Dear Friends, As we enter into the first full week of Lent, spend some time reflecting on your practices of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Ask yourselves, “How is this practice drawing me closer to God and my neighbor? Will this practice lead me to deeper interior conversion or is it more about external appearances? Is it helping me to grow in humility…

Dear Friends, As we all know, Lent begins this week on Ash Wednesday. Please remember that you must sign up for the Ash Wednesday Masses via flocknote or the link on the parish website. Due to Covid restrictions, it is highly unlikely that we will have the communal penance services. However, I will hear Confessions on Saturdays beginning an hour earlier, from…

Dear Friends, As mentioned in last weekend’s bulletin, Ash Wednesday will be a bit different this year. First, sign-ups for Mass will be required. Registration will open on Wednesday, February 10 and close at noon on Monday, February 15. Second, as already mentioned, ashes will not be imposed on our foreheads as we are accustomed to. As mandated by both the archdiocese…

Dear Friends, As we come to the end of the month, I’d like to let you know about a couple of liturgical matters. Wednesday, February 3 is the memorial of St Blaise. On this day there is traditionally a blessing of the throat. Due to Covid, we will not do individual blessings with the blessed candles. Instead, one blessing will be given…

Dear Friends, Dear parishioners, as part of the year in honor of Saint Joseph, the Vatican has recommended that the faithful pray the Litany of Saint Joseph. This Litany is printed below. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us. God the Father of Heaven, Have mercy on…

Dear Friends, Last week I wrote about the Year of St. Joseph which will conclude on December 8, 2021. The Church has granted a plenary indulgence for this special year. As promised, here is some more information about the indulgence. This comes from the Vatican News Service at https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2020-12/apostolic-penitentiary-plenary-indulgence-year-st-joseph.html The plenary indulgence is granted to the faithful under the usual conditions (sacramental…

Dear Friends, Last month, Pope Francis proclaimed a year in honor of Saint Joseph. He made the proclamation on December 8, which was the 150th anniversary of Pope Pius IX’s declaration of Saint Joseph as the Patron of the Universal Church. Pope Francis’ Apostolic Letter announcing the Year of St Joseph, Patris Corde, was written against the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic.…

Dear Friends, As was announced last weekend, we are no longer requiring pre-registration for Masses. There are two reasons for this. First, the state is no longer requiring us to keep lists for “contact tracing.” The virus is now so widespread that contract tracing is no longer practical. If we become aware of a possible exposure at one of our Masses, we…

Dear Lord, Bless our family. Be so kind as to give us the unity, peace, and mutual love that You found in Your own family in the little town of Nazareth. Saint Joseph, pray for the head of our family. Obtain for him the strength, the wisdom, and the prudence he needs to support and direct those under his care. Mother Mary,…

Dear Friends, First, I want to express my profound gratitude for the overwhelming response to this year’s Giving Tree. Your generosity is truly amazing and inspiring; you all have made a huge difference in the lives of many of our friends and neighbors. In a similar vein, I’d also like to express, once again, my gratitude for the donations to the wildfire…

Dear Friends, No letter this week. Instead here are some updates to the calendar for the next couple of weeks. First: extra Confession times. I will be available for confessions on Tuesday, December 15 and Thursday, December 17 from 5 to 7 PM. These are not communal penance services. I will be the only priest available. Please be brief and to the…

Dear Friends, I am certain that many of you noticed that when Advent began last weekend, the missalettes you were using had expired. As you know, when the parishes re-opened last May after the governor’s Covid lockdown, we were not allowed to keep missalettes and other items in the pews. This was done out of fear that the illness would be transmitted…

Dear Friends, This weekend we enter into Advent, the period in which we prepare our hearts and our homes to welcome the baby Jesus at Christmas. It is also a period in which we prepare our souls for the return of Christ in glory at the end of time. The state of the world today has many of us thinking that the…

Dear Parishioners, I’m not a fan of Christmas music and Christmas decorations in November; I’ll set up some Christmas stuff in my house after Thanksgiving, but no music until Christmas Day. However, I recently received a text from one of my friends who is even more opposed to jumping the gun on Christmas than I am. This text included a photo of…

Dear Friends, This week, as COVID numbers continue to climb once again, it’s time for some reminders. FIRST: Face coverings are required in the church. It is unfortunate that this simple means of helping to slow the spread of the illness has been so politicized in our society. Wearing face coverings should be seen as an ACT OF LOVE. The more someone…