ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST
CATHOLIC CHURCH

Will things ever be the way they used to be? This is the question increasingly on our minds, especially as we celebrate this holiday weekend in a perhaps awkward or artificial way, or just not in the same way to which we are accustomed or with the people we would have liked to se. Will things ever be normal again? There is a longing present in our hearts. A longing for those we love, a longing for stability, a longing for connection. The human person, after all, is not a virt

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, I hope that you are enjoying a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend. Even though many of us are facing more stress and struggle than we can remember, there is always so much for which we can thank almighty God. The very things that many of us miss right now would be unimaginable to so many people in the world. Of course, this Sunday we begin the holy season of Advent. This time is about the longing and yearning for Jesus that we ought to experie

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Obviously all of us are concerned about the escalating situation with regards to the coronavirus, particularly here in Elkhart County. I am relieved that the new executive order from Governor Holcomb does not attempt to limit religious services, even if other gatherings we might want to hold at our parish could be limited by the county-by-county classification system. We will continue offering Mass here at St. John’s every day with the sam

Dominica XXXIII per annum, A 11-15-MMXX Don’t you feel sorry for this “wicked, lazy servant”? He hasn’t done anything wrong, has he? His master has entrusted him with a large sum of money. He hasn’t embezzled it, stolen it, or lost it. He gives his master back exactly what was entrusted to him. What has he done to be treated so badly? And why does he have to give over his master’s money to the man who already has ten times as much? In what world is that fair? We probably know

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Thank you for your prayers for me while on my retreat last week! It was a much needed time to re-connect with the Lord and deepen my friendship with Him. I focused on His real presence in the Eucharist through meditations by St. Alphonsus Liguori, one of the great spiritual masters. Thank you to everyone who has generously made a pledge toward the Annual Bishop’s Appeal. We are so close to meeting our goal. If you have not yet made a pledg

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, I’m sure that I am not the only one who is relieved to have survived what many people are calling our country’s most divisive election season ever. New public officials have been elected to serve our community, state, and country. Each one of us may be happy about the outcomes, or we may not. Regardless, we should all be praying that our new leaders will work to heal the divisions in our communities and in our country, and that they will l

“These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress; they have washed their robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb.” One windy night in the heat of Roman July, in the year 64 A.D., a fire broke out among the poorly constructed timber apartment blocks that housed many of the city’s residents. It spread quickly, burning for nine days. In the end, over two thirds of the world’s most powerful city was destroyed. Among the wreckage was the palace of the em