Eleven years ago, our parish joined with all other parishes throughout the Archdiocese in the Heritage of Faith – Vision of Hope Capital Campaign.  Cardinal Justin Rigali, who was our Ordinary at that time, launched this Campaign in 2008 to assist parishes and Catholic schools that were struggling financially, provide much-needed repairs to Ss. Peter and Paul Cathedral and St. Charles Seminary and minister to the needy throughout the Archdiocese.  This campaign raised around $125 million.  Our parish contributed almost $1.7 million – that’s 1.36% of the total funds collected […]

After a crazy winter, with wide temperature swings and some dangerous storms, I imagine you’re ready for spring; I know I am!  Who knows what Mother Nature will bring us over the next few weeks but liturgically, Lent – which means “spring” – is almost here; it begins this week with Ash Wednesday.  Just as the natural world is reawakened and renewed every spring, each year, the Church, in her wisdom, offers us this liturgical Season of Lent, a season for reconciliation and renewal.

This Wednesday – Ash Wednesday – begins […]

            As your pastor, I am constantly impressed and edified by the love I see expressed in the families of this great parish.  As I’m sure you realize, families are the backbone of this parish, indeed, of any parish and of the Church.  As far back as Tertullian, a 3^rd century Christian author, the family has been seen as the domestic Church.  Yet, as the Universal Church is today struggling with the tragic clergy sex abuse scandal, families are struggling with the tragedy of pornography due to easy access through […]

This Sunday, we hear the “Sermon on the Mount” as presented in the Gospel of St. Luke.  This great sermon, found in an even more expanded version in the Gospel of St. Matthew, provides us all with the foundation of our lived faith.  Recognizing our poverty before God and hungering for union with the only One who can satisfy our deepest longing, we strive to follow the Way His Son, Jesus, taught us back to God.

All of us are called to follow this Way.  And, we priests are called to […]

 “Come, you who are blessed by my Father.  Inherit the kingdom prepared for you.  For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me. …As often as you did it for one of my least brothers, you did it for me” (Mt 25:34-36, 40).

For the past 61 years, Catholic Charities Appeal has provided assistance for over 10 million people throughout […]

“Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me” (Mt 25:40).  Next weekend, we will join with all parishes throughout the country in taking up the annual collection for Catholic Relief Services.  Founded 76 years ago by the Catholic Bishops of the United States to serve World War II survivors in Europe – many of whom had lost everything in the war – it has since then expanded significantly in size and scope of work.  With a staff of […]

Happy New Year!  I hope you have enjoyed this marvelous festive season as we celebrated once again the birth of our Savior at Christmas as well as the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph last Sunday.  Gathering together with family and friends is certainly a wonderful way to commemorate our Lord joining our human family so that we could become once again worthy to be part of God’s family!  The Christmas season ends with the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord next Sunday.

As we begin […]

“As long as he lives, he shall be dedicated to the Lord.” (1 Samuel 1:28).

As we continue our celebration of the Christmas Octave on this feast of The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, this Sunday we hear readings at Mass that are about just that: family – accented by dedication to the Lord, and faith and trust in God with an openness to His will.  In our first reading from 1 Samuel, we hear Hannah, the mother of Samuel, dedicate her only son, whom she bore at an […]