December 7, 2025

December 3, 2025

Dear Friends,

 

I still have a handwritten calendar. I have an iPhone that I still could learn about its functions. I still have deadlines that come at me quickly, particularly this time of year from bulletin publishers and others. I never wanted to be a proofreader. As a Staff, everyone is given the opportunity to proofread the communication that is forthcoming from our office, me included. Oh, I cringe at that task.

 

So, I was ahead of myself by a week and didn’t catch it (nor did any proofreaders) that I was ahead of myself with last week’s bulletin, parish email, etc.

 

It’s Advent. I love this liturgical season and I try to slow down, encourage others to do the same in the midst of what these four weeks ( if actually we get a full four weeks) to just “be” and prepare for what is most essential, the celebration and recognition of what it means to have the Son of God come into our midst.

 

With deadlines, and other responsibilities, I said I wasn’t going to be with you the First Sunday of Advent.

Update, I was and I am not with you this Second Sunday of Advent.

 

This weekend we focus on peace. I need it. I’m going to go all out and think you need it as well.

Yes, the Peace of Christ that brings to the world relational peace to all.

 

SO, please bear with me and I will repeat what I shared in the last bulletin.

 

“This very weekend I will be presiding at the funeral of my dear friend, “brother,” Jerry Koen. Friends and family will gather at Saint Mary Star of the Sea in Beverly, Massachusetts. This is where I met Jerry, his beloved wife, Sally, and their five sons in 1981. God blessed us with forty plus years of friendship, being family to one another and all those moments every family experiences. These days and years have all gone by too quickly for me. They are filled with gifts of love that I will be ever grateful for today and for as long as I might live.

 

Many years ago, a very dear friend gifted me with a book I have never forgotten. It is entitled, 
“The Precious Present.” It is a good reminder along with this weekend’s scriptures (Week Two is as relevant as Week One was) to keep ourselves focused and present to the precious present of this day. Jerry and Sally have given me this even having me “live in their home” (me casa, su casa) for decades. They and our faith in Jesus have blessed us to know our eternal home is where one day we shall reside forever. God’s peace to you Jerry as you are now reunited with Sally. Thank you for all your love.”

 

Once in a while some things are worth repeating. I hope those of you who are reading this message understand my repetition.

Love does bear repeating when you have been blessed by unbelievable people in your life. 

 

I am blessed. You are too!

Father Rob

 

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Father Rob's Weekly Message

February 8, 2026

February 3, 2026
Dear Friends, Do any of you remember the call out expression, “What would Jesus do?” This very moment, in your life and my own, do we reflect and live what we can honestly acknowledge, what would Jesus do? Are we honest with what Jesus has revealed to us? Let’s look at the Ten Commandments. Let’s look at the two greatest: “Love your God with your whole heart, soul, and being” and “Love your neighbor as yourself”. Neighbor. Hmm. Are you thinking of the story of the Good Samaritan? What about Jesus telling us to love our enemies and pray for our persecutors? Last weekend, our Gospel was Matthew 5:1-12. Folks love the Beatitudes and I certainly believe we can not reflect on them enough. How about, “Blessed are the peacemakers, they will be called children of God.” Are you a peacemaker? We are in the midst of very troubling times , not only in our world, but right here in our nation. Do you want peace? The Peace of Jesus? Another saying in my memory bank is, if you want peace, work for justice. WOW! Justice. Peace. Love. No one should lose their life living for justice, peace and love in the image of Jesus Christ. We live in a nation and world of diversity. And diversity is good when we, like Jesus, are open to seeing the goodness and blessings in all people. Jesus started out in a small circle but expanded it by saying I need to move on to others, all people. Today, yesterday, and so many yesterdays in the past, people have brought their prejudices to alienate, persecute, and hurt the Body of Christ. In Jesus’ own day, he was confronted by His faith and politics. He ended up on the cross because of His viewpoints. We talk about separation of church and state, but let’s face it, if we are truly living our Catholicism, there is no separation. Do we not base our lives totally on the Gospel as we profess? We are called to be disciples of faith living the justice, love and peace of our Lord. Not every moment is so peaceful. Look at the scriptures. Jesus challenged injustices. Jesus spoke out and Jesus gave His life for the salvation of all his beloved sisters and brothers of all races and nations. We have been challenged, have we not? All life is sacred, Yes! From the womb to the tomb. All life is sacred and no one, should be assassinated because of their ideologies: John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Robert F. Kennedy, Archbishop Oscar Romero, Charlie Kirk, Renee Good, Alex Pretti and so many others we hold in our prayers and thoughts. This is a time where we as church have been called out by leadership of Cardinal’s Blasé Cupich of Chicago, Robert McElroy of Washington, D.C., and Joseph Tobin, of Newark, New Jersey, and Pope Leo to be voices who speak up for the dignity and blessings of our sisters and brothers who live rightly in our nation and world. Please check out these Cardinal’s words if you have not already. May our hearts be open and not hardened to where we are to love everyone. Yes, everyone. Blessings, Father Rob

February 1, 2026

January 27, 2026
Dear Friends, Thanks to Father Rob for lending us his bulletin article this week! We were recently blessed to accompany fifteen of our parish teens to the National Catholic Youth Conference in Indianapolis, where we spent three days with 16,000 other Catholic teens and an hour in conversation with Pope Leo! If you were blessed to attend Mass at our parishes this weekend, you got to hear the witness of some of our amazing youth and catch their contagious spirit. In case you missed it, please check out the livestream recording of their Mass talks on our website. And if you’d like to hear even more from our NCYC teens, this week’s episode of our Faith Break podcast is devoted to interviews with our group. They have many beautiful stories to share about how they saw God during our pilgrimage and deeply desire to make the love of God they felt at NCYC real to everyone back home. NCYC can make a huge impact on the faith life of young people, as our parishes have seen over the many years we have participated. Thank you so much for supporting our teens and providing the opportunity for them to have this life-changing experience. It’s not only an investment in the future of our church, but it is bearing great fruit in our parish family today. In Gratitude for Many Blessings, Karen Luke and Anne Gallagher

January 25, 2026

January 20, 2026
Dear Friends, Well last Saturday, even with some sunshine, cold wind and snow these moments did not drive out the hearty Western New Yorkers to Mass. What drives folks out to Mass? Priorities??? The 4 PM Mass was so much lighter in attendance than usual. The 5:30 PM Mass which is not always heavy in attendance had 30 people coming together in worship. Note the photograph of these faithful 30 individuals. SO, I understand the drive of the loyal fans for the Buffalo Bills. I also understand that we hoped they be the winners of this high altitude game. They weren’t. I have said over and over again when you play these games, any game, there is a winner and, yes, a loser. No one wants to be the loser. But that is the reality. My friends who are more versed on football rules and such have made endless comments about the loss for the Bills. I wish they won but they didn’t. This past Sunday a parishioner wore a shirt that said continue to “BILLIEVE in the Bills.” I shared at the end of Mass, pointing out this shirt, let us, the faithful of Jesus, put as much energy and faith in continuing to believe in our Lord. There’s a place around the corner from our church, that I often refer to as the new mega church. It’s not a church but a sports arena. I refer to it as a new “church” because that’s where many folks now “worship.” Yep, the times are different. SO, I thank all of you who come to worship alongside me, our Parish Staff and fellow parishioners. We always refer to our faith as a mystery. It is for sure. I do believe, and yes, BILLIEVE, that miracles can happen. But please join me in believing in the miracles of being present to Jesus Christ, our brother. You may desire to always win. That’s understandable, but know when Jesus is your “quarterback” , you will be winning in the glory of your baptism! Blessings and Joys, Father Rob