Through the Desert God Leads us to Freedom Dear brothers and sisters! When our God reveals himself, his message is always one of freedom: “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery” (Ex 20:2). These are the first words of the Decalogue given to Moses on Mount Sinai. Those who heard them were quite familiar with the exodus of which God spoke: the experience of their bondage still weighed heavily upon them. In the desert, they received the “Ten Words” as a thoroughfare to freedom. We call them “commandments”, in order to emphasize the strength of the love by which God shapes his people. The call to freedom is a demanding one. It is not answered straightaway; it has to mature as part of a journey. Just as Israel in the desert still … [Read more...]

Sunday, February 4, 2024 8:00am and 10:00am Sunday, February 11, 2024 8:00am and 10:00am … [Read more...]

As most of you who attend the 10:30am Mass know, we recently have begun allowing parishioners to receive Holy Communion on the tongue while kneeling at the altar rail. This was the “normal” manner of receiving Holy Communion prior to the Second Vatican Council, and many of you appreciate the reverence that it brings. Just to be clear, no one is “required” to receive the Holy Eucharist in this manner. If you would like to receive the Blessed Sacrament in the hand while standing, that option is offered by the Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion in the side aisles. … [Read more...]

Saturday, February 3 is the Feast of St. Blaise, Bishop and Martyr.  St Blaise was the bishop of Sebaste in Armenia who was martyred in the year 316 AD. The oldest accounts tell us that Blaise was a physician at Sebaste before he was made bishop.  In the 4th century persecution of Licinius, St. Blaise was taken prisoner. After suffering various forms of torture he was beheaded. The most popular story attributed to St. Blaise occurred while he was in prison, when he cured a young a boy who was in danger of choking to death because of a fishbone in his throat.  That story, and the fact that St. Blaise was a doctor, made the saint very popular for intercessory prayer for throat ailments. At an early date, the veneration of this Eastern saint was brought into Europe, and Blaise became … [Read more...]

Each year the blessed palms from Palm Sunday are burned to make the ashes for Ash Wednesday.  We will burn them next weekend.  Since the palms are blessed, burning is the suitable way to dispose of them.  Please remember to bring them to Mass next weekend and place them in the brass urns in the back of the church.  Thank you! … [Read more...]

This year your generosity to the Society of St Vincent du Paul meant that 43 families got food baskets for a Christmas meal. Out of those families, 25 got gifts as well with 71 children receiving their gift requests from our tree, a total of 241 gifts! With you our monetary donations we were able to provide $75 gift cards to each of the 48 families so they can purchase turkey, ham, rolls, etc. … [Read more...]

January 1, 2024 Some fundamentalist Christians become offended when Catholics refer to the Blessed Virgin Mary as the Mother of God.   But it’s not a complicated teaching.  If (a) Mary is the mother of Jesus, and (b) if Jesus is God, then, therefore, (c) Mary is the Mother of God.  There is no escaping the logic here. However, saying Mary is the Mother of God, does not mean that she is older than God or the source of her Son’s divinity.  Rather, Mary is the Mother of God in the sense that she carried in her womb the divine person of Jesus Christ, and that her body provided the genetic material for His body. Although most Christians understand Jesus Christ as both fully God and fully human, the term Mother of God must be understood through its origins. Orthodox Christians and … [Read more...]

Christmas Eve, Sunday, December 24 4 PM Vigil Mass (Confessions prior) 12 AM Midnight Mass Christmas Day, Monday, December 25 10:30 AM Mass (NOTE: NO 8 AM Mass) and NO 6 PM Mass (All Masses at Basilica of St. Stephen) Mary, Mother of God, Monday, January 1* 8 AM Mass at St. Henry Church *Mary, Mother of God is not a Holy Day of Obligation this year because it falls on a Monday … [Read more...]

November 26, 2023 On this Solemnity, “kingship” takes on another dimension, the leader takes on the trials and tribulations for those that follow. In that leadership, all who follow are transformed into His children finding redemption in the forgiveness of our sins. Christ exemplifies this while hanging on the cross, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” Are we willing to lead those within our family with such fidelity and trust in God?. … [Read more...]

In December 1531 the Blessed Mother appeared to Juan Diego in Mexico asking him to have the Bishop Juan de Zumarraga to build a church in her honor. The Bishop was reluctant to just take his word and asked for sign from Juan. He returned with a cloak of roses which were not native to the area. The Blessed Virgin had arranged the roses in his cloak and she told him to bring them to the Bishop. When he showed the bishop and even more wondrous sign appeared; a remarkable portrait of Our Lady was imprinted on the coarse fabric of his cloak. The image and the cloak are displayed for the veneration of the faithful to this day at Our Lady of Guadalupe basilica of Mexico City. The Knights of Columbus have over the years had 7 Silver Roses made. One Rose was presented to Pope Francis in 2014. … [Read more...]