Most Americans, when we think of Canada, imagine a great wintry wasteland, populated by polite people with hard-to-place accents, who spend their days eating jelly doughnuts, curling, and trading quotes from the film Strange Brew. But, in truth, not all of Canada is like that. This week, I will travel to the city of Montreal,Continue reading “Pilgrimage “
Category Archives: Church History
Our Beloved Home
As we celebrate the great occasion of the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding this weekend, it is good to think about why we should love and care for the country we call home. In 1938, a time in which various totalitarian ideologies were vying for political supremacy throughout the world, Msgr. Fulton Sheen gaveContinue reading “Our Beloved Home “
Apostles of Rome
This Monday, June 29, is the Solemnity of St. Peter and St. Paul. It might seem odd, given the importance of these two saints, that they share a feast day. But we also remember that each does have a feast day on which the Church honors them individually – The Feast of the Chair ofContinue reading “Apostles of Rome “
God’s Architect
During his recent trip to Spain, Pope Leo visited Barcelona to bless the newly completed “Tower of Jesus,” of the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia. The basilica was designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi, who began working on it in 1883, and today it is the city’s most iconic building. Its exterior currently features facades that depict the birth of Christ and His crucifixion, with the final judgment facade still unfinished. Inside,Continue reading “God’s Architect “
The Green Desert
The next week and a half is kind of a “sweet spot” during the season of Lent. In the next ten days we get not just one but two solemnities – St. Joseph’s Day (3/19) and the Annunciation (3/25), both of which provide a welcome respite from the disciplines of Lent. It’s also a great time for the Irish, for those of Irish descent, and for the countless multitudes who wish they were. St.Continue reading “The Green Desert “
“Follow My Voice”
This weekend, a historic event took place not far from where we live. Archbishop Ronald Hicks was installed at St. Patrick’s Cathedral as the 11th Archbishop of New York, taking over from his immediate predecessor, Timothy Cardinal Dolan. Cardinal Dolan served in that role for almost 17 years, one year longer than another great man of the Church, John Cardinal O’Connor, who served as Archbishop ofContinue reading ““Follow My Voice” “
Nicaea and Unity
After the homily at every Sunday Mass, the congregation rises to recite the Niceno-Contantinopolitan Creed, better known as the Nicene Creed. The Nicene Creed is a concise distillation of the foundational beliefs of orthodox Christianity. It has its origins in the Council of Nicaea which took place in modern day Turkey in the year 325Continue reading “Nicaea and Unity “
The Parish of St. Cecilia-St. Gabriel 