October 8, 2023

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, While at Hoag Hospital with yet another bout of pneumonia, my mom who had beaten colon cancer, breast cancer and three lung cancers decided that she was ready to go to the Lord. I then called a palliative care doctor I knew who worked at Hoag and the next day he met us, gave my mom Lourdes water and explained what would happen if she continued with treatment for her COPD and other ailments (including the need for 24 hour care) as well as what would happen if she discontinued treatment. After finishing, he asked my mom what she wanted. Her emphatic response was, “I want to go home!” The doctor started to explain again that she would need caregivers at which point she cut him off and said, “My home is in heaven! I want to be with the Lord.” My mom then went onto hospice care, did not experience pain, and was lucid until the night she died in her sleep. She had the opportunity to say goodbye to her friends and give them hope in the promise of the resurrection as well as die having received the sacraments.

As we continue respect life month, I would like to highlight the good work of the Caring for the Whole Person Initiative (CWPI) https://wholeperson.care/ that was started by the California bishops in response to the legalization of assisted suicide in California. The CWPI provides a number of resources such as spiritual support, information on palliative care and hospice, information on the Church’s teaching as well as information on advance planning. Let us pray for all who are sick and those who care for them, that the Lord give them comfort, peace and hope.

Bishop Tim Freyer

October 01, 2023

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, This weekend we kick off our annual respect life month. This time gives us the opportunity to learn more about the Lord’s command that we uphold human life, especially advocating for those who are most vulnerable as well as support the efforts that support the lives of those who are threatened. The risks to life include abortion, euthanasia/assisted suicide as well as a variety threats during the course of life. Today, I would like to focus on abortion. During the first year of his papacy, Pope Francis addressed a group of doctors and asked them to remind people that “in all its phases and at any age, human life is always sacred…Every child who, rather than being born, is condemned unjustly to being aborted, bears the face of Jesus Christ, bears the face of the Lord, who even before he was born, and then just after birth, experienced the world's rejection”.

Sometimes the Church is criticized for “only caring for the baby while in the womb.” However, our life centers and crisis pregnancy centers support both the parents and the child before, during and after the birth of a child. We offer free pregnancy testing, ultrasounds, prenatal vitamins and maternity clothes. After the birth of a baby, we offer diapers, wipes, baby clothes, etc. every month. Additionally, we offer emotional support, spiritual support, do whatever we can to walk with the moms, dads and children. Lastly, knowing that many women choose abortion because they feel they have no other choice, we offer post-abortion healing and support through our office of family life. I hope that you will be generous in supporting the good work of these ministries as well as consider becoming a volunteer in one of the centers.

Let us pray that we may support all those who are suffering, especially women experiencing a crisis pregnancy. Bishop Tim Freyer

September 24, 2023

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, A couple of people have asked me about what I plan to change in our parish or what is my agenda for the parish. I have no plan to change anything at this time as I do not really know you or the parish. My first task is to pray with you, to get to know you and to listen to you. When I was a new pastor the most common questions I asked were, “What did you do last year?” and “How did it work out?” I will be counting on you, the good people of our parish, to share with me your hopes and dreams for our community, how we can be build on the good that has been done over the years at St. Edward’s, and how I can be of service to you. This will help me to discern with you in the weeks and months to come where the Lord is calling us to go as individuals and as a parish.

Others have asked me about my interests/hobbies, etc. I love being a priest/bishop and so tend to throw myself into my ministry. Apart from that, I enjoy visiting with friends, traveling (last month I was able to visit Scotland [as I am not THE bishop of Orange, I was given a diocese that used to exist that no longer exists—a titular diocese. Mine is in Scotland so we had an amazing day seeing the old Cathedral—now Scottish Presbyterian--as well as visiting the present Roman Catholic diocese]), baseball, reading religious books or mysteries. Please know of my prayers for you this week,

Bishop Tim Freyer