Message from Bishop Michael F. Burbidge on the
100th anniversary of the
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

For the past century, the collective voice of the Catholic bishops in the United States has been speaking out on some of the most critical and urgent issues facing this great nation. Through the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), men called by God to serve as successors of the apostles work to bring the Gospel message of love, justice and service of our neighbor to all. 

Defending the inherent dignity of the human person has been a central aim of the USCCB, ensuring the unborn, the poor, the immigrant, the vulnerable, and families have a voice in the public square and with our elected officials. It also has proclaimed the sacred call of the Church to bring people closer to God through the Sacraments, Liturgy, Sacred Scripture, Catholic education, parish ministry and other essential means by which people grow in zeal and love of their Savior. 

During this often turbulent and challenging time in our history, Pope Francis has called us to go out to the “peripheries” of society to remind people that they are loved by God and have immeasurable dignity and worth. The USCCB bravely and steadfastly answers that call through its many initiatives and projects.

It is my prayer that the USCCB will continue to be a beacon of truth and justice in a nation desperate for the One who died to bring them to new life. I am confident that through the intercession of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, patroness of the United States, the USCCB will be an agent of transformation in our society, reorienting it in love and devotion. May God continue to bless not only the Cardinals, Archbishops and Bishops serving the USCCB, but also the many priests, deacons, consecrated religious and lay faithful who labor so that Jesus Christ and His redemptive love might better shape the future of our nation. May God in His infinite mercy, protect all who have served — and continue to serve — the USCCB, now and forever.