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Yesterday I spent time both at Immaculate Conception Church and Our Lady of the Lakes at St. Januarius’ Church. I went to Immaculate Conception where I will become the pastor on June 26th to met with the current pastor and…
Read MoreWell, it has been almost a month now since I received the phone call from Bishop Clark appointing me as the pastor of Immaculate Conception Church in Ithaca on June 26th. The response expressed from my current assignment at Our…
Read MoreThe news has been covering the continuing controversy over the issue of religious liberty as it pertains to the new rules issued by the Federal Department of Health & Human Services requiring insurance to cover contraceptives. Our bishops have been…
Read MoreIt is mid-afternoon on Easter Sunday. Over the last three days, we have celebrated Holy Thursday where Jesus celebrated the First Eucharist and calls us to do the same. On Good Friday, we celebrated the Crucifixion but we can only…
Read MoreI attended our Chrism Mass last night at the Cathedral. For anyone who is unfamiliar with the Chrism Mass, it is a diocesan celebration that always occurs during Holy Week. It is a Mass so there is the celebration of…
Read MoreWell, if you have been reading my blog for a while, you may know that I was ordained a priest in June 2007. My first assignment was St. Mary’s on the south side of Elmira. I served there for three…
Read MoreOne of the common devotions of the Catholic Church, especially in Lent, is the Stations of the Cross. In praying the Stations of the Cross, we remember what Jesus went through during his final hours for us. Some of the…
Read MoreThere seems to be an attitude today among some people that the government should fix all the problems. Does the government serve a key role in solutions to many problems? Yes, but that doesn’t mean it is the government’s job…
Read MoreHere is my homily for this Sunday. Peace, Fr. Jeff 4th Sunday in Lent, Year B 2 Chronicles 36:14-16, 19-23 Ephesians 2:4-10 John 3:14-21 March 18, 2012 The Book of Chronicles speaks of the infidelities, the abominations of the Israelites,…
Read MoreJust finished a long but a good weekend. It was a long weekend because in addition to the regular Sunday Masses, I had three other events going on. It was a good weekend because all three events went well and…
Read More2nd Sunday in Lent, Year B Genesis 22:1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18 Romans 8:31b-34 Mark 9:2-10 March 4, 2012 For us, it seems impossible that God would have asked Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac. To sacrifice any human being should…
Read MoreWe began our yearly celebration of the season of Lent this week on February 22nd. During Lent, we abstain from meat on Fridays and Ash Wednesday. We give up something for Lent. We fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. …
Read MoreHere is my homily for today. 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B Isaiah 43:18-19, 21-22, 24b-25 2 Corinthians 1:18-22 Mark 2:1-12 February 19, 2012 Isaiah is speaking in the first reading to the people who have been held in…
Read MoreOn February 22nd, we will begin our season of Lent for 2012. Lent is a time of preparation to help us prepare for the celebration of the Easter Triduum. Lent has origins in a retreat period for the catechumens in the…
Read MoreHere is the prepared text for my homily for this past weekend. 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B Job 7:1-4, 6-7 1 Corinthians 9:16-19, 22-23 Mark 1:29-39 February 5, 2012 Today’s gospel is just 12 verses but it tells…
Read MoreIf you follow the Catholic News in America, then by now you have probably heard about the new federal mandate to require all health insurance plans to cover sterilization, contraception, and abortifacients as preventative health care. Here in the Diocese…
Read MoreI have been teaching our RCIA Catechumens and Candidates about the Sacraments. There are seven sacraments that we can separate into three categories. Under the category of Initiation are Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist. Marriage and Holy Orders are categorized as…
Read MoreHere is my homily for today (Sunday, January 22, 2012) 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B (Click here to see the readings) Jonah 3:1-5, 10 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 Mark 1:14-20 January 22, 2012 We see a pretty lofty example…
Read MoreIn today’s (Jan. 12, 2012) readings, we can see two different relationships with the Lord. In the first reading, the Israelites battles against their enemy, the Philistines (who David will defeat in the future). When the Israelites lose the battle,…
Read MoreThe message that we are called to give is clear. It is the message of Jesus Christ that we are given in the Bible. It is not just a message that we should receive and keep to ourselves. The message…
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