Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, With the third Sunday of Lent, the Church begins to invite those who are preparing to receive the sacraments of initiation to a deeper reflection and participation in the life of Christ. Today and for the two Sundays that follow, the Scrutinies are celebrated for those catechumens and candidates anticipating reception into the Church at the Easter Vigil. Here at St. Pius, the Scrutinies will be celebrated during the 11 AM Sunday Mass. These unique rites have their origin in some of the ancient practices of the early Church. At a time when persecution…read more

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, In Mark’s typical fashion, the story of the forty days Jesus spends in the desert is recounted in a rapid-fire pace, clear on what happened, and short on details. The forty days are summarized by three things: Jesus was tempted by Satan, was among the wild beasts, and the angels ministered to Him. Each of those things seems to deserve some attention, but Mark powers past them, perhaps to allow someone else to tell that story or to leave those details to our imagination. Rather than focusing on our Lord’s experience in the desert,…read more

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, On February 11, 1858, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Bernadette Soubirous, a fourteen year old girl gathering firewood near the small village of Lourdes, France. It was the first of a series of apparitions, through which Mary shared with Bernadette God’s desire for healing for those who suffer, invited her to do penance, and encouraged public manifestations of piety. Since these visions, countless people have visited Lourdes to bathe in the miraculous spring of water our Lady showed to St. Bernadette. In addition to countless stories of personal healings that have taken place,…read more