CLEVELAND — Christmas, as we know, is the season of giving.
And for many, it's also a deeply spiritual time. Of course, the holiday marks the birth of Christ. This year, our Sara Shookman sat down with Cleveland's Catholic Bishop, Nelson Perez, to talk about the state of the church and what his message to the community is for this season.
"Hope and trust," Bishop Perez told Sara when asked for a holiday message to the community. "Hope that God's presence is with us. And that's really the message of Christmas. There are tough things in the world around us and inside of us, but we as Christians believe that in the midst of all of the darkness, the light of Christ continues to shine."
Bishop Perez had what he called 'an awesome experience' recently on a trip to Rome. Bishops from Ohio and Michigan had an opportunity to greet and speak with Pope Francis and take part in Mass at the tomb of St. Peter.
Also, Bishop Perez spoke about the giving spirit of Northeast Ohio. More than $1.8 million dollars was raised for parishes, schools and Catholic nonprofits during the recent #WeGiveCatholic campaign.