All together with our Bishop Oscar A. Solis to build the house of God here in Utah. Coming from different cultures, peoples, and nations, we are all gathered here in Utah in the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ to form one family: the CATHOLIC FAMILY OF UTAH.

Bishop Oscar encouraged us to get to know one another, to understand our different cultures, which enrich our Diocese of Salt Lake City. We must live together the unity in diversity. It is not about forming different churches in Utah or the USA, but rather about building the Catholic Church of the United States of America. We are not called to confine ourselves to "blind communitarianism," which will only lead to racism or other identity-based sins.

A concrete example of this richness is the Eucharist. It is here that we experience unity in diversity, our Catholic identity. How wonderful it would be to celebrate multicultural liturgies once a month. Here is what our Bishops say about this:

“The Church gathers as one community to praise and worship God, one community of faith with many faces, languages, heritages, and experiences. Multicultural liturgies are opportunities to promote unity and collaboration among local ethnic groups and to build rapport with them. For a multicultural liturgy to be a success, we must:

• Build relationships and rapport with the ethnic groups. Because this is essential to cooperation, the person officially appointed to coordinate the multicultural celebration should be skilled in this area.
• Involve each ethnic group in the conceptualization, development, and implementation of the celebration. No ethnic group should dominate the process, and each group should feel important and valued.
• Remind ethnic groups that a multicultural celebration is an invitation to share their stories, gifts, and cultures with each other, so that together they can discover God's action in each story, gift, and culture. A multicultural celebration is not a competition.
• Walk patiently in friendship, collaboration, and kindness with the ethnic groups. The coordinator must be available to give the necessary support and encouragement to each group.” (From How Do We Welcome the "Stranger" in Our Parishes? A Resource for Building Unity in Diversity.)" Multicultural Liturgies | USCCB)

We experienced a magnificent moment of fellowship, joy, and thanksgiving. God is good, he loves us, and he is present in our Catholic Church of Utah.

Fr. Sebastien SASA, PhD, MPA

Pastor of Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church - West Valley City, Utah

November 25, 2025 (Pastoral Center – SLC)