When Human Leadership Fails Us
In February of 1798, French troops marched into Rome under the command of Napoleon Bonaparte. Pope Pius VI was imprisoned by Napoleon, where he died in 1799. Later that year, a new pope was elected by 34 cardinals from across Europe who gathered in secret, since Napoleon had made their [...]
What’s In A Name?
Names are important. As human persons we seem to know this intrinsically. Expectant parents spend a great deal of effort choosing names for their children. Throughout our lives, our friends, family, and our own personalities, often change those names. What we are called- and what we call one another- is [...]
Celebrating Baptism
This weekend we celebrate the Baptism of the Lord, the recognition of the day upon which John baptized Jesus Christ. It is also the end of the Christmas season. By now most of us have taken down the Christmas tree, packed away the decorations and unfortunately it is likely a [...]
Celebrating Epiphany
My dear friends, This time of year we celebrate the Feast of Epiphany, a Greek word that means “manifestation.” In and through the whole mystery of the Incarnation, by taking on our humanity, God is “manifesting” Himself to the world, making Himself visible in Jesus Christ, and thereby revealing His [...]
Getting to Know Fr. Steven
(This is a compilation of the six-part series Fr. Steven wrote for our parishioners, appearing in bulletins and blog posts in November and December 2014. Minimal editing done by Fr. Steven.) My dear friends, In the pastors column I want to focus my thoughts on us getting to know each other. So [...]
Faithfulness In Our Relationship With God
Honestly, when I think about the concept of “faithfulness” in the relationship I have with God, I generally focus on how I am being faithful (or not) to God. I do not often reflect on God’s faithfulness to me and to all His people. And yet, today’s first reading and [...]
A Sunday For Rejoicing
The third Sunday of Advent is traditionally known as “Gaudete Sunday”, or, phrasing it another way, “a Sunday for Rejoicing”. It is so called because it marks the approaching end of our Advent task of preparing for the celebration of Christmas. Incidentally, I’ve been finding Fr. Steven’s homilies particularly helpful [...]
Getting to Know Fr. Steven – Part 6
My dear friends, I will continue from where I left off in the last bulletin, sharing with you more of the journey of my life: part 6 of the song I sing to God’s merciful love. When the Lord called me to be a priest at the age of 27, [...]
Getting to Know Fr. Steven – Part 5
My dear friends, To get to know each other better, I will continue from where I left off in last week’s bulletin, sharing with you more of the journey of my life: part 5 of the song I sing to God’s merciful love. I find it quite amazing how radically [...]
Getting to Know Fr. Steven – Part 4
My dear friends, For the sake of getting to know each other, I will continue from where I left off in last week’s bulletin, sharing with you more of the journey of my life—part 4 of the song I sing to God’s amazing, merciful love. When I finally surrendered my [...]
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