One of the things that I mentioned last week in my bulletin article was our new diocesan assessment, known as the “Parish Tithe.” I thought I’d share with you all a bit of information regarding what exactly that is. Whether or not you have heard this information before (in previous bulletins or in the Bishop’s …
Cardinal Sarah, in his book, The Power of Silence, writes, “Without silence, God disappears in the noise. And this noise becomes all the more obsessive because God is absent. Unless the world rediscovers silence, it is lost.” In a similar vein, the philosopher Kierkegaard writes, “If I were a doctor and were asked for my …
Dear parishioners, I wanted to offer my sincere gratitude for your patience during this challenging time. We certainly all look forward to the day when we can return to normal scheduling and things about the parish, but it appears that time is not yet! As always, we want to thank all of you who have …
The story is told of a young St. Augustine, who in the midst of his struggle to convert to the truths of Christianity, found it quite difficultto let go of some of his more challenging sins, especially the sins of the flesh. One day, as Augustine was crying out in frustration, heknelt in his garden …
The fall has always been my favorite season of the year. There’s just something about the crispness of the air, the colors on the trees,and the prospect of sitting outdoors by a fire that bring a smile to my face. Cool nights, warm sweaters, and hot drinks (although youcan keep the pumpkin spice concoctions) — …
Out of reverence for the Blessed Sacrament, it has been a long-standing tradition in the Church to practice what is often called the “EucharisticFast” or “Fasting before Communion.” But what exactly does this practice entail, and where does the practice come from? Canon 919 is the law of the Church that dictates our practice. It’s …
In the fifth chapter of Luke, we hear the calling of the first disciples—namely Simon Peter, James, and his brother John. These fishermen, as you will recall, had spent the entire night laboring with their nets for a catch of fish, but to no avail. Yet as they are washing their nets after an unsuccessful …
Fr. Friedel and I were talking and we both decided it would be a good idea if you all heard from me, your Parochial Vicar, from time to time. So here it goes! Something that stood out to me when praying with this Sunday’s Gospel was the line, “the landowner saw others standing idle in …
As most of you are aware, this past month—in an attempt to regain some ground of normalcy in the midst of this crazy pandemic!—Fr. Trummer, Deacon Kevin, and I reintroduced our normal parish Adoration times. At St. Thomas, we have a monthly hour of Adoration on the First Saturday of every month, beginning at 8:30 …
I thought it might be interesting, on occasion, to use my weekly bulletin article as a sort of “Did You Know?” to explore some of the various aspects of Catholic practice and teaching. There are so many things in the Church that we “do” or “say” that are done or said for really great reasons, …
