The unusual Christmas song “Fairytale of New York” will be getting extra airplay this year. That’s because the unusual man who wrote it, Shane MacGowan, died this past November 30 at the age of 65. The song made MacGowan and his band The Pogues famous when it was released in 1988, and was the biggestContinue reading “R.I.P. Shane MacGowan “
Category Archives: Sacraments
Feels Like Home
When I was 25 I spent a year living in Spain. I was between jobs and unsure what my next move was going to be, so it seemed like a good (and fun) use of time as I contemplated my future. One of the most memorable parts of that year was the month I spentContinue reading “Feels Like Home “
Truly Present
A young woman I know is reading a book by Bishop Robert Barron entitled: This is My Body: A Call to Eucharistic Revival. She has found the book helpful, but she noticed that Barron often describes the Eucharist as “the body, blood, soul, and divinity” of Jesus, and wondered what that was all about. WeContinue reading “Truly Present “
Alma Mater
This weekend I will be away from the parish, attending my college class reunion. Twenty-five years ago, I graduated from the University of Dallas (UD), a small Catholic university located in Irving, TX. It was an unlikely choice for an 18-year-old from Connecticut, but I had a cousin studying there whom I visited as aContinue reading “Alma Mater “
Fr. Coley Palmer, R.I.P.
On August 14, Fr. Michael “Coley” Palmer passed away at the age of 86. Fr. Palmer was born in Stamford in 1934 and was baptized at St. John’s Church on Atlantic St. When he was still a boy, his family moved to Springdale where they became members of St. Cecilia Parish when the church wasContinue reading “Fr. Coley Palmer, R.I.P. “
Living Together
A few months ago, the Institute for Family Studies published “How Moving in Together Makes It Harder to Know if He’s the One,” an article by Scott Stanley and Galena Rhoades, research professors at the University of Denver. The authors note that more than 75% of couples live together before marriage. While a couple’s decisionContinue reading “Living Together “
Go to the Sacred Heart
Since it was opened in 1885, people have been visiting the Basilica of the Sacred Heart in the Montmartre neighborhood overlooking Paris to take in more than just the view. Above the main altar in the sanctuary of the church, the Most Blessed Sacrament has been exposed 24 hours a day, 7 days a weekContinue reading “Go to the Sacred Heart “
Ite, Missa Est
There’s a famous story about St. Philip Neri (1515-1595) in which he noticed that there was a man in his congregation who had the habit of leaving Mass immediately after receiving Communion. St. Philip eventually decided that he needed to address it, so he instructed two of his altar servers to follow the man outContinue reading “Ite, Missa Est “
A Fresh Start
People love New Year’s Day for the same reason we love make overs and mulligans – they all offer a fresh start. As we try to come up with different ways to make the most of this opportunity of a brand new year, may I suggest a resolution to rediscover the Sacrament of Confession, whichContinue reading “A Fresh Start “
Communion
This Tuesday, November 1, is the Solemnity of All Saints. It is one of the greatest feasts of the year because it is a celebration of those who have reached the final destination for which we are made and to which we all aspire, with the help of God’s grace. It’s important to remember thatContinue reading “Communion “
The Parish of St. Cecilia-St. Gabriel 