Menu

Pastor's Corner: August 17

Posted on August 16, 2025 in: Pastor's Corner

Pastor's Corner: August 17
There’s no way around it. We have a number of things going on these last weeks of summer. They’re all important. They all deserve some attention on this page. I’ll try to give each of them space in the bulletin these next few weekends. First, it’s Little League. That’s a time to be especially attentive to how we welcome people. Don’t think for a moment this is just a St Lawrence Church thing. Fans and teams have always shown up at any and all of our parishes in Lycoming County. We routinely had Little League people come to Resurrection...

Read More

Pastor's Corner: August 10

Posted on August 10, 2025 in: Pastor's Corner

Pastor's Corner: August 10
At the end of June, whether from a seat in the cathedral or facing a computer or TV screen, many of us watched Fr McCarroll’s ordination. That ancient ritual contains any number of striking moments: the candidates prostrate before the altar while we sang the Litany of Saints, the long prayer that asked God to change these deacons into priests, the moment when each of the newly ordained, for the first time, shared aloud a part in the Eucharistic Prayer. But, one rite that many of you commented on was the laying on of hands—first the bishop, then the procession...

Read More

Pastor's Corner: August 3

Posted on August 03, 2025 in: Pastor's Corner

Pastor's Corner: August 3
These past few weeks and months, I’ve had rather a lot to say about today’s Dedication Anniversary. Let’s pause for a few moments and reflect on the prayers that were offered that day, 50 years ago. They’re words that, yes, tell us about a building. But they’re words that describe our work as Church. 50 years ago, the Bishop prayed, “Here may the waters of baptism overwhelm the shame of sin; here may your people die to sin and live again through grace as your children.” Still, we’re called to evangelize, to draw those who s...

Read More

Pastor's Corner: July 27

Posted on July 27, 2025 in: Pastor's Corner

Pastor's Corner: July 27
Once in a great while, I’ve encountered stories of a priest on the occasion of his ordination anniversary offering a list of his sacramental data: how many baptisms, how many confirmations, how many marriages and funerals, how many Masses he celebrated over the course of 25 or 50 years. I can’t begin to imagine how anyone amasses those particular numbers. Does he keep some sort of clicker in the confessional to keep the number up to date? Does he hold on to half a century’s worth of appointment books to track the Masses and sacraments? For me, any of those...

Read More

Pastor's Corner: July 20

Posted on July 18, 2025 in: Pastor's Corner

Pastor's Corner: July 20
OK, you can mark us absent this weekend. But, we have excuses! Both Fr. Dias and I are celebrating all the Masses at St. Ann’s Parish this Saturday and Sunday. Fr. Simchock is away, and part of the responsibility that falls to St Boniface Parish— with our new parochial vicar in place—includes offering help to neighboring parishes. Of course, we’re grateful that Fr. Fidelis is at hand to celebrate Mass in our absence. However, we hope this weekend becomes about more than juggling priests around so that Mass can happen. Remember a couple of we...

Read More

Pastor's Corner: July 13

Posted on July 13, 2025 in: Pastor's Corner

Pastor's Corner: July 13
Many of you, I know, saw the pictures on Facebook. St Ann’s Parish has moved the statue of St. Ann from the front of the rectory to near the front of the church. And that’s already prompted some of you to ask: “Wasn’t something supposed to happen with St. Ann and St. Boniface Parishes this summer? Wasn’t July the date for our upcoming linkage?” Yes, you remember correctly! Our linkage was originally set for July 2025. But, because of some other situations with priests and parishes in the Diocese, that date was pushed out to October. ...

Read More

Pastor's Corner: July 5

Posted on July 07, 2025 in: Pastor's Corner

Pastor's Corner: July 5
Over the past more than thirty years, I’ve been welcomed into any number of communities. Sometimes—think the first days in a seminary—it was a highly organized, incredibly active orientation program. Occasionally, it’s the cookies and punch reception after Sunday Mass. In one parish, I was intrigued that the cookies were precisely lined up, and since they were the chessmen cookies, they were organized in rook, pawn, and bishop piles. I thought that might be a sign that that particular parish would be extremely organized in all parts of its life. I...

Read More

Pastor's Corner: June 29

Posted on June 29, 2025 in: Pastor's Corner

Pastor's Corner: June 29
I’d always thought that in summer things slow down. I’ve often been proven wrong. This summer looks like one of those times. Let me give you some idea of what’s coming up in the next few months: Pipe organ repairs. We recently signed a contract to do repairs (and upgrades) on the Ruffatti instrument damaged last August by Tropical Storm Debbie. This will be a long process. A new console will be built. Pipes will be removed for refurbishing. And much of the labor requires specialized workers. We probably won’t hear the completed instrument until la...

Read More

Pastor's Corner: June 22

Posted on June 22, 2025 in: Pastor's Corner

Pastor's Corner: June 22
This past week, as we all look forward to Deacon McCarroll’s ordination to the priesthood, I heard a number of questions about the priesthood and ordination. Some of them pretty everyday things: Is there still room on the bus? Where’s parking available around the cathedral? How long does this thing go on? I’m away that day: can I watch the ordination somewhere? But, one person asked me: What’s it feel like to be ordained? What’s it like once those prayers have been said, those hands anointed, that invitation to stand at the altar with the bi...

Read More

Pastor's Corner: June 15

Posted on June 15, 2025 in: Pastor's Corner

Pastor's Corner: June 15
Many mornings, I'll try my luck with the online puzzles that the New York Times provides: the crossword, Wordle, the Sudoku. The one I actually enjoy the most is called Spelling Bee. They give us seven letters and challenge us to build words. They have some rules about the words. They have to be in English usage. I'd argue that "penne" is an Italian word, even though the Times counts it as English. I'd also argue that "goal" is an English word, but the Times says no to that one. But the word that always gets rejected is the word "nove...

Read More