It was an extremely difficult letter to write.

Bishop Robert Gruss recently shared a story about forgiveness and the letter he wrote to his father decades ago. He told the story after First Friday Mass at the Cathedral on April 5.

"It all surfaced on a five day retreat while in the seminary in Rome," said Bishop Gruss. "To make a long story short, I wrote a letter to my father sharing with him my feelings, my hurts, my anger, all the while reaffirming my love for him in spite of the disease of alcoholism.

"I told him that I forgave him and in turn, I asked him for forgiveness for any time I failed to love him resulting from my anger and resentment toward him.

"Writing this letter was very difficult.  I agonized over it, not only from the standpoint of writing it, but from the standpoint of putting it in the mail, always wondering what would be his reaction.  Because this came through prayer, I put my trust in God that I was doing the right thing...Read more