News of the Diocese
June 4, 2025
“Marriage is a complementary reality to ordination,” Bishop Edward Malesic told guests at the recent Marriages of Grace Cana Night. The May 30 event took place at the Welshfield Inn in Burton.
“Without strong marriages, there would be no priests,” he added.
After enjoying dinner, the bishop spent time visiting with the couples in attendance and he talked about his recently released pastoral letter, “A Flourishing Apostolic Church.”
“I’m not much different than you are,” he told the group. “We each have a role.” He said the goal is to be intentional followers of Jesus as they seek Christ together.
The pastoral letter is receiving a great deal of positive feedback. In fact, EWTN asked the bishop why he thought that was the case.
“I’m stunned myself,” he said. “It’s basic stuff, being friends with Jesus, praying about 15 minutes daily, talking about your faith and letting the paschal mystery be a part of your life.”
The bishop said an older Catholic man told him he was raised to go to Mass and receive the sacraments, but he had heard nothing about being friends with Jesus. “However, he said doing that (becoming friends with Jesus) made a big difference in his life.”
The bishop said there should be more intentional disciples -- not just cultural Catholics who check off the boxes for their religion. “We need to make a decision to follow Jesus, to live out the vision he has for us, for our salvation. He tells us to follow him. But where? From death into life, from this world into the next.”
The late Pope Benedict said an encounter with Jesus the person gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction. “I’m Catholic because I encountered Jesus,” the bishop said.
Referring to his pastoral letter, he said there are three sections: the paschal mystery, friendship with God and becoming missionary disciples.
The paschal mystery is the dying and rising of Jesus. “He died and rose. So do we. We rise in our baptism,” he said. The bishop told the group that sin is anything that separates is from God. We are born with original sin, which separates us from God. But our baptism cleanses us and the life of God is poured into us, making us members of the Church – beloved sons and daughters of God. Jesus himself was baptized – not because he needed it, but because “He wanted to get in the water and walk with us,” Bishop Malesic said.
Regarding the second point, friendship with God, the bishop said most people don’t think of God as their friend. They may consider him as irrelevant, distant or perhaps in terms of their own father and his faults. “Jesus calls us friends and goes as far as to die for us, then rise from the dead and come back to those who betrayed him. He does this over and over – coming back to us when we sin. He tells us to follow him and we’ll also rise.” The bishop said heaven is for those who are perfect, but none of us are. “My soul needs a ‘car wash,’ so thank heaven for purgatory,” he quipped. “Then we can get ready to go to heaven.”
The third part of the pastoral letter deals with missionary disciples. It is the duty of every Christian – not just priests, nuns and brothers -- to go and announce the Gospel, the bishop said. There is a solution to war, bitterness and the other evils plaguing us. “We can seek and find it and then we need to share that good news of salvation and heaven.”
The bishop told the group if they have a vision of what heaven would be like, they should bring some of it to earth and practice here so they will know how to act when they reach heaven. At the Rite of Election last Lent, more than 400 people age 7 and older were seeking baptism. “They were seeking what Jesus has to offer. We have something they want … We may forget we have this treasure,” he said, referring to our faith. He encouraged the group to know and tell/share their story, which is a way to evangelize or to share the good news of salvation. He told his story, explaining that he was raised Catholic, but wasn’t sure he would remain in the Church.
During college, he received a Bible and read it for the first time. He also attended services at other denominations and discovered that they all had “human founders,” unlike the Catholic Church, which was founded by Jesus.
Although he had been a cultural Catholic, the bishop said he became an intentional Catholic, making the decision to remain in the Church. “That’s my story. What’s your story?” he asked. “It should be personal, but it’s not meant to be private.”
Parish ministry has three key parts: worship, evangelization and service, Bishop Malesic said.
He noted that we are asked to be “fishers of souls,” much like members of the early Church. We pray/worship/attend Mass, following the example of Jesus. “Our parishes should be centers of authentic worship,” he said.
He again stressed the importance of evangelization, something even he needs. “I need to hear the word before I can proclaim it,” he explained.
The final component is service, which entails helping others. In the early Church, the bishop said the apostles and their followers sold their possessions to provide for those in need. This charitable outreach was unique to the early Christians, he added. Such work continues today through ministries like Catholic Charities.
“I hope you find joy in the Gospel,” the bishop said.
After his presentation, he took some questions and chatted casually with attendees.
The event was coordinated by Tanis and Bill Merimee, founders of Marriages of Grace. Tanis Merimee serves as the organization’s president.
