Easter Blessings from Archbishop Checchio!

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, 

Blessed Easter to you all! 

This is such a joyful time of year. Easter renews everything as Jesus Christ is truly risen. As we celebrate and give thanks for this great gift, we, like little children, ask for more from our loving God, we ask our Lord Jesus Christ to renew us and to renew our world!

The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is the be – all and end–all of the Christian faith. If Jesus was not raised from the dead, Christianity does not offer us ultimate Hope. If He did rise from the dead, then Christianity is the fullness of God’s revelation, and Jesus Christ must be the center of our lives. Indeed, each one of us some day will die and be restored to eternal life. Our eternal life with Him is Jesus’ greatest desire. He came to reconcile us to the Father, to bring all of us back home to the Father. Jesus’ suffering and death were the necessary evil He faced, so that we might be free, now and for all eternity. It is Easter that explains our destiny and gives our lives purpose and meaning, even in the midst of the struggles we face. 

So many in our world need to know the hope and peace of Easter. In this time when our brothers and sisters around the world face war, in our society that pushes faith and religion aside, and when we do not witness our faith or make our practice a priority, Easter gives us the opportunity to ask Jesus to help us make Him the center of our lives. It will change our lives and the lives of all of those around us too!

Our celebration of Easter this year once again affirms that Christ is indeed who He said He was: the Savior of the world. He is God made man who suffered, died,and rose for us. This is certainly something to celebrate as Easter comes anew to us this year! 

I am grateful to be celebrating Easter with you this year here in the Archdiocese of New Orleans. It has been a joy to begin to get to know you over these months. Please know of my love, prayers and gratitude for you, and please pray for me. Happy Easter!