October 26, 2025

October 24, 2025

Dear Friends,

 

We are in a season of harvest and that season is expressed in many ways. One way is in the asking of support.

 

You and I are asked often and in so many ways to give support. It is often in monetary asks. Sometimes it may seem to never end. It’s been discussed among the Parish Staff and every once in a while, one of the parishioners may express that to us as well.

 

This time of year, the asking seems accelerated with the holidays quickly approaching. Recently, we have been asked to reflect on our stewardship for Unbound, Giving Trees, Food Collections, Clothing Collections, CMA, and of course our Parish Support to keep our churches vital and supportive of its ministries.

 

I am sure like me, you have also been asked to give to organizations we have already supported in the past and to consider new ones. How many envelopes, emails, etc. have you already received in asking to consider a donation?

 

Last weekend our scriptures talked about being persistent in prayer. I think of Matthew 7:7-12 where we are invited to be persistent in asking, seeking, and knocking. It shows that prayer involves different actions: making requests (asking), searching for God’s will (seeking), and persistently approaching God even when it seems difficult (knocking).

 

I believe that those asking for our support are seeking to follow God’s desire that we care for all our sisters and brothers. I realize each of us can only do so much and at times we would like to do more but it may be difficult due to personal circumstances.

 

This is why we pray. We pray to discern where we best can respond to the asking before us.

 

This is Respect Life Month. All life deserves respect and with our prayer, may we give where the Lord directs us to be merciful and kind. Every organization is hopeful their pleas will be heard.

 

Perhaps this following prayer of hope, may help each of us to respond to others where we can.

 

A PRAYER FOR HOPE

Heavenly Father, in the sacrament of Baptism, you have given us the gift of new life. Through your son our Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, you have made us your own.

Help us to recognize the gift of human life as a sign of hope in our world.

Reveal to us places where your precious gift of life is most in need of protection and strengthen us to defend life in all stages and circumstances, from the child in the womb to the elderly and dying.

Guided by your Holy Spirit, guard us from discouragement and give us the grace to be messengers of hope, filled with confidence that nothing can separate us from your love.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen (USCCB)

 

Thank you for all you do and the support you give to our sisters and brothers.

 

Blessings,

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