| Thirsty no more: This past weekend we heard the marvelous encounter of Jesus with the Samaritan woman. They both came to a well to get a drink. The Samaritan woman discovers that Jesus is the living water: “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again; but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst.” Ironically, both came to the well thirsty. Neither had a drink of water, but their thirst was quenched. Welcome: The Rite of Election and Call to Continuing Conversion, celebrated in our Diocese on the First and Second Sundays of Lent, is something special. Throughout many places in Europe and in our country more and more people are joining the Catholic Church. We hope to share some of their stories through our communications office. War: There are so many areas in our world besieged by war and violence. It’s a sign that our world is broken and needs healing. Come Lord Jesus! Please join me in praying together as a diocese, a Novena asking Our Lady of Perpetual Help to intercede for peace in our world. The Novena will begin on March 17th and end on March 25th (The Feast of the Annunciation). The daily prayers can be found on our diocesan website HERE. Hope: A priest sent me an interview with Dominican Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe, who is currently visiting Dominican priests in Ukraine. He stated, “I would say that the main message of Christians today is hope. Our Sacrament of the Eucharist was instituted at a moment when it seemed that no hope remained—during the Last Supper, when only death and violence lay ahead. It was precisely then that Jesus gave Himself. And this is our great Sacrament of hope. Therefore, my only message to the people of Ukraine or anywhere war continues is this: we place our hope in the Lord. His peace will ultimately prevail.” Education: The Kansas Catholic Conference, working on behalf of the Kansas Catholic Bishops, is asking Kansas Catholics and supporters of parental choice in education to contact their State Senator in support of HB 2468, the Low Income Kansas Family Scholarship Act. This legislation would help expand educational opportunities for Kansas families by allowing the state to participate in a new federal tax-credit scholarship program and by strengthening Kansas’ existing low-income scholarship program for students attending non-public schools. Together, these provisions would provide families with additional resources for educational expenses such as tutoring, books, technology, and other learning supports, benefiting students in public, private, and homeschool settings. A fuller explanation of the proposal and how it works can be found HERE. Because legislators give special weight to messages from their own constituents, supporters are encouraged to take a moment to contact their State Senator and express support for HB 2468. You can find and contact your Kansas State Senator about this issue quickly and easily HERE. Wisdom and Strength from Youth: I’ve been celebrating many Confirmation Masses recently. Each of the young people writes a letter to me explaining why they want to be confirmed. I want to share parts of a handwritten letter from one of those recently confirmed: “Through this journey, I am grateful to have found God again. Before beginning Confirmation, I was not very close to the parish and rarely attended Church, but this process renewed my faith and made me genuinely excited to participate in Mass and parish life. During this time, my grandma passed away. She was always deeply rooted in her faith, and her example has inspired me to grow closer to God & live with the same devotion she showed throughout her life.” Part II: In this same letter, this young person added: “I have chosen Mother Francesca Saverio Cabrini as my Confirmation saint. The reasons for this include: Mother Cabrini inspires me because her life reflects the struggles of immigrants & shows how resilience, compassion & service can create real change. She arrived in America with almost nothing, faced discrimination as a woman and an immigrant and yet chose to serve others with courage and faith. Instead of allowing hardship to defeat her, she built schools and hospitals that provided dignity, and safety & hope to those who were often ignored. As a young immigrant girl, her story reminds me that being different is not a weakness, that kindness is a form of strength & that determination can overcome a lack of power or privilege. Her example is also a major reason I want to study international relations so I can help bridge cultures, support vulnerable communities & create opportunities for people searching for hope in a new world, just as she did.” Patrick: The story of St. Patrick, whose feast day is March 17th, warms our hearts during our Lenten journey and gives us a glimpse of the redemption Christ brings through the cross. He is best known for using the shamrock to explain the Trinity. From being captured as a young man, to eventually converting the people in Ireland, St. Patrick’s story shows how God mysteriously and wonderfully brings good out of events in our life that seem terrible at the time-just as the cross leads to the resurrection. Joseph: The Solemnity of St. Joseph on March 19 gives us an opportunity to look at his life as a model of the Lenten virtues of obedience and hidden sacrifice. St. Joseph’s life shows how God works through quiet obedience and daily toil. If we’ve become lax in our Lenten practices, begin anew. This is the time to recommit ourselves and turn our hearts back toward Christ and his journey to the Cross. St. Joseph- Pray for us! Chrism: Have you ever been to a Chrism Mass? The Chrism Mass is one of the most significant liturgies for a diocese as it symbolizes the unity between the bishop, clergy, and the faithful. During the Mass, the bishop blesses the holy oils used for the sacraments throughout the year. Additionally, the priests renew their vows. Our Chrism Mass is scheduled for Thursday, March 26th, at 11:30 am at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Salina. Anyone can attend. I especially want to encourage our catechumens and candidates in the OCIA class to attend along with their sponsors. Hope to see you there! Fr. LeRoy: Fr. LeRoy Metro passed away this past Friday. Fr. Metro faithfully served as a priest for almost 63 years in many parishes and institutions throughout the Diocese. He served in the faithful in the following parish communities: Hope and Elmo, Lincoln and Glasco; Stockton and Logan; St. Elizabeth-Salina and Gypsum; Clyde, Clifton, and Aurora. He also served as Chaplain at the Nazareth Motherhouse in Concordia, and in campus ministry at Marymount College in Salina. Please pray for him. Bball: We have several boys and girls basketball teams—from both Catholic and public high schools—in our diocese playing in the state basketball championships this week. Blessings on all of them. Gratitude: Many thanks to all of you who have given or will give to the Bishop’s Annual Appeal. We are grateful for your kindness and generosity and being a disciple of Jesus on Mission. My love and prayers to you during this season of Lent. Bishop Vincke |
| Inspiration from the Saints:“I will go anywhere and do anything in order to communicate the love of Jesus.” ~St. Francis Xavier Cabrini Silence ~St. Joseph |
Bishop Vincke’s E-News to the Faithful | March 9, 2026
Bishop's Office
