Strike A Chord, Strike a Balance
As I mentioned in the last bulletin, there are some simple philosophies that I try to stick to in guiding our music ministry. This time, I’ll share some of those, and some of my motivations. To begin with, I’ll acknowledge the “elephant in the room” in liturgical music—there is no [...]
Memories of our 175th Anniversary
With memories of our 175th Anniversary celebration so fresh, I want to take an opportunity to respond to the reactions and feedback the staff has been receiving. I know others around the office probably have much more they could share, but since so much of the response has pertained to [...]
Sharing our Spiritual Blessings
My dear friends, On this day when we gather together to celebrate our 175th Anniversary as a parish, how can we find better, more fitting words to express our gratitude and joy than those given to us in St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians: “Blessed be the God and Father [...]
Finding Ways to Grow in God’s Perfect Charity
Since finding my way back to sincere faith in Jesus Christ and the comfort and support of Catholic communities like ours here at St. Peter’s, I have learned many things, and by the grace of God I believe that I’m a better person for it. Because of this, I hope [...]
Being God’s Gardener
By this time of year, the crops are in the field and gardens have been planted. Many plants have begun to sprout and some have even blossomed. The seeds that were put in the ground will look nothing like the plants which will grow from them. The next time you [...]
The Gift of the Eucharist at the Center of the Christian Life
As Catholics, the Solemnity of the Precious Body and Blood of the Lord celebrates the immeasurable Gift that lies at the very center of our Christian life. It would be hard for any of us to put into words our heart-felt gratitude and appreciation for so great a Gift. I [...]
Relationship and The Holy Trinity
“The earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.” (Psalm 33) It is always a little intimidating to be asked to write something about the Holy Trinity. I find myself challenged to describe adequately this great, defining Mystery of our faith. And yet, it remains one of the [...]
The Holy Spirit: The Soul of The Church
I’ve always had a somewhat difficult time understanding the Holy Spirit. While not all of you will agree, I don’t think I’m alone when I say that the Holy Spirit is the most unrelatable part of the Trinity for me. With the Father, we have our own dads and all [...]
Goodbyes Can Be Hard
Goodbyes can be hard. Sometimes they are filled with joy as well as sadness; sometimes they are more about sadness. We say goodbye to family and friends that move away, we say goodbye to children who go off to college, we say goodbye at a funeral. My children sometimes get [...]
Our Devotion to Mary
Recently, Fr. Steven has used a title for Mary that I had never heard before. Though I don’t think it is technically an “official” title, there is definitely substantial and defensible biblical basis for it. I am not sure whether it was last weekend or some time before that, but [...]
Click here to read more about our parish school, Faithful Shepherd Catholic School.