stceceliastgabriel

Keeping the Proper Perspective

After capping off a 61-1 season with a third straight national championship, members of the University of Oklahoma softball team were asked by a journalist how they were able to handle the unique pressure that comes with high expectations and play with joy when anxiety could easily set in. Infielder Grace Lyons responded first, saying:Continue reading “Keeping the Proper Perspective “

Go to the Sacred Heart

Since it was opened in 1885, people have been visiting the Basilica of the Sacred Heart in the Montmartre neighborhood overlooking Paris to take in more than just the view. Above the main altar in the sanctuary of the church, the Most Blessed Sacrament has been exposed 24 hours a day, 7 days a weekContinue reading “Go to the Sacred Heart “

Incorrupt

On Ascension Thursday (5/18/23) the Benedictine Sisters of Mary, Queen of the Apostles in Gower, Missouri transferred the coffin of Sr. Wilhelmina Lancaster from her grave in the community cemetery to a sarcophagus in their monastery chapel. What would have been a normal act of devotion to their foundress, who died on the same feastContinue reading “Incorrupt “

God is Good

“Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord!” With this reference to Psalm 89, Bishop Caggiano began his homily for the Mass last Saturday (5/20) at which he ordained six new priests for the Diocese of Bridgeport. The Bishop remarked that such an occasion should evoke songs of praise and thanksgiving from the heartsContinue reading “God is Good “

Regina Caeli

Every Friday morning, either me or Fr. Mariusz celebrates Mass for the students and faculty of the Catholic Academy of Stamford (CAS), the school located on the St. Cecilia campus. A few weeks ago, as we were getting everything prepared in the sacristy, I heard one of the servers, an eighth grader named Patrick, quietlyContinue reading “Regina Caeli “

Health Crisis

There is a mental health crisis in our society, especially among the young, and everybody knows it. Fr. Roger Landry, the Catholic chaplain at Columbia University, in a recent article in the National Catholic Register, cites a 2023 Center for Disease Control study which found the following: 57% of girls and 29% of boys reportedContinue reading “Health Crisis “

Love Your Mother

My sister has an image of the Blessed Mother on her kitchen counter, near the sink. During a visit, it caught my eye and I remarked to her how beautiful I thought it was. “Yes,” she said, slightly wincing, “whenever I look at it, I think about how much better I need to be doing.” Continue reading “Love Your Mother “

God is Beautiful

There is an old cherry tree that grows on the northwest corner of the Parish Office building on the campus of St. Cecilia. Every year, around this time, I look forward to seeing the beautiful pink flowers that adorn its twisted brown branches. The blossoms make me think of the conversion story of a priestContinue reading “God is Beautiful “

Why Read Scripture?

“The Christian story is amazing,” says English historian Tom Holland in a recent conversation with Bishop Robert Barron. Holland’s latest book, Dominion, examines the impact Christianity has had on human civilization, which he argues is so complete that even Christianity’s harshest secular critics often unwittingly base their critiques on ideas that he says are fundamentallyContinue reading “Why Read Scripture? “

A Little Bit of Latin

The opportunity to study as a seminarian in Rome was a life-changing experience for me. One of the things that most impressed me was being in a huge lecture hall with Catholic men and women from all over the world. All of us were together, studying our shared Catholic faith, and it opened my eyesContinue reading “A Little Bit of Latin “