stceceliastgabriel

Friendship

In his opening remarks at the recent “Symposium on Young American Men” in Washington DC, Supreme Knight Patrick Kelly of the Knights of Columbus spoke about a growing crisis of loneliness and isolation among young men in our society. “It’s increasingly clear that millions of men no longer have friends who they can count on and who can spur them on to excellence…. MoreContinue reading “Friendship “

Christ’s Soldier

St. Martin of Tours (316-397 A.D.) was the son of an officer in the imperial army of Rome. As such, Roman law required him to enter the emperor’s service at the age of 15. By then, however, Martin’s sole desire was to be a servant of Christ. It was not easy to live as a Christian in the Roman legions. He was surroundedContinue reading “Christ’s Soldier “

Kids Need Saints

With the Solemnity of All Saints taking place this weekend (Nov. 1), author Amy Welborn tells us why young people must be introduced to the lives of the saints. “Kids need saints because the world they’re living in mostly lies to them about who they are, why they’re valuable, why they’re here, and where they’reContinue reading “Kids Need Saints “

Reviving the Art of Mourning

Joe Pisani is a local writer who recently published an opinion piece in the Stamford Advocate (“An Obituary for the Art of Mourning,” Oct 2, 2025). In it, Pisani described his father’s ritual of perusing the obituary section of the daily newspaper, occasionally commenting to his wife when he noticed a familiar name. When someoneContinue reading “Reviving the Art of Mourning “

Dilexi Te

A little over a week ago, Pope Leo XIV issued his first teaching document in the form of an apostolic exhortation called Dilexi Te. To be honest, I have not yet read it myself, only commentaries about it (always a dangerous thing to do). But among those who have shared their thoughts on the document,Continue reading “Dilexi Te “

Living Rosary

Last Sunday we hosted a living rosary in our beautiful Marian Garden in anticipation of the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary (10/7). The living rosary devotion involves a group of at least 60 people (we had about 80), with each person representing one of the “beads” of the rosary. The group’s progression throughContinue reading “Living Rosary “

Loving Our Little Plot

Last weekend at the cathedral, Bishop Frank Caggiano conferred the St. Augustine Medal on over 170 people in recognition of their exceptional service to parishes, schools, and Catholic Charities throughout the Diocese. Among the recipients of this year’s award was Eden Huang, who I’m sure is very upset with me as she reads this. IfContinue reading “Loving Our Little Plot “

The First Tablet

A few months ago, I was at a (non-parishioner’s) wedding reception and found myself in a conversation with a group of people I knew, but not very well. The conversation took place at that point in the evening when guests suddenly feel relaxed enough to freely share their opinions on politics and religion. In dueContinue reading “The First Tablet “

Seeking Saints

In a recent reflection on the feast of St. Gregory the Great (Sept. 3), Bishop Erik Varden writes about the saintly pope who served as Bishop of Rome from 590-605 A.D. One of the pope’s many accomplishments was a work entitled the Dialogues, in which he authored biographies of various saints, including a very famousContinue reading “Seeking Saints “

Chasing Immortality

In a recent Wall Street Journal article, Naveen Jain summed up his life’s goal: “I want to make aging optional.” The tech billionaire is one of a growing number of ultra-wealthy entrepreneurs chasing immortality, including famous innovators such as Sam Altman and Peter Thiel. The article reports: “Thiel’s quest for longer life spans nearly aContinue reading “Chasing Immortality “