Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, The celebration of Independence Day reminds us of the great gift of our freedom. That this freedom is a gift from God is affirmed politically in the Declaration of Independence, and theologically in the Church’s constant teaching that humanity is endowed with the gift of free will, that is, that human beings created in the image and likeness of God are possessed of a true freedom to act and to love. As we celebrate our nation’s independence, we do well to reflect on the gift of freedom a bit more deeply, for it is…read more

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, This week, the Catholic Church in the United States marks Religious Freedom Week. In the coming days, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops encourages us to pray for the protection of our religious freedom and to stand in solidarity with those throughout the world who do not enjoy the same protections we do in our own country. I encourage you to visit the USCCB’s website (https://www.usccb.org/committees/religious-liberty) to learn more. In the end, our desire to protect religious liberty is rooted in the Catholic understanding of the fundamental dignity of the human person. To…read more

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Two interactions with people in the church last Sunday have been a source of reflection for me this week. The first has become somewhat common: a parishioner came to Mass in person for the first time in over a year, and it was a joy to welcome her home to St. Pius! When public Masses resumed a year ago, the excitement of welcoming people back to in-person Mass was wonderful. That excitement, though, was held in check by ongoing concerns for health and safety. As we became more comfortable with in-person gatherings and the…read more

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Today, for the first time in over 100 days, we wear green vestments on a Sunday, and will do so until the Solemnity of Christ the King in November. Green is the liturgical color for the (poorly named) season of Ordinary Time. It symbolizes life and flourishing – just as the world around us is green in this time, just so the Church in this time following the great feast of Pentecost is called to come alive and flourish in the power of the Holy Spirit. Interestingly, the color green is worn in the…read more

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, While I hope that this column sometimes challenges those who read it, I never intend to cause controversy. Some of the words that follow may be hard to read, but I reiterate that my intention is not to be polemical or provocative. Here goes: As a lifelong devotee of the National League, I am slowly softening on the idea of the designated hitter. The experimental use of the DH in the abbreviated 2020 season gave me a different perspective, and while I am not yet entirely convinced (there is something about the possibility of…read more