Pastoral Letter for 2026

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ

As we begin a new liturgical year with the First Sunday of Advent, I am pleased to announce a new diocesan theme for 2026:

“Connected in Christ, Walking Together as One.”

This theme will guide us throughout the coming year: shaping our prayer, reflection, and mission as a diocesan family.

Remaining in the Vine

Our theme is grounded in the words of Jesus which we find in John’s Gospel: “I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

Here, Jesus speaks to His disciples on the night before His passion. His words can be understood as a farewell and a promise at the same time. Jesus tells us that He is the true vine and we – His disciples – the branches. Our true life comes only from Him: the fruitfulness of our lives is the result of remaining in His love.

I have said before and it is worth repeating – this metaphor is close to home for us blessed as we are with so many beautiful vineyards in the southwest!

The Greek word meno, translated in this part of John as “remain”, suggests a lasting dwelling, abiding with someone. To abide with those we love is to dwell with them. To abide with Christ is to dwell in Him. As we do so, we draw life from Him daily, just as the branches of a healthy vineyard draw their life from the vine. When we live as part of His Word, His love, and His Spirit, we become fruitful. When we disconnect, we wither.

In this Gospel, connection is not optional. It is the basis of Christian life. And the fruit that comes from this abiding connection in Christ is joy: “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” (John 15:11)

The Human Desire for Connection

We are created for connection. Today’s psychology echoes this truth. When we experience belonging, support, and communion, we flourish. This profound human truth is also true for our whole planet – as Pope Francis said in Laudato Si’ “all creatures are connected, each must be cherished with love and respect, for all of us as living creatures are dependent on one another.”¹

The opposite is also true. When we become disconnected through loneliness or isolation, or when we disconnect ourselves through resentment or selfishness, a core part of ourselves goes missing. We become restless and wounded. In his recent Apostolic Exhortation, Pope Leo reflected on this kind of loneliness and isolation as a form of poverty. It is possible to have all of our material needs met, but if we find ourselves “in a condition of personal or social weakness or fragility” we experience a form of poverty.²

Many of us experience profound disconnection today – whether by circumstances outside of our control, or through our own choices. What a strange irony that when our world offers so many forms of “connection” so many of us are disconnected from what matters most. The Gospel reminds us that the deepest connection is not digital, but spiritual! Connection with Christ, with one another, and with the mission our loving God has entrusted to us – these are the antidotes to all isolation!

I invite us all to reflect on how this theme can inspire our journey together in the coming year.

Living Connection in Our Diocese

First, let us see our diocesan family as one living vine! As Pope Leo has said, “Christ is our Saviour and in him we are one, a family of God, beyond the rich variety of our languages, cultures and experiences.”³

Parishes with Parishes – No parish stands alone. We are called to collaborate, support, and pray for each other, especially between neighbouring communities.

Parishes and Schools Together – Schools are not separate from parish life, but part of the one mission of the Church. Together, they are called to form disciples, nurture faith, and witness to Christ.

Young People Connected – We are called to create spaces where youth find belonging, purpose, and joy in Christ. They are not the “future Church” but vital branches of the vine today.

Families as Domestic Churches – Families are the first place of connection, where faith and love are passed on. Strengthening family life strengthens the whole Church.

Reaching the Margins – A commitment to true connection actively seeks to extend the nourishment of the vine to those most easily forgotten: the poor, the elderly, the migrants, the sick, and those who feel excluded. In Dilexi ti Pope Leo reminds us of the centrality of this option for the poor in our identity as Christians.⁴

Parishes with other Christian communities praying together – United by our common faith in God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and our profession of the same Creed, let us actively seek out opportunities to build connections with our Christian neighbours of different denominations. What we have in common is so much more than what divides us!⁵

People of other faiths and all people of good will – We believe that God works in the hearts of all people, which presents an invitation for us to connect, to nourish and to be nourished by others in our community. Let us walk together with those who search for truth and justice in their hearts and in our world.

Walking Together as One

When a vine and its branches are healthy, they grow. This is true for us as a church in Bunbury! Our theme sends us on mission. To be Connected in Christ means we cannot walk our journey of faith alone. To be Walking Together as One means that as a Diocese we move forward united – in worship, in service, and in witness to the world.

Our synodal journey has taught us that listening, dialogue, and shared mission are at the heart of the Church today. Walking together is how we live the Gospel in our time.

Concrete Pastoral Invitations for 2026

To put this theme into practice across the year, I invite every parish, school, and community to:

1. Deepen their time with Word of God, with a particular focus on this part of John’s gospel. Reflect on John 15:1–11 in homilies, school liturgies, prayer groups, and parish missions.
2. Parish-to-Parish Connection. Organise at least one joint liturgical celebration, pilgrimage, or outreach activity with a neighbouring parish.
3. Parish-School Partnership. Strengthen visible bonds between parish and school through shared feast days, shared service projects, and shared prayer events.
4. Youth Connection. Create opportunities for youth from different parishes to gather at diocesan youth days, pilgrimages and service missions.
5. Families as Witnesses. Encourage family-based prayer initiatives and service activities
6. Outreach to the Margins. Identify and connect with groups at risk of isolation: the lonely, the sick the elderly and the new migrants.
7. Prayer for Unity. Include in every parish’s Prayers of the Faithful a regular petition for diocesan unity and mission.
8. Connection with our Community. Identify one opportunity to engage and strengthen relationships with another Christian community, a community of different faith, or others of good will in your area.

Preparing for the future

In the coming year, our Diocese will enter a time of formation and renewal within our parishes and schools in a synodal way. This journey will prepare us for the Diocesan Assembly to be held in August 2026. My prayer is that this will be a grace-filled opportunity to deepen our sense of connectedness and to rediscover the newness that the Spirit continually brings to our Church.

As we walk together in faith, may Christ ever new and ever present lead us forward with hope, opening our hearts to new possibilities for our communities and for our shared mission in the world.

Conclusion

Dear friends, as we begin this liturgical year, let us remain – let us abide – in Christ the Vine. If we abide in Him, our diocesan family will grow stronger, more connected, and more fruitful. Let us trust the Holy Spirit to guide us, and let us walk with Mary, Mother of the Church, who always leads us closer to Christ her Son.

May 2026 be a year when we truly live our calling:

Connected in Christ, Walking Together as One.

In Christ, our Life and our Hope

+ George M

Most Rev George Kolodziej SDS
Bishop of Bunbury

30th November 2025, 1st Sunday of Advent