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January 7, 2000, ARIZONA JEWISH POST

Open letter to the Jewish community

My dear brothers and sisters:

As we reach the turning of the calendar to a new century, a new millennium and to a year of celebration in the Roman Catholic faith, please know that you presence is a great blessing for me and for the people of the Diocese of Tucson.

You are a model for us in your steadfastness and perseverance in your faith. You lead our community by example in your service to God, to each other, and to the world.

You are a gift to us beyond measure.

While this marking of time that we as Catholics observe as a significant spiritual event is recognized by people of other faiths in a secular sense, we do acknowledge our great respect and reverence for the calendar that marks your relationship with God and different calendars that serve the same holy purpose for people of other faiths.

My hope and prayer for this special time in all our lives is that our celebration will bring us more together and that we will continue to love God together and come to know in many more beautiful ways that we all are His children.

We the powerful and wonderful word that you speak, and teach us, I say to you:

"Shalom."

Most Rev. Manuel D. Moreno, D.D.
Bishop of Tucson