Throughout the pandemic, pastors and people in the Diocese of Sacramento have worked diligently to provide safe, respectful and reverent occasions for worship, both indoors and outdoors.  In union with my brother bishops in California, I am committed to provide the opportunity for offering the Sacred Mysteries in a responsible manner.   

Since last March of 2020 – before many jurisdictions offered any guidelines for indoor activities – the dioceses of California upheld the need to protect life and public health by voluntarily suspending indoor worship services.  As the pandemic dragged on through surges and plateaus, dioceses continued to stress the common good by holding outdoor worship services.  Only when safe were some services moved indoors, always with responsible health precautions foremost.  

Pastoral Letter from Bishop Jaime Soto

Soon and very soon we are goin' to see the King,
Soon and very soon we are goin' to see the King,
Soon and very soon we are goin' to see the King,
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, we’re goin' to see the King!
(Soon and Very Soon, Andraé Crouch, 1976)

This beautiful hymn brings a trembling, mixed with longing and the fear of the Lord. The verse speaks to the lament of crying and dying while beckoning the believer to hope. A disciple of Jesus should embrace these words, let the words quiver the heart. With the looming horizon of Christ’s coming, we should take up an examination of racism within our Church and society because, “Soon and very soon we are goin’ to see the King.”

The May-June 2021 issue of Catholic Herald magazine has been published. The theme for this issue is "Hope through the pandemic." The digital edition of the magazine is available at https://www.scd.org/catholic-herald-magazine.