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3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C  Zephaniah 3:14-18a Philippians 4:4-7 Luke 3:10-18 December 16, 2012 Zephaniah calls us upon the people to shout for joy, be glad, and exult.  He writes before the Babylonian Exile when the Kingdom of…

Another tragic shooting has happened in our country.  Yesterday (Friday, December 14, 2012) a man went into Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown Connecticut.  Twenty children are dead along with six adults at the school (including the principal who working…

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C Baruch 5:1-9 Philippians 1:4-6, 9-11 Luke 3:1-6 December 9, 2012 As we ended the last liturgical year and began our season of Advent our readings pointed to the End Times.  We called to…

After the Sunday morning Masses, I had the opportunity to join our two parish youth groups (Middle School & Senior High) for a joint session where they had the opportunity to ask me questions.  I went in with no set…

Yesterday our parish office was closed to give our staff a long weekend with the Thanksgiving Holiday.  I had no special plans when I stopped in the office for a little while to check my email.  I had been thinking…

Today we celebrate a national holiday, Thanksgiving.  It has been part of our history since before we were even a nation of our own.  The pilgrims arrived in Massachusetts in 1620.  They arrived in winter and faced great difficulties.  Native…

31st Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B Deuteronomy 6:2-6 Hebrews 7:23-26 Mark 12:28b-34 November 4, 2012 Moses calls for the people to “keep all God’s statutes and commandments.” It is something we all desire in some way. After all, Moses…

This week I passed the 100 day mark as pastor.  It has been a very busy 100 days.  When I was preparing to leave my last assignment as the Parochial Vicar at Our Lady of the Lakes, a few people…

I want to take a moment to comment on the second part of Sunday’s Gospel that I didn’t discuss during the homily.  Jesus says if your hand causes us to sin, cut it off.  If you foot causes you to sin,…

26th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B Numbers 11:25-29 James 5:1-6 Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48 September 30, 2012 John comes to Jesus concerned that a person is driving out demons in Jesus’ name because, apparently, he is not part of…

I have written here in recent months about how many funerals I do.  I see funerals as an opportunity to minister to the funeral, to let them know that we care and that God cares.  Being new in the parish,…

I realized yesterday that it has been a few days since I have written here.  There are typically two reasons for when I don’t write something here.  The first is that I don’t have the inspiration to write something and…

Today’s Gospel Reading (Saturday, 8/11/12, 18th Week in Ordinary Time) always make me ask how strong is my faith.  In this particular gospel, a man comes to Jesus seeking help for his son.  Jesus’ disciples (who have already done some…

Another ten days has passed since I last wrote.  The funerals have slowed down with just one funeral in church and a separate burial last week.  That doesn’t mean everything has slowed down. I spent Tuesday and Wednesday of this…

Well, today is four weeks since my arrival at Immaculate Conception.  If you remember my earlier writings, Sr. Edna had spoken to me as I was carrying in my boxes to schedule a funeral.  Tomorrow, I will preside at my eighth funeral since my…

Here is my homily for Sunday, July 22nd. 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B Jeremiah 23:1-6 Ephesians 2:13-18 Mark 6:30-34 July 22, 2012 Once again the apostles gather with Jesus.  But this time their gathering takes on a different…

Today is three weeks since my arrival as the pastor of Immaculate Conception Church.  Last week I spoke about how busy I have been.  I continue to be busy with funerals and meetings.  What I am really trying to focus…

I titled this article “Summer Slow Down” but there really hasn’t been one for me.  The primary reason for that, of course, is my recent appointment as Pastor of Immaculate Conception Church in Ithaca.  Being new to the parish I…

Today (July 4th) we celebrate our country’s independence.  It is a good day to think about the principles our country was founded on. The Declaration of Independence, the founding document of our country, states We hold these Truths to be…

One of the things I have been reminded of during my transition to Immaculate Conception is how interconnected we can be.  Here are some examples. When one parishioner introduced herself, I recognized the last name and discovered I know her…

Here is my homily that I offered this weekend as I began as pastor of Immaculate Conception Church.   For those who haven’t seen me preach, I adjust from Mass to Mass so what follows isn’t always exactly what I said…

I officially arrived at Immaculate Conception Church as the pastor on Tuesday (June 26th).  As I was carrying boxes into the office, Sr. Edna asked to talk to me about a funeral.  She apologized for having to ask so quickly. …

It is the time of year for graduations.  Nowadays, we have graduations from Pre-K, Kindergarten, elementary school, high school, and college.  Graduations mark the accomplishment of learning.  They come at the end of the school year and are often thought…

I left my job with the New York State Department of Transportation in 2000.  I then spent two years in Rochester completing my pre-theology studies.  Then I went to Washington, DC at Theological College for two years.  Next, I was…