Each year, around my ordination anniversary, I share some thoughts about the priesthood, about vocation. Now, that anniversary falls when the Church celebrates the birth of St. John the Baptist, June 24th. That’s still a little way off. But today’s readings prompt me to talk about vocations a bit early. In the gospel, Jesus calls disciples and sends apostles. He tells his followers to pray for workers to bring in the harvest, the harvest of souls. It seems an apt moment for us all to reflect on God’s call. Some men knew all their lives they were called ...

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This year, Catholics across our nation are being invited to participate in a historic act of faith: the Consecration of the United States to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The bishops of the United States have called upon all Catholics to entrust our nation, our communities, our families, and ourselves to the loving Heart of Christ. This consecration takes on special significance as our nation commemorates the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. As Americans reflect with gratitude on the blessings of liberty and the sacrifices of those who he...

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I’m of the school of thought that it’s still spring. Memorial Day or not, summer really begins with the solstice in late June. And summer keeps going until late September! Nonetheless, it’s worth taking a look into summer. We have several things going on over the next few months. This weekend, we welcome to our parish Jeremy Barket, a seminarian for our Diocese. He’ll be with us for the next two months. He’s here to experience parish life here at St Ann’s and St Boniface Parishes. At the same time, St Joseph the Worker’s summer s...

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A few years ago, the Church in the United States called for a Eucharistic revival. We organized processions— some of them huge events that travelled across states. We urged priests and deacons to preach more intently about Christ’s great gift of himself in the Sacrament. We taught classes, held retreats, and days of reflection. We revived old traditions like the Forty Hours Devotion. Now, the official Eucharistic Revival seems to be technically over, but the Church—lay faithful just as much as ordained leadership—continues to see a need to call peopl...

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We often want to hear a progress report. Think of how we watch the thermometer on a fundraising chart. Remember how often you asked Fr Dias and me about our standings in Rectory Set Cook. We keep a keen eye on all sorts of ratings—politicians, sports teams, and the stock market. Over the past year, many of you (especially at St Boniface Church) have asked about our progress with the once-damaged pipe organ. Truth is, it’s a slow process. The electronics take time to build. Likewise, the wood cabinetry of the console. Pipes demand careful cleaning, restoring, ...

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This past weekend, Fr. Fidelis sent us a photo of his parish in Nigeria. It was Father’s Day—and a group of dads was gathered in front of the altar. This led, as you might imagine, to a conversation between Fr Dias and me about Father’s Day. For us, it’s the third Sunday of June. Just like Mother’s Day is the second Sunday of May. But that conversation—prompted by a picture from the other side of the world- got me thinking about the origins of these days. Are they really church things? Or are they the quintessential “Hallmark Holida...

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This weekend, we’re all about the First Holy Communions. They’re always special celebrations. Special at the Easter Vigil, when, after all the readings, after the baptisms, after the confirmation, we welcome new Catholics to share with us for the first time in the Sacrament of the Altar. Special for our second graders after all the class time, after retreats and practices, after making their first confessions. They, too, are welcomed to get in line just like their older sisters and brothers, just like the adults all around them, to make their way to the Lord&rsq...

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If the Lord does not build the house In vain do the builders labor. When I was pastor at Resurrection—in the midst of a major building project—I often quoted those words from the psalms. They became part of my prayer. I hope they became part of the parish’s prayer. We all need, after all, to be reminded that all good efforts should be grounded in God. And that’s why we pray. Today, Vocation Sunday, calls us to prayer. We can have all sorts of ideas and opinions about how best to call men to the priesthood. We can create projects that keep the ...

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I’ll admit it. There are a lot of times when I ask you to do something. There are a number of times when I tell you to do something. I tell you when there’s a holy day of obligation. I tell you you’re supposed to come to Mass on those days— and all the Sundays of the year. Sometimes I ask you to avoid a very crowded Mass (e.g., 4 pm Christmas Eve) or to attend a very important Mass (e.g., the Easter Vigil). I encourage you to make a confession on a regular basis. I’ll always tell you to pray. I’ll invite you to educational and spiritua...

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Maybe (or maybe not) you’ve wondered about the paschal candle. We see it in the sanctuary every Easter. It seems to be a different candle – sometimes highly decorated. It’s really tall and hard to light. And, if you were at our Easter Vigil (or check out the photos on social media), you know that we had three paschal candles by the end of the evening. The paschal candle has a long, long history in worship. Easter begins when it’s lit and carried into the church. It’s a new candle, lit from a fresh fire. It keeps a prominent place near the pu...

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