……from your Pastor’s Desk Halloween – Secular or Sacred? October 31st 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 In today’s gospel Blind Bartimaeus asks for sight. He is indeed given that, but also an even greater gift; Insight, and he becomes a follower. We have been told that God hears and answers every plea. Sometimes the answer is ‘yes’, sometimes, ‘not right now’, sometimes even – ‘no’. What have you asked of God? How did God…

……from your Pastor’s Desk I love the fall. And as I quietly contemplate on what I might write, I watch dappled sunlight shifting through trees stirred by a warm, soft and gentle breeze. Leaves that are already on the cusp of turning into beautiful and stunning shades of gold and brown as winter awaits. It reminds me in the beat of a…

……from your Pastor’s Desk Owned by our “stuff” This weekend’s Gospel is the famous story of the rich young man who wants to follow Jesus. At first sight the young man comes across as an exceptionally good person, deferential to Jesus and somehow searching for the way of eternal life. And, it seemed he was well on his way to just that.…

……from your Pastor’s Desk This Sunday the readings invite us to consider marriage and the relationship between a man and a woman in marriage. Just a few years back that would not be even considered remotely controversial. Today, such a topic has so many challenges because; let’s face it, modern culture has changed the perception of marriage, the perception of commitment, the…

……from your Pastor’s Desk St. Francis and the Blessing of AnimalsSaturday, October 2nd at 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…

……from your Pastor’s Desk The Focus of Our Love “‘What were you arguing about on the way?’ But they remained silent.” In the silence that follows the simple question of Jesus, we cringe along with the disciples, almost intuiting the truth which comes then to explicit expression: “They had been discussing among themselves on the way who was the greatest.” Not having…

……from your Pastor’s Desk Hello Friends, What a year it’s been With the pandemic, the smoke, the possibility of another fire, social distancing, vaccine or no vaccine, sheltering in place and having to wear these darn masks – we cannot help but focus on just surviving today.But, today, 9/11/21 is also a commemoration of the most infamous 9/11/01. The day, 20 years…

……from your Pastor’s Desk Next Saturday will mark the twentieth year since the September 11 (“9-11”) terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, New York City. Most of us can recall exactly where we were when we first heard of the attacks. But the details fade. While the starkness of that day and memories of the weeks that followed have grown dimmer,…

……from your Pastor’s Desk History is not the past: it is the present looking at the past. By placing the Pharisees before our eyes in so many readings the Liturgy today is clearly calling us to see ourselves in them. Like them, we know that it is much easier to deal with outer, visible things than with the inner world of attitudes:…