Dear Readers:

When I began this blog only two years ago, I would never have imagined that it would surpass one million visitors today. This is, indeed, a landmark. I feel very encouraged by your response to my scriptural messages, and believe me this has given me the energy to keep on posting new messages.

When I began this blog, it was offered as a service to the winter parishioners of Sacred Heart Parish, Okeechobee, Florida, who asked me if there was any way they could continue to read my bulletin messages when they left Okeechobee to go home for the summer. The idea of posting a blog on the internet immediately came to mind; and that is how it all started. I created this website www.fatherduffy.com with the distinct purpose of posting on the internet the scripture messages from the parish bulletin for the benefit of our winter parishioners. In no time, this blog spread by word of mouth to others; and no way did I expect it would reach people in about fifty countries worldwide, and that it would be read in as many different languages. This website has a translation feature in fifty languages which enables it to be read by more people in their own languages.

One thing naturally has led to another. I was asked by various readers to create a Facebook profile so that many more people could read a shorter version of the blog. This I did and I followed up on this by engaging several generous helpers to help me launch three additional Facebook pages: “Words to live by”; “God’s Space”; and “fatherduffy.com”. These Facebook pages; especially, “Words to live by” which is managed by Jade Viray, have developed a large and growing following; and they play a big part in spreading the scriptural meditations of this blog worldwide.

I have to say that I view this blog and the Facebook pages as a new and important form of evangelization in today’s society; and I am happy to add that Pope Benedict XVI encourages priests to engage in this kind of evangelization. It is also important to note that it costs nothing to read this blog. I feel privileged to share the good news of the gospel free of charge since Jesus offered His life free of charge so that we might be saved. The fact that it costs nothing to read this blog also helps to spread it.

I try to write in simple and clear language that people can understand; and I take as my mentor, Jesus, who spoke in words and images that the ordinary people of Palestine could grasp. My messages are, for the most part, meditations on the good news of the gospel and, God knows, today’s society needs good news.

Thanks for your encouragement and support, and keep spreading the good news!

Sincerely,

Fr. Hugh Duffy

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