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PRAYER OF PEACE
O Lord our God, in your mercy and kindness, no thought of ours is left unnoticed, no desire or
concern ignored.
You have proven that blessings abound when we fall on our knees in prayer, and so we turn to you in our hour of need.
Surrounded by violence, war and cries for justice, we hear your voice telling us what is required . . .
PRAYER OF ST. MICHAEL

St. Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle.
Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou,
O Prince of the heavenly hosts,
by the power of God,
thrust into hell Satan,
and all the evil spirits,
who prowl about the world
seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.
O glorious prince St. Michael,
chief and commander of the heavenly hosts,
guardian of souls, vanquisher of rebel spirits,
servant in the house of the Divine King
and our admirable conductor,
you who shine with excellence
and superhuman virtue deliver us from all evil,
who turn to you with confidence
and enable us by your gracious protection
to serve God more and more faithfully every day.
Pastoral Plan
Letter from Diocese of Rochester
Greetings and blessings to all,
On behalf of Bishop Matano, Bernard Grizard, the planning team for the Day of Reflection and myself, we thank you again for the wonderful work put into the dialogue which occurred on the Day of Reflection in preparation for the NBCC Congress XIII in July of 2023. The spiritual stirrings and missionary action items that were shared are a hope-filled local contribution towards the creation of the National Pastoral Plan of Action for Black Ministry. After the wonderful experiences of the day, I am very much looking forward to the resulting plan and to see fruits that will guide the future of Black Ministry in the Church in our nation and especially at home.
Our Diocesan summary report has been completed, reviewed and accepted by members of the planning team. Bishop Matano has read and approved the report stating that it was well done. It has already been submitted to the National Black Catholic Congress and now we share it with you. To view the uploaded report click the following link: https://ps.dor.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/Congress-XIII-Day-of-Reflection-
Report_Rochester-NY.pdf A reminder that this is a summary report of the conversations had at the Day of Reflection. We have also shared the report and pictures on the Diocesan Facebook
(https://www.facebook.com/dioceseofrochester/) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/rocdiocese/)
pages.
As we mentioned at the end of the Day of Reflection, anyone interested in going to Congress is welcome to do so. Register for Congress and reserve your room(s) via the NBCC Congress Registration link:
https://www.nbccgathering2023.org/ Please feel free to share this email with others interested in participating at Congress XIII in July. We are not organizing the registrations as a Diocese, individuals will register personally. After you register, please contact me via email or by phone so I can include you on the DOR participants list. This will help for connecting at Congress as a group from our Diocesan family. It would be
nice to gather together at some point during Congress to share experiences and God moments together.
As Bernard mentioned at the Day of Reflection, our Department mini-vans have been made available on a first come, first serve basis. There is very limited space, at the present there are still 8 slots available. The vans will be leaving on the morning of Thursday, July 20 and returning the evening of Sunday, July 23. If you are interested in reserving a spot, please contact me personally. My contact info: elizabeth.johnston@dor.org or
(585) 328-3228 ext. 1278. Lastly, stay tuned for a Spring Diocesan gathering for Black Catholics at Sacred Heart Cathedral and a post-Congress Diocesan gathering at the Pastoral Center to debrief the experience and brainstorm the next steps after receiving the NEW National Pastoral Plan for Black Ministry. Both dates TBA once they have been
finalized.
On behalf of the Diocesan Department of Pastoral Services we wish you a wonderful and prayerful
Thanksgiving to you and your families.
Peace and blessings,
Elizabeth M. Johnston
Project Coordinator/Synod
Synod 2021-2023 – For a synodal Church: communion, participation & mission
https://www.dor.org/synod/
Diocese of Rochester, 1150 Buffalo Road, Rochester, New York 14624
(585) 328-3228 ext. 1278
Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester - Debtor in Possession
ICSB Live Stream
NBCC CONGRESS 2023
Congress 2023 is coming soon so let's make preparations. Learn about a few details of Congress below and

