The fourth week of Advent is usually cut short by the arrival of Christmas, which is the beginning (not the end!) of the Christmas season. One of the things I love about the first days of the Christmas season are all of the beautiful feasts contained in them. Right on the heels of the celebrationContinue reading “Protomartyr “
Category Archives: Saints
Gratitude
Gratitude brought Dorothy Day to God. In 1925, Day was living in a bungalow on the beach in Staten Island. She had spent the past ten years working in Manhattan as a journalist documenting the radical political movements she supported, and living a bohemian lifestyle with artists, playwrights, and activists in Greenwich Village. An abusiveContinue reading “Gratitude “
St. Charles Borromeo
This can be a busy and stressful time for young people who plan to go off to college next year. For those who are going through the process (and their parents), St. Charles Borromeo (1538-84) might be a fitting patron saint to turn to for help in making a good decision. That’s because St. CharlesContinue reading “St. Charles Borromeo “
All About Angels
This is the time of year when the Church wants us to think about angels. September 29 is the Feast of the Archangels and October 2 is the Feast of the Guardian Angels. Angels are our fellow creatures, whom God created before the dawn of time. But they are a very different kind of creatureContinue reading “All About Angels “
Monsieur Vincent
In 1948, the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film went to Monsieur Vincent, which tells the remarkable story of St. Vincent de Paul (1581-1660). He grew up in a peasant family, studied theology at a university where fistfights among students were common, and was ordained a priest at 19. Five years later he was kidnappedContinue reading “Monsieur Vincent “
A Good Doctor
Next weekend, at the 11:15 Mass at St. Cecilia’s, we will be welcoming the St. Robert Bellarmine Apostolate for Individuals with Down Syndrome to worship with us. This is an apostolate that gives prayerful support to individuals with Down syndrome, their families, and caregivers. They will host a lunch reception in the parish hall immediatelyContinue reading “A Good Doctor “
Bonfire
Next Saturday (6/22), immediately following our 5:30 vigil Mass, we will have our 2nd annual Parish Bonfire, in observance of the vigil of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist. Because the actual date of the vigil (6/23) falls on a Sunday evening, we are celebrating it a day earlier. This means we will beContinue reading “Bonfire “
Encouragement
There’s a passage from the first chapter of the Book of Deuteronomy in which the ancient Israelites are encamped close to the border of the land promised to them by God. Moses tells them that the Lord wants them to go in and take possession of it. But the people are unsure. So, they sendContinue reading “Encouragement “
A Clearing in the Woods
St. Boniface (feast day 6/5) was an 8th century English monk who left his homeland to evangelize the region we now call Germany. There, he reformed the weak, ignorant, and immoral clergy who were notoriously disobedient to Church authority. His efforts led to the spread of Christianity before his martyrdom in 755 A.D. He isContinue reading “A Clearing in the Woods “
Restorative Images
Interesting things are happening in France. Adult baptisms are up 30%. There is unprecedented interest in the annual pilgrimage from Paris to Chartres. The reconstruction of Notre Dame Cathedral will be finished in time for Christmas. All this surprisingly good news was reported by The Pillar in the context of an interview of 27-year-old FrenchmanContinue reading “Restorative Images “
The Parish of St. Cecilia-St. Gabriel 