Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I am writing this column at 1:24pm on Monday, November 2. It is the eve of our nation’s presidential election. The campaign race has been long and challenging. Who will win? Will one of the candidates have conceded by the time this column is published? Will the outcome be known by Thanksgiving?

Regardless of who actually wins, we will have much work to do and will carry on with our mission to proclaim the Gospel. We will still need to defend a culture of life from conception to natural death. We will still be called to challenge the ills of racism. We will still need to serve the immigrant and the homeless and the hungry. We will still need to address the question of just wages and access to affordable healthcare.

May the Lord bless our country during this election. May the man elected to serve as president for the next four years always know that he is the created who must serve the Creator, for one day he will account to the Creator. For all that he does—or fails to do.

And may everyone know that we are Christians by how we love one another.

Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, patroness of the USA, pray for us.

Faithfully yours in Christ,