stceceliastgabriel

St. Charles Borromeo

This can be a busy and stressful time for young people who plan to go off to college next year. For those who are going through the process (and their parents), St. Charles Borromeo (1538-84) might be a fitting patron saint to turn to for help in making a good decision. That’s because St. CharlesContinue reading “St. Charles Borromeo “

Reasonable Faith

Is it reasonable to believe in God? The Church at the First Vatican Council (1869-70), in its document Dei Filius, declared infallibly that “God, the principle and end of all things, can be known with certainty by the natural light of human reason from created things.” This means that human beings on our own canContinue reading “Reasonable Faith “

The Joy of Creating

Every Thursday afternoon in high school I would spend an hour with Mr. Guzzi, my piano teacher. Mr. Guzzi was a well-respected local jazz pianist, and I was interested in learning that style of music. During those lessons, he taught me things like music theory and chord progressions. He gave me drills to develop basicContinue reading “The Joy of Creating “

Surviving the Political Season

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 “

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. “