There are places where the presence of the Church acquires a particular significance simply because of where they are and whom they serve. St. Edward Parish is certainly one of those places. As the only Catholic church on the island of Palm Beach, St. Edward stands as a visible and enduring presence of our Catholic faith in the midst of one of the most distinctive communities within the Diocese of Palm Beach.

Pope Leo XIV addresses participants in the Formation Course for New Bishops, attended by Bishop Manuel.

As time moves on and we move from summer into fall, we are all reminded of the passing of our days and our ultimate departure from this revolving earth created by God. Our faith tells us that our departure from time brings us into eternity. The reminder of this passing brings a new perspective to all that we experience in time. There is only one constant and that is God, in whose brilliant shade we live.

I had the joy of conducting my pastoral visit to Emmanuel Catholic Church in Delray Beach. It was a wonderful experience of parish life, and I came away deeply encouraged by what I witnessed there. Emmanuel is a parish alive with faith.

While some of that may seem to be positive, artificial intelligence is taking us into a new world where human interaction, introspection and the ability to use our hearts, heads and hands are not so much relied upon as essential to who we are as human persons made in the image and likeness of God.