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 “
Category Archives: Other
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 “
Summer Rest
This Tuesday (7/29) we celebrate the feast day of Sts. Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, a family of siblings who were close friends of Jesus. Our Lord would often stay at their home in Bethany when He was visiting Jerusalem. In St. Luke’s gospel (Lk 10:38-42), we hear about one such visit. Martha is “burdened withContinue reading “Summer Rest “
Building Happy Marriages
What is the secret to a happy marriage? According to experts, going on dates (with one’s spouse) is very helpful. Unfortunately, most couples rarely enjoy a date night together. Based on a nationwide survey of over 2000 married couples, 52% of married couples report either never or seldom go on dates together, with 48% reportingContinue reading “Building Happy Marriages “
Apologetics
The term apologetics refers to a reasoned and systematic defense of a particular set of beliefs, and it has always had a place in the history of the Church. Many of the Church’s great saints engaged both fellow believers and non-believers in fierce debates over important questions of doctrine. St. Peter himself encouraged Christians toContinue reading “Apologetics “
The Catholic Founder
This weekend, people across this proud land will gather together to enjoy hots dogs, watermelon, and fireworks as a way of celebrating Independance Day, the commemoration of the signing of the Declaration of Independence 249 years ago. There are many household names among its signatories, such as Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and JohnContinue reading “The Catholic Founder “
The Promise & Peril of A.I.
Artificial Intelligence is a hot topic these days. While techno-utopians from Silicon Valley speak of it with great optimism, many others, including Pope Leo XIV, are much more circumspect about what its impact will be on civilization. A few years ago, Fr. Stephen Grunow of Word on Fire gave an interesting lecture on the issueContinue reading “The Promise & Peril of A.I. “
A Few Announcements
This weekend our parish is happy to welcome Mr. Colin Firda who is a seminarian studying to be a priest of our diocese. Colin will be with us for a couple of months, during which time he will be helping out by serving Mass, writing a short weekly reflection for the bulletin, and moving heavyContinue reading “A Few Announcements “
What’s in a Name?
As the Church gets to know its new pope, one of the things that is helpful to consider is the name that Cardinal Robert Prevost took upon his election to the See of Peter. It has been the tradition since the sixth century for popes to adopt what are called “regnal names,” and the nameContinue reading “What’s in a Name? “
Tales of Conclaves Past
This week, members of the College of Cardinals of the Catholic Church will perform their most important function, which is to elect a new pope. The election takes place during what is called a “conclave,” which comes from the Latin words, con and clavis, which literally means “with key,” referring to a room with aContinue reading “Tales of Conclaves Past “
The Parish of St. Cecilia-St. Gabriel 