Why did Archbishop Vigneron write this letter?

Facing multiple generations of decline in sacraments, parish and school closures, and an overall decline of religious observance, the Church in the United States is in need of renewal. Our neighbors do not know Jesus. This is evident in the violence, polarization, dissolution of the family, erosion of social cohesiveness, and many other social ills we see today.

In writing his letter, Archbishop Vigneron calls for a renewal of the Church, in the spirit of Pope Francis’ 2013 document on evangelization, Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel).