Dear Sisters and Brothers,
Photo: Bishop Joseph Galante speaks at the Mass to celebrate World Day for Consecrated Life and Jubilee Celebrations at Holy Family Parish, Sewell, on Feb. 2.
Photo by Alan M. Dumoff
I am very grateful to God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and to all of you, our dear laywomen and men, young people and children, religious, deacons and priests, for your love and support over the time I have served as your bishop. I have been privileged and humbled to be the bishop of Camden.
As I have said elsewhere, these past eight years and nine months have been the happiest of my 20 years as a bishop. After God’s grace and goodness, you are the primary reason for that happiness and joy.
I thank you for your patience as we went through the restructuring of parishes and schools. It was painful for many but also necessary for the health of the diocese.
I am grateful for your continued cooperation and collaboration in the work of this dear Church in South Jersey. As I have said to Bishop Dennis Sullivan, I am sure that he will come to love you as I have.
I want to ask pardon of any of you whom I may have hurt or offended over these years. I certainly did not intend any offense or hurt, but all of us have our human limitations. All of you have been and will continue to be in my prayers.
My great desire is that in my retirement I may, through offering up my physical challenges as well as my constant prayer, be an advocate of God’s gifts to this wonderful diocese.
I have offered to Bishop Sullivan my whole-hearted and full support. I stand ready to do whatever he may request of me. He will be my bishop too, as I will continue to reside in this diocese.
I am gratified that he accepted the Holy Father’s call to become the eighth bishop of Camden. I am confident that he brings a loving and a pastoral heart to all of us.
Again, I want to express my deepest gratitude and heartfelt affection to all of you. I pray that Jesus may grow ever more as the center of all of our lives. May God bless, guide and protect you.
Bishop Joseph Galante
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