February 15, 2026

February 11, 2026

Dear Friends,

 

This fresh New Year has certainly given us a winter season we haven’t experienced in quite some time. Hopefully, everyone kept warm, comfortable and safe last weekend. We speak about how cold it is and how we are cold but let’s be grateful we have appropriate clothing to put on, warm homes, schools, places of work and places we frequent.

 

I am mindful, as all of you are, of our sisters and brothers who are not as fortunate as ourselves. Thank you for your donations of winter clothing, food donations and monetary support to the wonderful services in our area who attend to those living on the streets and those in residence at our warming shelters like the House of Mercy and Open Door Mission.  May we continue to support these needed shelters and the great folks who attend to the vulnerable in our communities.

 

Last weekend the Msgr. Schnacky Players put on their final performances of this year’s Melodrama, “The Last Curtain Call.” The production was written by our own parishioner Patrick Ashley. Patrick had the support of other parishioners and folks from the wider community to offer this play.

 

Some members of our Parish Staff, including myself, attended last Friday night’s play. The weather challenged some to attend and others not to come out. This was on top of many who wanted to be there but were sick with colds, the flu, etc.  Nevertheless, those of us who were in the audience had an enjoyable time.

Thank you to Patrick and all those who came together to make the 45th production such a great success!

 

This coming week we will begin a new liturgical season. Ash Wednesday is just around the corner. The theme for this year is “Change of Heart.” As you look and pray over the next six weeks of Lenten Scriptures you will understand the theme. The scriptures place before us words to contemplate like hardness of heart, compassion, temptation, sin, hardship, seeing God as our rock of life, living water, moving from darkness to light, graves opening up, and so much more.

 

As we come together in prayer and our liturgical celebrations may these coming weeks bring us to the fullness of life preparing for Easter.

 

Please check our bulletin, website, and weekly emails for the services offered Ash Wednesday and throughout Lent.

 

May we pray for each other that we may examine in our personal lives where a “Change of Heart” will deepen our relationship with Jesus.

 

Blessings,

Father Rob

 

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Father Rob's Weekly Message

April 12, 2026

April 7, 2026
Dear Friends, I hope this Octave of Easter has been days of continuing joys of our Risen Lord in your lives! This past Lent/Holy Week and Easter has been one of my best. The many services throughout Lent offered me many things to reflect upon with our theme “Change of Heart.” Holy Week was one gift after another with the Chrism Mass, Holy Thursday, Good Friday and a ever so joyful Easter Vigil! Coming home after the Easter Vigil I was so pumped up by the prayerful experience and seeing the faces of our Elect so radiant. These individuals bring much with them to enrich our parishes. I pray that we will do the same in offering our prayer and support to them not only through the Easter Season, but always. Continue to bring to your prayer Ellen, George, Jack, Katie, Lila, Vance, Quinn, Rosemary, Shauna, Abigael, Haleigh, Josh, David, Michael, Jack, Sarah, and Devon! How blessed we have been to share their happiness in following the Holy Spirit and their desire to be one with us in our church! God bless them and all of you as we sing our Alleluias , Father Rob

April 5, 2025

April 2, 2026
Dear Friends, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!!! What a gift we celebrate in returning to song and uplifted prayer with our Alleluias, commemorating Jesus’ triumph over death and His resurrection. I am so grateful for everyone who was able to join our services this past Holy Week. I am very thankful for all those who helped prepare our services, for our music ministries, liturgical ministers, arts & environment ministries, and everyone who pitched in when a call for assistance was asked. On behalf of the Parish Staff, we wish everyone a blessed, holy, joyful, and prayerful Easter Season! May the experience we shared in a “Change of Heart” over these past six weeks keep us proclaiming Jesus Christ’s Good News! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Father Rob

March 29, 2026

March 24, 2026
Dear Friends, The two Gospels for this Palm Sunday certainly evoke reflections on the “Change of Heart” theme for us. The two Gospels go from shouts of praise and triumph, to calls for crucifixion and death. Gathering around Jesus, folks go from wanting to be in his presence, to desiring his presence be eliminated in their lives. These are individuals who let their hearts know Jesus for who he is, but become individuals persuaded by outside forces to deny Jesus for who he is. These sacred texts are food for thought for us. Might we ask ourselves, have we possibly been fickle about our own relationship with Jesus? Have we had moments of yes, I do know the Lord and believe in him totally, to moments of doubt, despair, and questioning just where is he in my life? Do I welcome his presence? Do I ever walk away from his presence? This Holy Week who do we identify with? Are we shouting praises or calling out to death? Who is in our crowd that we associate with? Is the crowd of this earthly world or of the eternal world? In the coming days we will be with many different people in our scriptures. There will be Pilate, Peter, Mary of Magdala, soldiers, bystanders, Judas, Veronica, Simon of Cyrene, Mary the mother of Jesus, the women at the tomb, and others. Is there someone we may identify with, whether we want to admit it or not? Is there more than one person in whose shoes we may have walked? Change of heart is a reality for all of us. Hopefully, we are working our hearts in the direction of being more like Jesus. Let’s pray for one another this Holy Week that we will be fully ready to say yes, alleluia to our upcoming Easter. We have several opportunities for reflection on our invitation to a “Change of Heart.” Holy Tuesday, the Chrism Mass will take place at Sacred Heart Cathedral at 6 PM. This very evening our newly installed Bishop John Bonnici will bless the sacred oils. These oils are the Sacred Chrism (a perfumed oil, consecrated for confirmation, ordination, and dedication), Oil of Catechumens (used for baptismal candidates), and Oil of the Sick (used for the infirm). Holy Thursday marks the beginning of the Paschal Triduum. It commemorates the Last Supper, where Jesus instituted the Eucharist. Here we hear the commandment to love and serve. The celebration will begin at 7 PM at Saint Catherine’s. Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament will be in the chapel until 10 PM. Good Friday, we come together again at Saint Catherine’s at 3 PM, commemorating the crucifixion, suffering, and death of Jesus on Calvary. At Transfiguration, Simple Stations of the Cross will take place at 7 PM. Holy Saturday, at 8 PM, we will gather at Transfiguration for the most solemn celebration in the Christian liturgical year, marking the transition from mourning to the joy of Christ’s resurrection. During this most beautiful celebration our Catechumens and Candidates will be welcomed into the church. I hope you will come, support, and welcome them into our faith family. On Easter Sunday, we are blessed to have two masses at each of our churches. They will be at 8:45 AM and 10:45 AM. My dear friends I will be holding you in prayer and hope you can join me in these sacred liturgies. Blessings , Father Rob