2019 archive of From the Pastor
A Welcome Christmas
Posted by Deborah Dubois on 12/21/19
Dear Friends,
I mentioned in the Advent and Christmas letter that Christmas is the combination of elision of the phrase coming from the British tradition of calling December 25 “Christ's Mass.” It is obvious to see that in the word “Christmas.” Because of that, it should be reiterated, ... Read More »
The “O Antiphons"
Posted by Deborah Dubois on 12/21/19
Dear Friends,
It's one of two Sundays in the year in which we use the liturgical color rose, sometimes mistakenly called pink. In Advent, this Sunday is Gaudete Sunday—Gaudete coming from Latin, meaning rejoice! We rejoice because Christmas is near, the time of waiting is nearly over. Rejoice!
... Read More »
Turn Around
Posted by Deborah Dubois on 12/08/19
Dear Friends,
Our Gospel reading for this Sunday (today) comes from St. Matthew's Gospel—the best of all—and we hear John the Baptist crying out for people to repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. The verb “repent” and the noun “repentance” trace their roots back to ... Read More »
Thanksgiving
Posted by Deborah Dubois on 11/24/19
Dear Friends,
This is an interesting time of the year. For some, they begin preparing for Christmas as soon as Halloween is over, and without a doubt, there are people already putting up Christmas decorations. Some people lament this and complain that Thanksgiving is often forgotten and ignored. ... Read More »
Saints
Posted by Deborah Dubois on 11/24/19
Dear Friends,
As we look at the saints during this month of November, I thought I would share some of my favorite saints with you. St. Matthew is obvious, as we share the same name. A former tax collector, he followed Jesus after Christ reached out to him ... Read More »
Vocations
Posted by Deborah Dubois on 11/10/19
Dear Friends,
This past week was National Vocations Awareness Week. It would be simple to boil this week down to encouraging young men to think about priesthood, but there is more to vocations than priesthood, although that is an important topic to highlight. Vocation comes from the Latin ... Read More »
Three Parts of the Church
Posted by Deborah Dubois on 11/03/19
Dear Friends,
As we enter into the month of November, the minds of many probably begin to focus on Thanksgiving, and all of us are forced to think about Christmas as sales, advertisements, and décor will more and more become Christmas oriented. However, November is an important month ... Read More »
Recommended Reading
Posted by Deborah Dubois on 10/28/19
Dear Friends,
Someone recently asked that a list of recommended books be included in the bulletin. I've compiled a quick list although this is by no means exhaustive. I hope you find these books helpful for you, as I've found them helpful in my life.
He Leadeth ... Read More »
Bishop's Visit
Posted by Deborah Dubois on 10/20/19
Dear Friends,
I am grateful and appreciative of Bishop Thomas visiting our parishes last weekend to preach, celebrate Mass, and make a difficult announcement. He displayed great concern and pastoral care for all. He emphasized the words of the lepers from the passage from Luke’s gospel: “Jesus, master, ... Read More »
The Rosary
Posted by Deborah Dubois on 10/13/19
Dear Friends,
October is the month of the Rosary, most likely due to the fact that the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary is October 7. Obviously, I'm now late writing about October 7, but better late than never, I suppose. On October 7, 1571, the Holy ... Read More »