Acts 8:14-17; 1 Peter 3:15-18; John 14:15-21 Have you ever been given a gift too complicated for you to use?  Unless we read the instructions or someone takes time with us to explain how to use the gift, it may just stay in our closet for years in an unopened box. Unfortunately that is...
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Acts of the Apostles 2:42-47; I Peter 1:3-9; John 20:19-31             “Blest are they who have not seen and have believed” (John 20:29) Sometimes I think Thomas got a bum wrap in John’s Gospel.  In the other gospels Thomas is only mentioned in the list of the twelve apostles.  In John’s gospel however it...
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Nativity will have a Communal Reconciliation Thursday, April 14 at 7:00 PM. Do Catholics have to go to confession at least once a year? Paragraph #1457 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us “each of the faithful is bound by an obligation faithfully to confess serious sins at least once a year.”...
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It seems as though the church had more influence in the Middle Ages than it does today. Is that a fair assessment? Church history is fascinating. It is entwined with the history of civilization and has had a profound influence on all areas of life: education, social institutions, law, politics, art, language, international diplomacy,...
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Recently our bishop made some public comments about politicians who are Catholic but on some issues vote contrary to Catholic teaching. Can bishops do that? I thought there was a separation of church and state. Someday someone will write a definitive history of the development or, should I say, decline of the separation of...
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As we celebrate the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi on October 4th, we have the opportunity to commit ourselves to living out the values of this great saint through the pledge named in his honor.  The Catholic Climate Covenant challenges us in the following message: All across our country, Catholics are taking...
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Top 10 Reasons to Come Back No matter how long you have been away from the Catholic Church, you can always come home. You can start going to Mass again (find a parish) and become a part of a parish community that is ready to welcome you with open arms. God is inviting you...
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That is the sad truth of the reality of the sexual abuse cases in our Church. Men who were called by God to live holy lives, allowed their own personal brokenness to get in the way of their vocation. As a result many people were victimized. Furthermore, some of the bishops...
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Acts 5:27-32, 40-41; Revelation 5:11-14; John 21:1-19 Remember how it all started.  They were out fishing when a man named Jesus, a stranger, came along.  He told them to cast their nets out in the water.  The catch that day was so great their nets were filled to point of breaking. Today’s gospel account...
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The 40th Anniversary of Earth Day, April 22nd, is a great day to deepen our “responsibility towards creation” as Pope Benedict XVI has described in Caritas in Veritate by taking the St. Francis Pledge for Creation and the Poor. Join Catholics taking action in our families, parishes, schools and communities to reduce our carbon...
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