Last Saturday, when we saw record numbers at Masses, people asked us: “What are you going to be doing Sunday?” A good question... The snow had cancelled all but one Mass—and that with probably a record low of six souls (including the two priest concelebrants). What were Fr. Dias and I to do? We cooked. Now, that’s not hugely surprising. One or the other—or both—of us cook most days. But we have a project coming up: Rectory, Set, Cook. I’ve avoided this for years, but Fr. McCarroll recommended me to one of the organizers of this v...

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Around this time last year, I walked down the hall of St John Neumann Elementary School. As is usual, students had artwork hanging on the wall. And, as is always quite usual in a school setting, the focus was timely. January includes Martin Luther King Day; February is set aside as African American History Month. So, I saw a good number of pictures of people like Frederick Douglass— who wrote a firsthand account of how brutal slavery in America had been—and Dr Martin Luther King—whose nonviolent spirit promoted racial justice in the 1960s. I thought at ...

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I know for the past few months—and, actually, for the past couple of years—we’ve been asking “How will things be different when St. Ann and St. Boniface Parishes link? What will change? What will be ‘business as usual’?” Today’s feast, the Baptism of the Lord, gives us a chance to look at a change: The way in which we prepare and celebrate the baptism of our children. There are two aspects to this question—one’s practical, the other’s theological. Both matter! The practical: Both parishes bring a histor...

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There’s an old tradition that during the Epiphany Mass, the priest or deacon would announce—with solemn chant, mind you—the dates of the movable feasts for the coming year. Ash Wednesday, Easter, Corpus Christi, and even the rather distant First Sunday of Advent would be proclaimed as a glance into the Church’s future. This Epiphany, I have a few announcements for our parishes, announcements that offer us a glance into our local Church’s future. First, Chris Dell, our secretary at St Boniface, has decided to return to school. We wish her ...

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This week, we’ll say our farewell to 2025! And we’ll greet 2026 Anno Domini! In the busyness of all that, let’s now forget that January 1—known to the secular world as New Year’s Day—is also a Catholic holy day of obligation in honor of Mary, the Mother of God. Masses, of course, are available at all our county parishes. Here we have 4 pm (St. Boniface) on New Year’s Eve, and 8 am (St. Lawrence) and 9:30 am (St. Ann) on the day. But, as we look back on this past year, let’s highlight some key moments for us as the C...

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Not long ago, someone asked me, “Why can’t we put the church’s Nativity scene in front of the altar? If it were front and center, wouldn’t we see it better?” There’s an easy answer: The Church says no. The Book of Blessings tells us, “If the manger is set up in the church, it must not be placed in the sanctuary. A place should be chosen that is suitable for prayer and devotion and be easily accessible by the faithful.”  “Must not” are strong words whenever we encounter them. And they’re strong word...

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Do you know when I put up the small Christmas tree in my sitting room? Usually, Christmas Eve in the morning. Maybe the evening before that. I can put that tree up that late Advent day because I don’t have to do all the things you do on Christmas Eve. (And if these words inspire just one young man to consider the priesthood, that’ll be a plus for us all!) You’re travelling. You’re cleaning the house again. You’re getting gifts under the tree. You’re prepping fish or fowl for meals (to say nothing of remembering the allergies that might su...

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John the Baptist speaks words that might make us uncomfortable. Words about sin. Words about judgment. Words about repentance. Sometimes words like these are so uncomfortable that we try to explain them away. Usually, we attempt some sort of history. John preached before Jesus, we say, and he was all about an angry God. Jesus changed all that, talking only about love and mercy. Or we try to pin it on Vatican II—the Council changed all that! At worst, we just shrug our shoulders and say something like: “Oh, nobody cares about that stuff anymore.” Of c...

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I want to tell you about a change. It’s not a big one. But it means something. It means something about Mass, and that makes the small change an important one. Recently, I heard a priest quote a line from the Missal.  The quote came from the section that describes the importance of silence at Mass.  Here’s the quote: “Even before the celebration itself, it is a praiseworthy practice for silence to be observed in the church, in the sacristy, in the vesting room, and in adjacent areas, so that all may dispose themselves to carry out the sacre...

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At next weekend’s 5:30 p.m. Mass, the linkage between St. Ann and St. Boniface Parishes takes another step.  At that Mass, I’ll be installed as pastor of St. Ann Parish.  It’s an extremely simple ritual: a few words spoken, two pieces of paper signed.  We can do it in any number of ways—an office visit with the Bishop or his Vicar for Clergy, a ritual moment within the community’s normal celebration of Mass. If we imagine this is principally about the priest, we’d be wrong.   Listen to what I’m asked to say...

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