The Pastoral Letter is the first step and the guiding document for the nextthree years as the Diocese will focus on a different aspect of the Mass for each year. The first year’s theme will be on the Liturgy of the Word, the beginning of the Mass. The kinds of questions that will be a part of the focus for this initial year will be related to the following: How do we prepare as individuals, families, and as a faith community to participate in the Sunday Liturgy? Do we read and reflect on the Sunday readings ahead of time? How do we gather on Sundays as a Church? How welcoming are we to those around us? Do we reach out to new faces and people of all backgrounds? How do we become people of the Word, rooted in Scripture, and allowing God to shape us?