MAGNIFICA HUMANITAS

 Last Monday, Pope Leo XIV promulgated his first encyclical letter.  Entitled Magnifica Humanitas: On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence, it acknowledges familiar concerns about AI, including job insecurity, manipulation of information, privacy violations, ideological bias, autonomous weapons, and a futuristic vision of an “enhanced human being.”  But Pope Leo identifies a deeper danger: that human beings may begin to see themselves and others as projects “to be optimized” (§112).  The title, Latin for “magnificent humanity,” points to the document’s teaching that no […]

PENTECOST SUNDAY

When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together.  And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were.  Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which parted and came to rest on each one of them.  And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.   (Acts 2:1-4)

With this dramatic description, we […]

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!

Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers of the parish and the mothers of all our parishioners!  We all know how important our mothers have been to us as we grew up and so we join with our nation in honoring them today.  We celebrate the great gift that God has given us in calling families to share in his creative work, especially through the loving care of their children.  As we have done in the past, we will be making baby bottles available for you to […]

Again, congratulations to you boys and girls who are to receive our Lord in Holy Communion for the first time in just a few minutes; I’m sure you’re really excited.  You girls look so pretty in your white dresses and you boys look very handsome, too!  Do you know why so many of you are wearing white today?  When was the first time many of you wore white to church?  You don’t remember it, but for most of you it was when your parents and godparents brought you to church […]

It’s hard to believe that it’s already May, especially with the cool weather we’ve been having!  As you surely know, this month is traditionally dedicated to Mary, the Mother of God and the Mother of the Church.  As Pope Paul VI expressed so well in his encyclical entitled the Month of May, this is the “month which the piety of the faithful has especially dedicated to Our Blessed Lady,” and it is the occasion for a “moving tribute of faith and love which Catholics in every part of the world […]

We’re happy to have Fr. Wilfred Emeh, the parochial administrator of our sister parish, St. Martin de Porres, celebrate our 5:00pm and 9:30am Masses this weekend as we continue our 45-year tradition of sharing our faith with our sister parish.  And, as they have done for many years, members of St. Martin de Porres parish will join us at the 5:00pm Vigil Mass.  This year, their parish choir, along with members of our adult choir, will lead us in lively song!  We will then host our sister parishioners for dinner […]

Reflection of Pope Leo XIV at the Vigil for Peace

Last Saturday, 11 April, Pope Leo XIV led a Vigil for Peace.  I offer you his reflection during that Vigil for your prayerful consideration:

Dear brothers and sisters,

Your prayer is an expression of that faith which, according to the words of Jesus, moves mountains (cf. Mt 17:20). Thank you for accepting this invitation to gather here at the tomb of Saint Peter and in so many other places around the world to pray for peace. War divides; hope unites.  Arrogance tramples upon […]

WELCOME BACK, DEACON DAVID!

As quickly and unexpectedly as he left, we’re delighted to announce that Deacon David has returned.  You will recall that, due to the challenging situation between China and the Vatican, his ordination to the priesthood here in Philadelphia remained uncertain.  Then, at the invitation of the Diocese of Orange, California, he left us on 2 February with the idea that he would be ordained there and serve the Chinese community in that diocese.  In the intervening two months, however, an arrangement has been made between […]

Alleluia!  This Easter proclamation that we repeat over and over again during the joyful Easter Season has a powerful meaning, one that we should all know and embrace.  It is a combination of two Hebrew words: “hallelu” (the plural imperative of “hallel”) which means “praise” and “yah,” the first half of the Hebrew word for God, Yahweh.  So, it literally means: “Everyone praise God!”  We should praise God always because of all the good he does for us every moment of our lives.  But Easter is the time for us […]