Many of us have friends, relatives, siblings, co-workers, or neighbors who are Catholic but who do not come to Mass on a regular basis. They may fall away from the active practice of the faith for a time. As disciples of Christ, we are challenged to assist them to return to the Church. They need our guidance; they need our support; they need our encouragement; they need our prayers.

There are many reasons that influence the decision of people to return to the practice of the Catholic faith. (Read more…)

This weekend, during all Masses, we will celebrate World Marriage Day to honor the husband and the wife as head of the family — the basic unit of society; and to salute the beauty of their faithfulness.

The annual observance of the marriage day takes on new meaning these days as the sacrament and institution and meaning of marriage are facing crucial new challenges from within and without.

More than ever, couples are experiencing problems arising from a widespread mistaken understanding of what marriage truly is; and unity and indissolubility are being replaced by personal fulfillment. (Read more…)

Today is Scout Sunday, when we recognize Scouts and the blessings that Scouting brings not only to our congregation but to our nation and the world. Since the inception of the Scouting movement at the beginning of this century, religious faith has played a major role in character development of Scouts, which is one of the primary aims of both the Boy Scouts of America and the Girl Scouts of the USA. “The purpose of the Boy Scouts of America is…to provide an educational program for boys and young adults to build character, to train in the responsibilities of participating citizenship, and to develop personal fitness”, while “The mission or purpose of Girl Scouting is to inspire girls with the highest ideals of character, conduct, patriotism, and service that they may become happy and resourceful citizens.”

These goals are more critical today than ever before. (Read more…)

This weekend we will say goodbye to the month of January and hello to February, the shortest month on the calendar. That’s 1 winter month down, 2 to go! Though some will look for a forecast of the remainder of winter by observing a large burrowing rodent, for Catholic Christians February 2 marks something more important than “Groundhog Day.” It is the Feast of the Lord’s Presentation, commemorating the time when the infant Jesus was brought to the Temple in Jerusalem by Mary and Joseph 40 days after His birth. (Read more…)

On Saturday, January 15th, sixteen children made their First Sacrament of Reconciliation. What a joy and privilege it was to see them at this Sacrament!

We also encouraged the whole family to come to church with the child and to go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation too. I’m pleased to say that I was able to hear the confession of some families that morning.  This was a great example, not only to the children in the family but indeed to other children and adults present in church – including myself. (Read more…)

January 22, 2021 will mark the 49th anniversary of Roe V Wade, the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision that legalized abortion. 

I wonder how many of those children would have grown up to be doctors, priests, teachers … Could one of those children have been the scientist to cure Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, or cancer? Blessed Mother Theresa of Calcutta said that: “Probably the scientist who would have cured AIDS was killed through abortion.”

What a tragic time we live in. (Read more…)