This is again written before I even begin retreat! If it were written in the normal cycle, I would still be on my Silent Retreat and not write this! So, it is written 2 weekends in advance! That is how prescient your pastor is! Haha! Confirmation On Wednesday evening, March 23rd, Bishop Stephen Parkes will […]
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On Thursday, March 10th, I entered an 8-day silent retreat with the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. (So, this Pastor’s Corner is obviously written before!) My final year in Seminary, 2003, was the last I went on an 8-day retreat like this. The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius are powerful and a wonderful experience of
Ash Wednesday, even though it is not a holy day of obligation, is one of the most well attended days in the Church year! So many people want to receive ashes and begin this Holy Season of Lent with Holy Mass. Our 40-day Campaign of Christian Charity has begun. Many of us are doing penances
Wednesday is the beginning of Lent! Are you ready? On that day, we enter that 40 day period of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. I encourage you to pick something in each of those categories to practice during these 40 days. PRAYER Here a few suggestions. Increase your time of prayer each day or commit to
Looking ahead, Lent is in 1 ½ weeks! Can you believe it? Ash Wednesday is March 2nd! In the old liturgical calendar, the priest would be wearing purple and we would be celebrating Sexigesima Sunday to remind us that Quaresima (meaning 40 days and what Lent is called in Latin) is coming soon. These liturgical
This Sunday is Commitment Sunday for our Annual Catholic Appeal. I want to thank our couples who will give the lay witness talks this weekend! Thank you for your willingness to share about your participation in the Appeal. At each mass we will give time for you to pray about what you want to give
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I am writing this before our Catholic Men’s Conference on Saturday, January 29th, but I would like to let you know that there were over 150 men registered to attend. I am looking forward to it! In my next Pastor’s Corner, I will reflect on it. CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK This Sunday begins Catholic Schools Week!
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It is the last day to say this, so I’ll say it! MERRY CHRISTMAS! THANK YOU! From all the priests of St. James, Thank you for all the wonderful Christmas gifts given to us over this Holiday Season! We greatly appreciate all the love and prayers poured forth for us and given to us! It
2022! Can you believe it? Here we are at the beginning of another year! Last year brought so many different joys, highlights, difficulties, and sorrows. For each of us we walked through quite a bit in 2021. Now we turn the page and look forward to a new year! What will this year bring for
Merry Christmas to each of you and your families! As we celebrate these Holy Days, be assured that I remember and include all of you in my prayers and masses. As a Christian community, we celebrate the eight days, the Octave of Christmas as if we were celebrating Christmas! Now that is a beautiful gift!