Today is the last Sunday of the Church’s liturgical year and we gather to celebrate this great feast of Christ the King. The Church wants us to reflect upon what the whole of all creation is ultimately about. Our Faith tells us that Christ will return to establish the Kingdom of God and when that time comes, the world as we know it will be transformed. This is not something to be feared but rather something we long for because it means the complete fulfillment of God’s will. (Read more…)

In addition to “transitional deacons” who are in formation for the priesthood, the Catholic Church provides an opportunity for men to serve as Permanent Deacons. Those men who are called to the Permanent Deaconate can be married, and they are ordained usually after a period of five years of training and formation. Many permanent deacons have secular jobs to support their families, and strive to balance family, Church, work, and other responsibilities.

Deacons can: Preside at baptisms and marriages; assist the priest or bishop at Mass. (Read more…)

On November 11th, we celebrate Veterans’ Day – a time when we pause to reflect and pray for all the dedicated men and women who served our country – especially those who have died. This weekend at all Masses we will be observing Veterans’ Day through special Prayers of the Faithful and a special blessing for our Veterans.

During this time of continued unrest in our world, we think of those who have left family to protect the freedom we have.  We enjoy great freedoms in the United States.  Let us never forget the men and women who have laid their lives on the line to defend and protect our precious liberties. (Read more…)

This Sunday begins National Vocation Awareness Week here in the United States. It is an opportunity to remind ourselves of the need to pray for vocations to the priesthood, permanent deacons, religious life, and married life. People do not just decide to become priests or religious, it is the result of feeling drawn to the life and the work. It is born from a growing faith and love of Christ and the Church and the conviction that service to the Church through this vocation will not only bring joy but also better the lives of others who are drawn to Christ. (Read more…)

The second full month of autumn begins with the Solemnity in honor of All Saints: those we know through the church’s official process of canonization, and those who may be known only to God who lived lives of great faith, hope, and love. 

The earliest saints were more or less universally acclaimed, particularly those who were martyred. The formal process that is observed today goes back only to about the 10th century.  Since the Church formally recognizes only a fraction of those who are truly saints in eternity, All Saints’ Day gives us the opportunity to honor those who do not have an official day on the Church’s calendar. (Read more…)

Catholics throughout the world are invited to recommit themselves to the Church’s missionary activity through prayer and sacrifice by observing World Mission Sunday on October 20th. Instituted for the whole Church by Pope Pius XI in 1926, it is traditionally celebrated on the next-to-last Sunday each October.

Today, let us join our brothers and sisters around the world who gather at the Lord’s Table to celebrate, with great joy, our common vocation as missionaries. Our prayers and concrete gestures of solidarity will help build local churches across the globe. (Read more…)