stceceliastgabriel

St. Mark

This Monday (4/25) is the feast day of St. Mark the Evangelist, the patron saint of Venice, whose symbol is a winged lion. Mark was born in the early 1st century and his family was prominent among the earliest Christians in Jerusalem. His uncle was St. Barnabas, who was St. Paul’s primary collaborator during hisContinue reading “St. Mark”

What It’s All About

There’s a story about a young Italian priest who was travelling by train and found himself sharing a compartment with a group of high school students. Since it was 1952 and there were no smart phones to distract them, the priest and the young people engaged in conversation. What the priest discovered through the conversationContinue reading “What It’s All About”

Behind the Veil

This weekend we enter Passiontide, the final phase of the Lenten season, during which we traditionally veil statues and holy images in our churches until the Easter Vigil. I recently came across a poem by John Hart entitled, “Veiled Images at Passiontide,” which contemplates this ancient custom. A purple kite against the wall with theContinue reading “Behind the Veil”

Forgiveness & Healing

Forgiveness is the subject of a new book by moral theologian Fr. Thomas Berg and clinical psychologist Dr. Timothy Lock, who both serve on the faculty of St. Joseph Seminary in Yonkers, NY. The book is called Choosing Forgiveness: Unleash the Power of God’s Grace, and they recently gave an interview to The Pillar aboutContinue reading “Forgiveness & Healing”

Fish on Fridays

By now, it is a well-known story. In the early 1960s, a man named Lou Groen noticed a dramatic decline in business on Fridays at his McDonald’s restaurant in Cincinnati. He realized that this was due to the city’s large Catholic population – and Catholics did not eat meat on Fridays. So, Groen approached RayContinue reading “Fish on Fridays”

Sleeping St. Joseph

I was recently at the home of some friends and during dinner they were telling me about a particular challenge they were facing as a family. They told me that they were asking for the intercession of “sleeping St. Joseph.” They must have noticed the confused look on my face, because they said with surprise:Continue reading “Sleeping St. Joseph”

Learning from Alvaro & George

When I was 25, I lived for four months in Madrid as a guest of a large Spanish family of 8 children, most of whom were grown and living on their own. I was introduced to the family by a friend who briefed me about them as he drove me to their home. In theContinue reading “Learning from Alvaro & George”

Lenten Disciplines

Lent 2022 kicks off this Wednesday, when together we will begin another 40-day pilgrimage to Easter. It’s about this time every year that we start giving some thought to what our Lenten discipline will be, that is, what we plan to give up for Lent. Traditionally, Catholics are called upon to do three things duringContinue reading “Lenten Disciplines”

The Memory of St. Polycarp

Years ago, prior to entering seminary, I worked in an office where, during their lunch break, a group of my co-workers would gather in the break room and watch their favorite soap opera. The show was sufficiently ridiculous to be entertaining, so occasionally I’d join them. My favorite storyline was about a character who awokeContinue reading “The Memory of St. Polycarp”

Comprehending Brianna’s Choice

In this month’s edition of the Fairfield County Catholic (Jan 2022), there is a beautiful article about a young woman named Brianna Farens who grew up in Shelton, and is a graduate of St. Joseph High School (2010) and Providence College (2014). She had always thought about pursuing a career in medicine, like her father,Continue reading “Comprehending Brianna’s Choice”