Other – Page 12 – The Parish of St. Cecilia-St. Gabriel

Holy Hour for Vocations

Several years ago, when I was the Vocations Director for the Diocese of Bridgeport, I came across a talk that Mother Teresa of Calcutta gave back in 1993. In it, she told the story of an old man that her sisters discovered and pulled out of a gutter. He was in very bad shape. They brought him toContinue reading “Holy Hour for Vocations”

Breaking the Spell

There was a very interesting opinion article in last Sunday’s New York Times (“How to Think Your Way Into Religious Belief” 8/15/21). It was written by Ross Douthat, who has had a column in the Op-Ed section of the Times since 2009, and has on occasion used that space to write about religion. Douthat is Catholic, and his writings demonstrate a broad interest in religious belief,Continue reading “Breaking the Spell”

Ordo

In the sacristy of every Catholic church there is a little book called an Ordo. Published annually by the Bishops of the United States, the Ordo provides all the information about the liturgy that one needs for every day of the year. It tells us what readings we’re supposed to read at Mass, what prayers we’re supposed toContinue reading “Ordo”

Return

Brandon Vogt is the Senior Content Editor at Word on Fire Catholic Ministries, an organization established by Bishop Robert Barron to provide tools of evangelization for Catholics. Recently, I listened to Vogt speak about his new book called Return: How to Draw Your Child Back to the Church. The book was the fruit of Vogt’s many years of research on the sky-rocketing number of people who were raisedContinue reading “Return”

Building on What We’ve Received

I watch too much YouTube. More often than not, it’s a big waste of time. But sometimes you can come across something interesting there. I recently watched an interview of the film director Spike Lee. He was asked by the interviewer to put together a list of films that he would recommend to anyone interested in film. At one point, he expressedContinue reading “Building on What We’ve Received”

Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi

During a recent conversation with a member of our parish, he told me that over the past few years he has come to a greater love and appreciation for the True Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. He attributed this awakening to his experience of reverence in the liturgy. In particular, he said that attending Eucharistic exposition and benediction,Continue reading “Lex Orandi, Lex Credendi”

The Eucharist in The Times

There was a very interesting article in The New York Times two weeks ago in which journalists Elizabeth Dias and Ruth Graham reported on the Eucharist (“Beyond the Politics of Communion, an Ancient Holy Ritual”, 6/27/21). The impetus for the piece was the recent meeting of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, at which the bishops discussedContinue reading “The Eucharist in The Times”

Finding a Quiet Place

In my mind, July is when summer really begins. The weather starts to get consistently hot, life for most people slows down, and if they’re lucky they can get away for a vacation. This week, I’ll be one of the lucky ones who gets some time away from the routine demands of ordinary life. Every year IContinue reading “Finding a Quiet Place”

New Mass Schedule

A wise priest once told me that there are certain decisions that a pastor must make, even at the risk of his own life. One of them is deciding to tinker with the parish Mass schedule. Last year, after the shutdowns, the unique circumstances required the adjustment of the liturgical schedule. If you recall, prior to the pandemic the Mass schedule was as follows: 4pm vigil (St. Gabriel), 5:30pm vigilContinue reading “New Mass Schedule”

Guardians of the Family, Guardians of Truth

On June 11, the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, I had the privilege of attending a Mass at St. Mary’s Church in New Haven where Mr. Patrick Kelly was installed as the 14th Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus. The Knights of Columbus are the largest Catholic fraternal organization in the world, with overContinue reading “Guardians of the Family, Guardians of Truth”