December - 2022

Pastor's Weekly Update: Sunday, January 29

The challenge to stay where you are: Overcoming sloth (Sermon for 22 January, 2023)

Pastor's Weekly Update: Sunday, January 15

Epiphany: A tribute to Pope Benedict XVI

Pastor's Weekly Update: Sunday, January 1st

Born to Be a King: The Nativity of the Lord, A.D. MMXXII

Pastor's Weekly Update: Sunday, December 25th

Pastor's Weekly Update: Sunday, December 18th

Rejoice to Be Patient: Gaudete Sunday Sermon

Pastor's Weekly Update: Sunday, December 11th

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Pastor's Weekly Update: Sunday, January 1st

Brothers and Sisters in Christ, A blessed Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, and a happy and holy new year to you! As we begin this year of our Lord, 2023, it is propitious that the year begins on the Lord’s day. (In many languages, the word for “Sunday” is derived from the Latin, dominus, meaning “Lord.”) It is as if Christ were inviting us to dedicate in a particular way this year of 2023 to Him, beginning that year on His day. Many people make new year’s resolutions, such a

Born to Be a King: The Nativity of the Lord, A.D. MMXXII

Perhaps you have asked yourself: Why do we celebrate Christmas instead of the Annunciation? Christ is born today, but He already existed for nine months in the womb of the Blessed Virgin. If we really believe that human life begins at the moment of conception, already possessing the full dignity and rights of a human person, do we not contradict ourselves somewhat by celebrating Christ’s birth more than the moment of the Incarnation itself? This would be an astute observation

Pastor's Weekly Update: Sunday, December 25th

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Merry Christmas! May the Lord fill your hearts with the joy of His peace and love as we continue celebrating the birth of the Christchild. There are always so many people to thank for helping make our celebration of the Nativity of the Lord so beautiful: Our musicians who practiced for months to prepare to lift our hearts to the Lord, the church decorators, our sacristans, altar servers who inspire us with their reverence, the ushers and a

Pastor's Weekly Update: Sunday, December 18th

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Thank you to everyone who helped in so many ways to make our celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe last week so special. I was especially appreciative of the chance to put the celebration of the Eucharist back at the center of our celebrations. Last Friday I had the chance to attend The Messiah in Fort Wayne for the first time since 2019. It was great to return to this treasured holiday tradition. If you have never attended a live performan

Rejoice to Be Patient: Gaudete Sunday Sermon

We can probably be quite confident that no one has ever rejoiced at the chance to be patient. Yet, on this Gaudete Sunday, when the Church invites us to rejoice at the nearness of the coming of the Lord, She also encourages us to be patient. We hear from the letter of St. James: “Be patient, brothers and sisters, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient with it … You too must be patient.” How can we rejoice and

Pastor's Weekly Update: Sunday, December 11th

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, We rejoice today on this Gaudete Sunday, recognizing how close the Lord is. We rejoice this week as well to celebrate the Patroness of the Americas, Empress of Latin America, Queen and Mother of Mexico, and Protectress of the Unborn, the Blessed Virgin Mary of Guadalupe. Mary’s appearance to the humble Juan Diego marked the beginning of an enormous period of missionary expansion in Mexico and through Central and South America that brought

Immaculate Conception Sermon: "The Love that Moves the Stars"

“In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ, in accord with the favor of his will, for the praise of the glory of his grace that he granted us in the beloved.” In celebrating Mary’s Immaculate Conception, we usually focus on how Mary is the new Eve, how Her obedience to God’s command, Her fiat, undoes the disobedience of the first mother of the living. Or we focus on the Scriptures’ presentation of Her as a new ark of the covenant, as the first tabern

Pastor's Weekly Update: Sunday, December 4th

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Monday, December 5th, at 7:00 p.m. our English Mass choir will take part in a Lessons and Carols celebration at St. Vincent Parish in Elkhart with the choirs of other parishes in Elkhart County. Please join us for this beautiful evening of sacred music and prayer! Thursday, December 8th is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This is the Patronal Feast of the United States and a Holy Day of Obligation. Rem