This Thursday evening (May 26), 68 young men and women from our parish will receive the sacrament of Confirmation at the hands of Bishop Frank Caggiano. With the reception of this sacrament, they will be fully initiated members of the Catholic Church, and will have received an increase and a deepening of what they firstContinue reading “Confirmed in the Spirit”
Category Archives: Sacraments
First Communion
One of the best days of the year in every Catholic parish is the Saturday on which we celebrate First Holy Communions. Everybody is dressed up and the church is filled with the buzz of excited family members. The best part of the experience for the priest, of course, is giving the young men andContinue reading “First Communion”
Dressing Up
This is the time of year when people, young and old, dress up in costumes for trick-or-treating and Halloween parties. For this reason, I thought it opportune to write about liturgical vestments and the significance of the garments that the priest wears for liturgy. It’s important to note, however, that there is a fundamental difference between aContinue reading “Dressing Up”
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”
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”
Confirmed in the Spirit
This Wednesday (5/26), Bishop Caggiano will be coming to confirm 23 young men and women of our parish. It’s a lovely thing to have Confirmations so soon after celebrating Pentecost, the great feast on which the Church commemorates the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the world 50 days after Easter. As part of the liturgy of Pentecost, the Church gives usContinue reading “Confirmed in the Spirit”
Emmaus
We have come to the end of Easter Sunday. Yes, the Solemnity of Easter was a week ago, but we must remember that Easter is such a big deal that the Church gives us eight days to celebrate it properly. We call that eight-day period the “Easter Octave.” The second Sunday of Easter – Divine Mercy Sunday – is the final day inContinue reading “Emmaus”
From the Ruins
Last weekend, perhaps overshadowed by the media coverage given to Oprah Winfrey’s interview of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Pope Francis made a historic pilgrimage to Iraq, becoming the first pope to visit that country. The images from the visit are remarkable, especially the Holy Father’s visit of the city of Mosul. Mosul is the second-largest city in Iraq, and was theContinue reading “From the Ruins”
Thoughts on Ash Wednesday
Yesterday was Ash Wednesday, which is typically one of the busiest days of the year in every Catholic parish. This year was no different. We started with our normal 7:30am Mass, which reached maximum capacity (160) under the current COVID restriction, which was really nice. Just after the parish Mass, we had Mass for some of the students at the Catholic Academy of Stamford. Continue reading “Thoughts on Ash Wednesday”
Psalm 95
“Come, let us sing to the Lord, and shout with joy to the rock who saves us./ Let us approach Him with praise and thanksgiving and sing joyful songs to the Lord./ The Lord is God, the mighty God, the great king above all the gods./ He holds in His hands the depths of the earth and the highest mountains as well./ He madeContinue reading “Psalm 95”
The Parish of St. Cecilia-St. Gabriel 