…from your Pastor’s Desk MISSION APPEAL Hello friends, Every year the Diocese seeks to assist various missionary groups. Each parish is then assigned a priest to speak at their weekend Masses about their ministries. This weekend we are happy to host Fr. Vito Di Marzio from the Congregation of the Rogationists. Their ministry is dear to our hearts here at Holy Spirit…

…from your Pastor’s Desk Halloween – Secular or Sacred? October 31rst is Halloween. Many people, especially Christians, dismiss Halloween for what it has become. Fact is though; we are the ones who invented it, or rather, in ancient days ‘converted it’ as we did many other pagan festivals. Halloween is an ancient festival with roots in Celtic pre-Christian times. It was adapted…

…from your Pastor’s Desk MISSION-MINDED? “…so that toward the rising and the setting of the sun people may know that there is none besides Me.” —Isaiah 45:6 Today is World Mission Sunday. The second collection this weekend is for the Missions. Our Christian Faith would not have spread from where it began… to the far distant lands if not for a long…

…from your Pastor’s Desk The First Reading says that the Lord of hosts will provide a feast for His people, a feast of choice wines and rich and juicy food. Rich food is the kind that our culture warns us against. Everything shouts at us that if we want to look good and be healthy, the one thing we should be sure…

ANNOUNCING GUEST SPEAKER, FRANK RUNYEON!A performance of The Gospel of John ~ November 8th AT 6:30 PM Many of us are not comfortable approaching scripture on our own. We are excited to invite everyone to a performance of the Gospel of John by theologian and award winning actor Frank Runyeon who effectively brings Jesus to life to increase understanding and intrigue to…

…from your Pastor’s Desk Here is a question I am often asked: Why do bad things happen to good people? There are clues. First, how many people do you know who are completely good or completely bad? A childlike, over-simplified belief says that good friends are always good. Adults, on the other hand, know how mixed the human reality is. Each of…

St. Francis and the Blessing of Animals Saturday, September 30th@ 11:00 am in our plaza As many of you already know, years ago, many Franciscan priests and brothers served in our Diocese. At one time they covered all of Lake County. And, as some of you also know, I, too, have a Franciscan background. There is still evidence of our Franciscan roots…

from your Pastor’s Desk… Love and Forgiveness In the Gospel reading, Peter wants to know how many times he has to forgive someone who sins against him. What is the number of times, Peter wants to know, that he has to forgive that sinner? But this question is confused. There is no such number as the one Peter is looking for. There…

from your Pastor’s Desk… If somebody does you wrong – do you wrong them right back, or even greater? Well, maybe you do – but the Gospel today shows us how, in great detail, we are to do otherwise, especially those within our own community, be it faith or family. This includes slander, public shame, taking what is rightfully yours, and all…

from your Pastor’s Desk… “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.” To understand today’s Gospel we must look back to a time in our lives when, in retrospect, we see that something, or someone we wanted, and didn’t get – turned out to be the very best in the long run. Garth Brooks…