Ash Wednesday, 2026 – I am always amazed and puzzled at the crowd of people who come on Ash Wednesday to receive ashes. What is it about ashes that attracts them and us? Pondering this a little further, I think of the words that are said as one receives the ashes. “Remember you are dust Read more »
My turn for writing the community’s blog often comes when Lent is about to begin. This year is no exception. The word Lent means springtime, and refers to the lengthening of daylight. Following the harsh weather that we recently experienced, I imagine most of us will be especially delighted to see spring appear! Judith Sutera Read more »
Words expressing a growing reality among citizens of the world as daily reports of brutality, family separations, deportations, and loss of life headline the news. A recent poem by the same title, When It’s Just All Too Much from the pen of Rosemerry Whatola Trommer offers pause for reflection. The more complex the problem, the Read more »
I recently attended the funeral of a dear friend and fellow retired teacher. She was a woman of great faith and a positive influence on everyone she met. Her generosity was unequaled. The gospel chosen for the Mass was from Matthew 5:13-16: You are the salt of the earth…you are the light of the world. Read more »
The book of Samuel opens with a beautiful and powerful story of the Lord God remembering Hannah, and she gave birth to Samuel. “Hannah was very distressed since she was childless. She went to the temple and prayed in her bitterness, and made a vow, promising: “O Lord of hosts, if you look with pity Read more »
When I was a sophomore in high school, we had an assignment to memorize a bible verse. I chose this verse because it was short and easy to remember. We were living in a new house, and the words connected naturally to my life. Over time, the verse took on deeper meaning. In a world Read more »
As the holidays end and a new year begins I find myself thinking about invitations. There are invitations to dinner, to celebrate special occasions, and meetings. Sometimes we receive an invitation to reconnect with someone we’ve loss touch with in the busyness of life. Sometimes an invitation is the beginning of a relationship or experience Read more »
We are in a season of gifts, given and received. Thanksgiving Day kicked it off, then the next major celebrations of Hanukkah and Christmas pick up the same theme. Jewish tradition celebrates a major victory centered on the temple, while for Christians, Christmas celebrates the unimaginable gift of God becoming human. For me personally, this Read more »
Every year we submit our statistics to the Catholic (Kenedy) Directory, the respected source for a list of Catholic nonprofit organizations. This year the Conference of Bishops requested that our statistics include the number of hermits, if any. St. Benedict discusses briefly the types of monastics in chapter 2 of his Rule. First are those Read more »
On December 8 we celebrated the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary. When I worked in parish ministry, some people thought of this feast as the conception of Jesus. No, this feast celebrates the conception of Mary in her mother’s womb. By God’s special privilege to Mary and to us, Mary was conceived without Read more »