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Today, I would like to write about two different things that Pope Francis has done this week.  The first happened today.  At noon Rome time, Pope Francis named Bishop Salvatore R. Matano as the ninth Bishop of Rochester.  I was…

Here is an article I wrote for the cover of our bulletin. A Time to Honor Those Who Have Gone Before Us On Friday we celebrated All Saints’ Day.  Throughout the year there are feasts and memorials of many different…

We live in a very busy world.  Families can spend all their time going to their children’s events whether it be sports, plays, or concerts.  Many adults spend tremendous hours at work.  I even know some retired people whose volunteer…

Today, along with many other schools in the area, we began a new school year at Immaculate Conception School.  We have many returning students but there are also new students.  The Pre-K3 class is all new, many of the Pre-K4 classes…

The other day I was out to a parishioner’s house and a few of their friends were there.  Among the topics of conversation was a discussion on how we look at our faith.  Do we see our faith as a…

We all need keep learning throughout our lives.  Learning about faith doesn’t end with Confirmation or when religion classes end.  I have a master’s degree in theology and I feel like I just know the tip of the iceberg of…

Today (July 26, 2013) is thirteen months from the day I arrived as Pastor of Immaculate Conception.  I have learned a lot and I hope I have helped our parishioners come closer to God.  Most directly, this comes from homilies, the…

What a week!  I’ve been busy going here and there.  It’s the last week of school so I’ve been at the school a lot.  There was the final visits of the year to the classrooms on Monday.  (Pre-K celebrations were last…

God’s presence in our lives is made known to us today through the Holy Spirit.  How do we know of the Holy Spirit?  What does the Bible say about the Holy Spirit?  What does the Catechism of the Catholic Church…

Well, the Survey Responses are in.  I’ve attached the full responses here. Before I continue, I would like to thank everyone who responded.  All the responses were favorable.  Now, let me respond to the comments to the final question “What suggestions do…

Last week I posted a survey here (if you haven’t seen it, check out last week’s article at https://renewaloffaith.org/?p=1100).  So far, fifteen people have completed the survey.  I will leave the survey open for another week and then post the results…

Shortly I will be celebrating Mass at one of our parish cemeteries.  Here are some of the thoughts I plan to share. Today is Memorial Day (May 27, 2013).  For many, it marks the unofficial beginning of summer.  From now…

I haven’t been writing as much here on my blog as I would like.  Part of the reason for that is because I am busy with my parish ministries.  Another part is that I don’t always have ideas what people…

In the gospel reading for today, Jesus tells his disciples of his coming Passion, how he will be arrested, crucified, and then rise on the third day.  The disciples did not offer a response. This was not the first time Jesus…

If you haven’t already, take a look at today’s first reading (5th Week of Easter, Saturday), particularly the second part.  The reading tells some of the events of Paul’s missionary journeys. Paul did not pick which towns he preached in. …

On Friday, I will have been Pastor of Immaculate Conception Church in Ithaca for ten months.  It has been a busy ten months.  There are all the regular activities that go with a parish, a school, and two cemeteries.  There is…

When we use the word “Passion” with a capital “P” in the Church we are generally speaking of Jesus’ Passion that we just celebrated during Holy Week.  Out of his passion for us, Jesus freely gives his life for us…

This has been a busy week.  There is a lot of preparation that goes with the celebration of the Triduum.  There was also the Diocesan Day of Penance on Tuesday during which I spent 8 1/2 hours hearing confessions. So…

The headlines were glaring, “The Pope is Resigning.”  I have to admit that when I say the headline yesterday morning I was shocked.  I thought ‘what’s wrong?’  It turns out that nothing is wrong.  Pope Benedict XVI is 85 years…

It’s almost here.  Lent begins with our celebration of Ash Wednesday on February 13th this year and will go to the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday (March 28th). When you hear the word “Lent” what do you…

It has now been a little over seven months since I became the Pastor of Immaculate Conception Church.  It has been a busy seven months.  As I have written before we have a lot going on, ranging from our church…

Yesterday I attended workshop in our diocese entitled “The Challenge of Catechesis Today”  given by Bishop Frank Caggiano (Auxillary Bishop of Brooklyn).  Last fall the New York State Catholic Bishops released a new document called “The Catechetical Leader in the Third Millennium.” …

Our Parish Pastoral Council meeting this week included a discussion on what are signs of a vibrant parish.  The list ranged from a line for Confessions to people feeling at home. Today, I would like to talk about feeling at…

Today is December 31st.  It is the end of our secular year 2012.  Tomorrow will be January 1st and mark the beginning of a New Year.  Just a few weeks ago we marked the end of the last liturgical year…

Today, December 28th, we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Innocents.  The story of the Holy Innocents is found in Matthew 2:13-18.  Herod was king of the region and had heard from the Magi that a new king had been…