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

 

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Father Rob's Weekly Message

September 27, 2026

September 22, 2026
Dear Friends, This past week, on September 24th, Archbishop, Fulton J. Sheen, will be beatified in Saint Louis. From December of 1966 to October of 1969, he was the Bishop of Rochester. Bishop John Bonnici will be present for the beatification. On September 29th, Bishop John Bonnici will receive a relic of the Archbishop during Mass at 7 PM at Sacred Heart Cathedral. Bishop Louis Tylka of the Diocese of Peoria will present the relic. Everyone is invited to attend this special moment. We will be blessed between the beatification and receiving of the relic to have Bishop John Bonnici with us this very weekend. He will preside at Mass on Saturday at 5:30 PM at Saint Catherine of Siena. A light reception will follow this celebration. May we offer our new Bishop a warm welcome and join him in celebrating Mass with one another! How blessed we are to have these final days of September to celebrate our faith! I am looking forward to seeing you this Saturday.  Blessings to all, Father Rob

September 20, 2026

September 15, 2026
Dear Friends, I want to thank all the generous stewards who prepared our Parish Ministry Fairs at Saint Catherine’s and Transfiguration last weekend! Those who made the time to visit all the ministry tables, thank you. AND thank you to all who expressed an interest in being part of our ministries and signed up to join or receive more information. Our two parishes are blessed by the goodness and involvement of so many making our communities vital to our professed Gospel! Next weekend, Bishop Bonnici will be with us! He asked to preside and preach at our 5:30 mass on Saturday evening at Saint Catherine’s. We hope you will come and worship with him and our brothers and sisters. There will be no 4 PM mass this day. A light reception will follow mass, perhaps outside, weather permitting. Otherwise, we will come together in Legacy Hall. I do hope you will welcome our Bishop and his secretary, Father Aaron Kelly! Bishop Bonnici has asked that our parishes do something very special to recognize the beginning of October. For our Universal Church this is Respect Life Month. Bishop Bonnici will preside at a Diocesan Holy Hour and Rosary for Life at Sacred Heart Cathedral, October 3 , from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM. Everyone is invited to join him at Sacred Heart. He also asked if our diocesan parishes might offer the same Holy Hour and Rosary for Life in our parishes at the same time. We invite our parishioners and others, you may wish to join us, for this opportunity at Saint Catherine of Siena’s Chapel. It will be October 3rd from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM. As of this writing, Ben Cutter and I will lead this special time of prayer. Please join Ben and me in this moment. Hope everyone is doing well and know you are always in my prayers and thoughts! Blessings, Rob 

September 13, 2026

September 9, 2026
Dear Friends, Yellow School Buses are on the road reminding me another passage of time is happening. The young people and children I have been fortunate to talk to seem ready for this new school year. On the other hand, some are honestly expressing their hesitation in returning to a new academic year. This month I always recall the “Staples” ad with a woman, jubilant with her cart, going through the aisles with the music in the background ringing out “It’s the most Beautiful Time of the Year!”. I also remember a dear friend who for years always found this month sad. She so enjoyed having her children home for the summer and didn’t want it to end! Everyone has a thought, a memory, and a tug one way or another in their heart. Let’s pray for a safe, peaceful, enjoyable, and blessed year ahead for everyone in this new academic year! Our Parish Staff is getting excited about our welcoming Bishop Bonnici on September 26 ! We hope you and all our parishioners will join in welcoming him to the 5:30 PM mass at Saint Catherine’s. I am sure you’ll enjoy meeting him and praying with him at Mass. Ater the mass, a light reception will follow and give everyone some time to meet, greet, and welcome him to our parishes. Mark your calendars!!! On September 1 we began our new 2026 Season of Creation! I hope you received the great handout in last weeks bulletin offering us ideas on how to celebrate this season and continue to respect and care for the world God has entrusted to us. Pope Francis instilled in us inspiration for this treasured gift, God’s Creation, that has been placed in our hands. A focused theme for our 2026 journey is on “Living Water.” Check out Ezekiel 47:1-12. Water has been a major focus for ourselves and our sisters and brothers throughout the world. Too much water and flooding in so many areas ,and then not enough water in other areas where folks and landscapes are parched. Where can we find ourselves in helping to address this issue? The Season of Creation continues to October 4 , the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi. Francis and Saint Kateri Tekakwitha are patron saints for creation and ecology. Let’s ask their intercession in our prayers to be good stewards of this fabulous world we are entrusted to care for ourselves and future generations. On September 12th very generous men/stewards from our parishes and beyond will be heading to Booneville, Kentucky. A week ago some of these wonderful brothers were at Mass. See the photo accompanying this article. We prayed over them and others in absentia, gifted them with a beautiful cross created by Sam Damico, and blessed their response to the Lord’s invitation to go and bring Good News to Booneville. Keep these gentlemen in your thoughts and prayers. May their week be abundant in blessings! I am prejudiced. I believe in a very good way. A man of God I have admired from the time I first met him is having a birthday. Not just a birthday, but his 90th birthday! Who would ever have thought I would be blessed to follow in his footsteps when he retired from Saint Catherine of Siena. I was so honored to be able to do so with the person I looked up to for his ministry, love of the Lord, and his wisdom on how to be bearers of Jesus’s Good News among one another! Father Jim Lawlor will be celebrated October 4th, from 2 – 4 PM, at Saint Anne’s Hall, 1600 Mount Hope Avenue, Rochester NY, 14620. Everyone is invited!!! Please come and celebrate Jim if you are able. Please send him a card if you cannot at the address I mentioned above. Wow! We have been blessed with a wonderful friend and disciple of Jesus! Hope you’re doing well. As ever, know I’m remembering each of you in my prayer.  With Blessings & Joy, Father Rob