November 5 is election day, and the weeks leading up to it can be a very stressful time for people. Political rhetoric will surely intensify as Americans prepare to choose to whom we want to entrust the enormous power that comes with political office in our country. Aware of how this can affect us, Fr.Continue reading “Surviving the Political Season “
Author Archives: stceceliastgabriel
Living Rosary
When I was a kid, anytime we would go on a trip in the car as a family, at some point my mother would blindside us with the announcement that it was time for the rosary. I rarely received the news well. “Ugh!” I’d think to myself, “It’s so long and repetitive and boring!” But,Continue reading “Living Rosary “
All About Angels
This is the time of year when the Church wants us to think about angels. September 29 is the Feast of the Archangels and October 2 is the Feast of the Guardian Angels. Angels are our fellow creatures, whom God created before the dawn of time. But they are a very different kind of creatureContinue reading “All About Angels “
Monsieur Vincent
In 1948, the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film went to Monsieur Vincent, which tells the remarkable story of St. Vincent de Paul (1581-1660). He grew up in a peasant family, studied theology at a university where fistfights among students were common, and was ordained a priest at 19. Five years later he was kidnappedContinue reading “Monsieur Vincent “
Our Lady’s Gift
When Fr. Myron Miller built the current Church of St. Cecilia in 1956, moving the parish to Newfield Ave. from its original location on Weed Hill, he made sure to bring some things with him to the new church. One thing he brought was the beautiful statue of St. Cecilia that had stood since 1926Continue reading “Our Lady’s Gift “
A Good Doctor
Next weekend, at the 11:15 Mass at St. Cecilia’s, we will be welcoming the St. Robert Bellarmine Apostolate for Individuals with Down Syndrome to worship with us. This is an apostolate that gives prayerful support to individuals with Down syndrome, their families, and caregivers. They will host a lunch reception in the parish hall immediatelyContinue reading “A Good Doctor “
Mary DeCarlo, R.I.P.
On the bulletin board in my office, I have posted several things that are important to me. There are some pictures of family, a couple of inspirational quotes about priesthood that I like, and then there’s a photo of a bespectacled gray-haired woman sitting with a Yankees mug at her kitchen table in front ofContinue reading “Mary DeCarlo, R.I.P. “
Stay Hungry
In her recent address to the Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis, Sr. Josephine Garrett said that a Eucharistic revival will only move forward if built on a two-legged foundation. One leg is greater reverence for His sacred presence – above all in the Eucharist, as well as in our neighbor. The other leg, she said, isContinue reading “Stay Hungry “
John 1:5
On March 30, 1981, a 25-year-old named John Hinckley attempted to assassinate President Ronald Reagan. Hinckley was a troubled young man who hoped that his crime would gain him notoriety and the attention of actress Jodi Foster, with whom he had become obsessed. Using a revolver, Hinckley shot the president in the chest from closeContinue reading “John 1:5 “
(Mal)Formed by Technology
“Technology makes us different people – people who are less inclined to be Catholic,” writes Colin Miller in Church Life Journal. Miller insists he is no luddite. He is merely reminding us that, for better or worse, we human beings are shaped by our actions. Consider how repetition and practice allow us to become proficientContinue reading “(Mal)Formed by Technology “
The Parish of St. Cecilia-St. Gabriel 