As I write this letter the day before the Virginia elections, I cannot know who will be the winners for the various positions from governor on down.  What I can know is that regardless of who wins, there is much work to be done on our part as Catholic Christians.  No political party or candidate holds positions that are in full agreement with the positions of the Church.  It will always be our duty to challenge those in office on one issue or another, representing to them Gospel values.
 
This Saturday was the traditional date for Veterans’ Day.  As I urged parishioners to vote last week, I reminded them that voting was one of the best ways to honor our men and women in the Armed Services.  That responsibility continues after the election. 
Our veterans have placed themselves in harm’s way, and current members in the military continue that service.  Let us not allow these sacrifices to go unappreciated.  Let us continue the dialog on the many issues that face us as a nation.  Continue to contact your representatives, and take advantage of the Virginia Catholic Conference (vacatholic.org) to be kept aware of issues, as they come up.