Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
On Good Friday, when we stand in the presence of the Cross of Jesus Christ, we stand very much at the intersection of life and death. This is a theme we see playing out in the world around us. As we continue in this difficult time of pandemic, the increasing availability of COVID-19 vaccines gives us hope, but we recognize that people are still being infected with, and dying from, this horrible virus. Traumatic violence and shootings have gripped our nation, and we're confronted with the reality of hate and racism. Here in Virginia, our bishops have rejoiced in the long overdue abolition of the death penalty, but also expressed grave disappointment at the inclusion of unfettered access to abortion in Virginia’s health benefits exchange. For their statements on these and other pressing public issues, and tremendous resources for advocacy, please visit the Virginia Catholic Conference website at
www.vacatholic.org.
As we anticipate the joy of Easter in just a few days, I'm delighted also to share some joyful news from Sacred Heart Catholic School. Back in January, we shared that our principal, Kira Kania, planned to retire from her position. I invited several teachers, employees and parents to form a search committee, and we fielded applications from across the country. Kelly Lazzara, Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of Richmond, came to Danville to lead the second round of interviews. Recently we invited Matthew Weatherford, currently Assistant Principal at Dan River High School, to serve as our school principal, beginning in the 2021-22 school year, and I rejoice that he accepted the invitation. Please see the attachment for details. I hope you will keep him in your prayers as he undertakes this new role, and our entire Sacred Heart Catholic School family as they begin their spring break.
May you and your family have a truly joyous Easter!
God bless you!