“You’ll remember me when the west wind moves upon the fields of barley…” Sting’s pensive lyrics from Fields of Gold inspire us to recall the most treasured moments of our lives.  November is a month of remembrance and gratitude.  For the Catholic Church, it begins with the Festival of All Saints and Commemoration of All […]

According to ancient Judeo-Christian tradition, the Sabbath begins as the sun sets and darkness descends upon the eve of the day that follows.  So Jews gather in synagogues and temples on Friday evenings while Catholics gather for the Saturday evening vigil to mark their Day of the Lord.  Similarly, kids originally dressed up as saints […]

It seems that at the heart of our Catholic Church’s maladies these days is a chasm that exists between the people of God and ecclesiastics (church types).  The chasm widens as young people leave the church in droves, bishops lose moral credibility, and ecclesiastics permit, even promote, pharisaicalism.  Pharisaical attitudes, according to Jesus, were the […]

I am a little embarrassed and a bit overwhelmed, a lot grateful and much humbled this morning. I went to a Chiefs watch party last night organized by some incredible friends to help me out with a financial set-back I recently encountered here at Saint Charles Parish.  Some at the watch party said that they […]

Taking a stroll through autumn, we will meander through an array of colors from rust to gold as our feet rustle through leaves of red, brown, green, yellow, and orange.  In some ways, these vast shades of fallen leaves reflect the various seasonal spirits that accompany us and seem more present for some as we […]

An old man recently came to talk with me because he was confused and angered by things that church leaders taught him some sixty years ago.  At that younger age, he was condemned to hell for the mortal sin of missing Sunday Mass, then condemned again for going to Mass and receiving communion without first […]

I officiate a lot of weddings.  Most of them are sacramental; others probably are not.  According to the church, all of them are sacramental because I follow the form for marriage promulgated by the institution after the bride and groom complete obligatory requisites.  Some couples are genuinely interested in the sacramental preparation and intently desirous […]

As we approach autumn and the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, many bishops around the globe encourage priests to celebrate Green Masses to honor God’s creation of earth, rejoice in nature, promote ecology, and enhance environment.  Expanding beyond Blue Masses (that honor first-responders and those that protect and serve), Red Masses (that pay tribute […]

Here at Charles Borromeo, we host two big events that frame the autumn season.  The first is our Saint Charles Parish Fall Friend-raiser, held on Saturday, September 28, beginning with 4:00 Mass; the other is our Borromeo Academy Prayer Luncheon, held on Friday, December 13, beginning with a scholar’s prayer service at 11:30. The Friend-raiser […]

Years ago, a famous bumper sticker stated: “I’m not a dirty old man just a sexy senior citizen!”  Former Vice-president Joe Biden gets kidded by some for being too tactile and “handsy” while he gets condemned by others for groping and violating proper social and sexual boundaries.  This week, as I read names of priests […]