November 2, 2025

October 31, 2025

Dear Friends,

 

We begin a new month this weekend. We are nearing the end of 2025! November 1st is the feast of All Saints. Because it falls on a Saturday this year it is not designated as a Holy Day of Obligation.

 

Nonetheless, every day of life from God is a Holy Day for each of us. It is good for us to remember and reflect on the Saints.

 

Many are well known and infamous like Catherine of Siena, Francis of Assisi, Peter and Paul, John Fisher, Ignatius of Loyola, Thomas Aquinas and those who are special in your own journey of faith. Let us not forget one of our latest canonized saints, Carlos Acutis, who is an inspiration to our young people and people of all ages. If you are not familiar with him, google him and be inspired.

 

There are many Saints that are known only to us. They may be our parents, a brother or sister, or a dear friend. They are someone we have recognized by the life and faith they lived, and fall into the category of what we believe a Saint is!

 

Who are these Saints in your heart and soul?

 

The Gospel for All Saints is the very familiar passage from the Gospel of Matthew, The Beatitudes. Many people choose this Gospel passage in celebrating their beloved’s funeral mass. I would like to share with you a reflection on this passage that I came across in my prayer.

 

“The powerful promises Jesus makes can get lost in the poetry of the Beatitudes. Think for a moment what it means to be comforted, satisfied, shown mercy, called children of God, to inherit, to see God. The first half of each Beatitude is a challenge to be sure. Each one could be the fruit of the slow steady work of a lifetime of prayer and practice. The second half, though, invites us to fall on our knees in gratitude. Who might we become, if we allow ourselves to be held so close to the heart of God that we know these things in our bones? Learning to accept this incredible love and mercy may just be the secret of the saints.’

 

Let us celebrate these beloved individuals and continue to strive to be among them one day in the Kingdom of our Lord!

 

Blessings to all,

Fr. 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