Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Continuing our reflection on the nature of Catholic funerals, I would like to return again to the most essential facet of these rites surrounding death. As a Church, our great spiritual foundation is profoundly sacramental. As death approaches, it is especially appropriate for the Anointing of the Sick to be celebrated. It should be emphasized that this sacrament does not in any way meant that death is imminent – in fact, it is meant to be received anytime one’s physical health suffers, before surgery, during hospital stays, etc. In a particular way though, the…read more

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, As you know, the Church prays for all the deceased in a special way during the month of November. We will continue our reflection on the funeral rites of the Church throughout this month. Last week, we were reminded that the funeral serves a twofold purpose: to pray for the salvation of the deceased person and to help those who mourn offer thanksgiving, find hope, and recall the promise of the resurrection. With that in mind, it is worth reflecting on how the Catholic Church’s funeral rites are structured. The Rite of Christian Burial…read more

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, In the wake of the attack on the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh we are confronted with the horror of violence and hatred and come face-to-face with the depravity of man. It goes without saying that anti-Semitism is to be condemned in any and all forms. In this particular context, we stand in solidarity with the members of that synagogue as well as with our Jewish neighbors here in the greater-Fairfield area. As the month of November begins, we Catholics are called in a special way to lift up prayers for the dead.…read more

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Thank you all for your generosity and support last weekend as we began our final push for the We Stand With Christ campaign. You pledged over $300,000—a truly incredible show of sacrificial giving! Over 200 families have participated in the campaign and many more are prayerfully considering a gift. I can never adequately express my gratitude for what you are all doing for our parish community, but let me again say thank you! Some people have expressed concern about committing to a pledge over 3 to 5 years, and have shared with me that…read more

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, James and John exhibit their typical boldness in the Gospel this weekend. At first glance, their request to sit at the right and left of Jesus in His kingdom may seem to be motivated by a desire for position or prestige. But if we read carefully, we see that they make this request out of love for Jesus. Remember, these same disciples were outraged that Jesus was rejected by the Samaritan town and wanted to call down fire from heaven to consume the place (cf. Luke 9:54). Seeing Jesus rejected causes them great offense…read more