From Our Pastor

Habemus Papam!  We have a Pope!  This has certainly been an exciting – and, indeed, historic – time for the Universal Church as 132 cardinals from 70 countries around the world started meeting in the Sistine Chapel to elect our next pope on 7 May.  And, after just four ballots, so many of us watched excitedly as white smoke billowed from the chimney above the Sistine Chapel just after noon on the second day.  I don’t know about you, but I certainly did not expect the results: the first pope [...]

As we continue experiencing a rather unusual time in the Church between the death of Pope Francis and the election of a new pope, allow me to provide you with a step-by-step overview of how the Church operates during this time.  Over the 2,000 years of its existence, the Catholic Church has developed laws, regulations and protocols to order its life; the time of the sede vacante (vacant seat) and the upcoming conclave are no exception.  This period of time has been regulated over the past 30 years by the [...]

 HAPPY EASTER!  As we bring the Octave of Easter to its conclusion, know that I have kept you in my prayers all week, that you may experience ever more fully the joy of the Resurrection.  Today is also Divine Mercy Sunday.  How appropriate it is to celebrate our Lord’s mercy as we say farewell to Pope Francis whose years of ministry as our Holy Father were highlighted by his preaching on mercy both in word and deed.  Who can forget the first Good Friday that he celebrated as pope.  Rather [...]

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 [...]

“Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!  Peace in heaven and glory in the highest.”  (Lk 19:38).  On Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion, we are called to join with our Lord, Jesus Christ, as he makes a triumphant entry into Jerusalem, and then suffers derision and mockery, scourging and finally crucifixion because he claims to be who he truly is – the Son of God – and comes to offer a new way of life.  This week is, indeed, what we Christians call it: [...]

“Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit.”  This Saturday, Bishop Christopher Cooke confirmed 68 of our young parishioners who attend our school or PREP with the imposition of hands and anointing of the forehead. At the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday, I will confirm eight adult parishioners with the same sacramental imposition of hands and anointing of the forehead.  This completed or will complete the initiation of all of these parishioners into the Church, which began at Baptism and was nurtured through the Eucharist.  These three sacraments – [...]