This fall marks an exciting anniversary

This fall marks some exciting events for our faith, our country and our staff!

Every news outlet is focused on the visit of Pope Francis to the United States as well as his historic visit to Cuba. We all wait with bated breath, it seems, for what he will say to the millions who will gather before him at Masses in Washington, D.C., New York City and Philadelphia.

And while I won’t have the opportunity to hear the pope in person, I look forward to speaking with local parishioners to hear about their experiences at those Masses.

I will be holding down the fort here in Rochester as we continue plans for the 10th-anniversary celebration of El Mensajero Católico, which will be held Oct. 2 at St. Michael Church in Rochester. The festivities begin with a bilingual Mass with Bishop Salvatore R. Matano — his first with the Latino community. And then, we will host a birthday party at the church hall with music, dance and lots of great food.

We are so thankful for all the support we have received from local restaurants, dance groups and musicians. We could not present what I know will be an awesome celebration without them.

I cannot believe a decade has passed since I joined the Catholic Courier staff to write for the diocese’s first Spanish-language newspaper. The work has truly been a blessing. I have met so many wonderful people along the way. As a former secular journalist, I never would have imagined I would be working here. But God always has a plan for us that we must follow to truly be happy.

I hope many of you will join us on Oct. 2 as we look to see what the next decade will bring us!