Dear Friends,

The US Bishops have initiated a two-year Eucharistic Revival, culminating in a National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis in 2024. As part of that, our Parish will host a Vatican Eucharistic Miracles Display, Feb. 5-7. Then the following Sunday, the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, will hold a Eucharistic Procession from the Church to Beardsley Park and afterwards have a Parish Picnic!

Dear Friends,

The new Congress, in its first week passed a Pro-life bill: the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Act; except that 210 members of the House of Representatives voted against the bill. They voted against requiring an abortionist to care for a child they failed to kill if that child is born alive.

Dear Friends,

I’ve often thought that if I were stranded on a deserted island or in solitary confinement and had only one book to read, it would be something written by Pope Benedict XVI. His writing is brilliant, lucid, and always thought provoking. He was certainly one of the most brilliant thinkers of the twentieth century and very likely the wisest theologian to ever occupy the Chair of St. Peter.

Dear Friends,

Many of you have asked me about the case of Frank Pavone, lately a priest. He is the founder of the Prolife group, Priests for Life. In November he was permanently removed from the priesthood by the Vatican, in a case that was ruled “without appeal”. That sort of final ruling could only be issued by the Pope. The case is disturbing, though not surprising and leaves more questions than answers.

Dear Friends,

2022 is the year that was. But was it a year to remember, or your favorite year? Was it the Best Year Ever, maybe a Year in the Life of a Fool? Or was it more the Days of Wine and Roses or a time we’d rather forget?

However, those 525,600 minutes of those 365 days or those 31,536,000 seconds of the 52weeks of 2022 passed by I hope you can find many reasons for gratitude and thankfulness.

Dear Friends,

Love, joy, peace are often attached to the infant in the manger in Bethlehem. But truth be told the best way to describe him: subversive. His birth undercuts all worldly power and assumptions.

Dear Friends,

Do you give to get? Do you give with the calculation you get something in return? Or do you give without expectation? Most of the world for most of history operated along the lines of tit-for-tat. You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours.

Dear Friends,

It’s amusing and I admit sometimes annoying to stand behind someone who is unfamiliar with the menu and trying to order at the In-n-Out Burger. They are desperately scanning the menu board for choices. And that’s just it, there are few choices on their menu: burger or cheeseburger and fries.

Dear Friends,

The dust from the overturning of Roe v Wade has yet to settle. As we saw in this past election, where abortion was on the ballot in some states, or in other cases, states have passed different laws, some outright bans, some with restriction and many are in litigation over abortion restrictions.

Now that abortion is a state level issue, our Prolife strategies are changing from state to state.

Dear Friends,

Thanksgiving comes upon us quickly and hopefully we are filled with reasons to be thankful. In 2023 our Parish will be 45 years old and our Church, 35yrs young! Amazingly there are still a few of the “founders” who gave their time, talent and treasure so that we could have a place to give thanks in.

Dear Friends,

Since we’ve come to November, the month we traditionally remember our beloved deceased I think it time we spent some time and effort on “end of life issues’, specifically assisted suicide.

Dear Friends,

Welcome to People Raiser II: All Aboard the Steward Ship! The Ship is about to set sail, have you reserved your stateroom yet?

Dear Friends,

During November we call to mind both the Saints and the holy Souls. It is also a time to focus ourselves on how well we are prepared for our own deaths. And while end of life issues and health care decisions need to be carefully considered before our demise, I want to focus on what happens after death, in other words the funeral and burial practices that are appropriate for Christians.