Dear Fellow Parishioners, Beginning next weekend, graduations and commencement ceremonies will take place all over the country, from Kindergartners in pint-sized caps and gowns, up to the doctoral level, and beyond. At the higher levels, graduates often add two-sided hoods, color-coded to the field of study – green for medicine, purple for law, brown for […]
Dear Fellow Parishioners, Mother’s Day is one of the very few, if only, observances celebrated throughout the world. It is truly transcultural. The vast majority of these celebrations take place either on the second Sunday in May, or on another day in Spring, the season of new life. (Consistent with this logic, Argentina celebrates Mother’s […]
Dear Fellow Parishioners, I would like to continue my discussion of the interior of our church, statues, windows, and other works of art. First, I’d like to share some general thoughts on the roles of art and technology in the history of the Christian, and then specifically “Catholic”, Church. For the first 1,500 years of […]
Dear Fellow Parishioners, Last week I shared a few thoughts about devotions in general, and more specifically about the devotional life and design of our church. The response was surprisingly positive, and I’ve decided to go a week or two further on this subject. The statues and devotional images behind the communion rail and facing […]
Dear Fellow Parishioners, I would like to address a few matters regarding Catholic devotions in general, and the devotional life of our parish. Over the past week, I was contacted by a very nice couple, new to the parish, who expressed an interest in establishing First Saturday devotion to Our Lady of Fatima. It would […]
Dear Fellow Parishioners, After forty days of Lent, and the three-day Triduum, we have arrived at the culmination of the Passion of Jesus Christ, which is his Resurrection. There are two main names for the celebration of the Resurrection: “Easter” and “Pascha.” “Easter” is derived from the Saxon feast of Eostre, whereas “Pascha” is […]
Dear Fellow Parishioners, We are entering into the most eventful and intense week of the Christian year. Traditionally, Holy Week began with Palm Sunday and ended on Holy Saturday. The liturgical reforms of Pope Pius XII in 1955 highlighted the three-day Triduum – Holy Thursday to the Easter Vigil – as a distinct, though brief, […]
Dear Fellow Parishioners, This weekend we celebrate the Fourth Sunday of Lent, commonly known as “Laetare Sunday.” It is a designation shared by Catholic and most Lutheran and Anglican parishes. To explain, I will begin nearer to the beginning. The two penitential seasons of the Church year, Advent and Lent, prepare us for the two […]
Dear Fellow Parishioners, Whenever we have a national 3-day weekend holiday, it leaves me a bit confused, because after a three-day weekend, the remaining 4-day work week is out of proportion. Tuesday feels like Monday, Wednesday feels like Tuesday, etc. Friday comes and – shebang! – the work week is over. Presidents’ Day is a […]