Dear Fellow Parishioners, The coming week contains the feast day ā August 28th ā of one of the most notable and important saints in the history of the Church: St. Augustine of Hippo. (āHippoā is not a reference to the pachyderm, but to Hippo Regius, where he served as bishop, the modern-day Annaba, the third-largest […]
Dear Fellow Parishioners, Mid-August is here, school vacations are coming to an end, and the start of religious education and school are just around the corner. As I mentioned at Masses, I spent most of my vacation at my favorite resort, Rancho Back-yardo. While doing so, I watched or read many, many news stories about […]
Dear Fellow Parishioners, While Independence Day is the official title of our national holiday, it is now more commonly known as Fourth of July ā a nickname which reveals nothing of its significance. This year, it is the 247th anniversary of the ratification of the Declaration of Independence by the First Session of the Second […]
Dear Fellow Parishioners, Weāve heard the folk saying, āMarch comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.ā This year, the lamb-like weather has continued ever since, as we just passed almost imperceptibly into summer. In the past, late spring and the early days of summer have been uncharacteristically mild, even cool only […]
Dear Fellow Parishioners,Ā Now that spring is largely behind us, Iād like to share a few thoughts on two feasts that fall in June: the Feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus (the 3rd Friday after Pentecost) and the Solemnity of the Birth of John the Baptist (June 24th). The Feast of the Most […]
Dear Fellow Parishioners, Iād like to follow up with a few odds and ends regarding the parish premises. The repair and painting project on the hall and garage are nearly complete. During the preparation work, we discovered repairs that needed to be made, including part of the roof of the Parish Hall, the roof and […]
Dear Fellow Parishioners, Both of our parish schools ā SVHS and SVES ā hold graduation ceremonies in our church. The beautiful, reverent and somewhat formal setting lends an appropriate air of solemnity to these milestone events. That doesnāt stop some groups of supporters from expressing their special enthusiasm for a favorite son or daughter as […]
Dear Fellow Parishioners, This time of year is for milestones and goodbyes, with new challenges on the horizon: First Communions, Confirmations, graduations. Some graduations will lead to another local school, a college or university further from home, career training, or a new job. Graduations have a valedictory quality, hence the āvaledictorianā who delivers the farewell […]
Dear Fellow Parishioners, This weekend we celebrate Motherās Day. While there are many images of loving (not to mention powerful) mothers in the Old Testament, there is also the Fourth Commandment: āHonor thy father and thy mother.ā At the most basic level, that commandment is a call to respect an inescapable fact: Our relationship with […]
Dear Fellow Parishioners, At this time of year, I sign hundreds of documents: Baptismal certificates for those receiving other sacraments, First Communion and Confirmation certificates, diplomas from two schools, contracts for teachers and staff from two schools, you name it, all in addition to the usual checks, letters and Mass cards that need to be […]