June 2, 2024

Dear Friends:

For this patronal feast of our parish, the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, I share with you this meditation on the Eucharist from St. Gaudentius of Brescia:

One man has died for all; and now in every church in the mystery of bread and wine he heals those for whom he is offered in sacrifice, giving life to those who believe and holiness to those who consecrate the offering. This is the flesh of the Lamb; this is his blood. The bread that came down from heaven declared: “The bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” It is significant, too, that his blood should be given to us in the form of wine, for his own words in the gospel, “I am the true vine” imply clearly enough that whenever wine is offered as a representation of Christ’s passion, it is his blood. This means that it was of Christ that the blessed patriarch Jacob prophesied when he said: “He will wash his tunic in wine and his cloak in the blood of the grape.” The tunic was our flesh, which Christ was to put on like a garment and which he was to wash in his own blood.

Creator and Lord of all things, whatever their nature, he brought forth bread from the earth and changed it into his own body. Not only had he the power to do this, but he had promised it; and, as he had changed water into wine, he also changed wine into his own blood. “It is the Lord’s Passover,” Scripture tells us, that is, the Lord’s passing. We are no longer to look upon the bread and wine as earthly substances. They have become heavenly, because Christ has passed into them and changed them into his body and blood. What you receive is the body of him who is the heavenly bread, and the blood of him who is the sacred vine; for when he offered his disciples the consecrated bread and wine, he said: “This is my body, this is my blood.” We have put our trust in him. I urge you to have faith in him; truth can never deceive.

When Christ told the crowds that they must eat his flesh and drink his blood, they were horrified and began to murmur among themselves: “This teaching is too hard; who can be expected to listen to it?"As I have already told you, thoughts such as these must be banished. The Lord himself used heavenly fire to drive them away by going on to declare: “It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is of no avail. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.”

May 19, 2024

Dear Friends:

This weekend’s celebration of Pentecost brings to a close our fifty-day celebration of the central mystery of our faith, the Resurrection of Christ and all the hope that it promises us. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit constitutes a new and perennial way by which the Risen Lord is present and active in the world through his Church, which means through you and me. We share personally in the Pentecost event through our being confirmed, when we were signed on our foreheads by the bishop with the sacred oil of chrism. That moment confirmed us in our faith and dedication to the Risen Lord and imparted to us all the gifts we would need from God to fulfill our mission in life, whatever and however that mission unfolds.

By way of a reflection on Pentecost, I include here a meditation written by Pope St. Paul VI, who reigned from 1963-1978. It is titled “The Church’s Greatest Need” and I think that the thoughts of the pope then are relevant to our day, more than perhaps they were when they were written between fifty and sixty years ago.

What does the Church need?

The Church needs the Spirit, the Holy Spirit.

He it is who animates and sanctifies the Church.

He is her divine breath, the wind in her sails,

the principle of her unity, the inner source of her light and strength.

He is her support and consoler, her source of charisms and songs,

her peace and her joy, her pledge and prelude to blessed and eternal life.

The Church needs her perennial Pentecost.

She needs fire in her heart, words on her lips, prophecy in her outlook.

She needs to be the temple of the Holy Spirit.

In the empty silence of the modern world

the Church needs to feel rising

from the depths of her inmost personality,

a weeping, a poem, a prayer, a hymn—

the praying voice of the Spirit,

who prays in us and for us,

“with sighs too deep for words.”

She needs to listen in silence

and in an attitude of total availability

to the voice of the Spirit who teaches “every truth.”

The Church needs to feel flowing through all of her human faculties

a wave of love, that love which is called forth

and poured into our hearts

“by the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

This is what the Church needs; she needs the Holy Spirit!

The Holy Spirit in us, in each of us,

and in all of us together, in us who are the Church.

So, let all of us ever say to him,

“Come.”

May 5, 2024

Dear Friends:

Thursday of this week brings us to Ascension Thursday. As a holy day of obligation, there will be four Masses celebrated in the parish, two in each church. At St. Mary’s, Masses will be celebrated at 7:00 AM and 12:05 PM, and at St. Agnes’ the Masses will be at 9:00 AM and 5:30 PM.

With the celebration of the Ascension of the Lord, the Easter Season takes a sharp turn toward its completion when we will celebrate Pentecost on May 19. The departure of Jesus into the heights of heaven, where he is seated at the right hand of the Father, sets the stage for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the Gift of the Father, who bestows power, strength, courage and the multiplicity of needed charisms so that the mission of the Church, a mission entrusted to all of us by virtue of our being baptized and confirmed, might be accomplished until the end of the time when the Lord will return in glory and gather all his holy ones to himself.

The mystery of the Ascension is not just about Jesus himself. In Jesus being taken up to heaven, we ascend with him as he goes, enrobed in human flesh, to God’s right hand. The Ascension is a feast of longing and of hope, for where the Lord himself has gone ahead of us, each of us one day hopes to follow.

In his Regina Caeli message, given from the window of the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican on May 20, 2012, the late Pope Benedict XVI spoke these words about the Ascension:

“The Ascension tells us that in Christ our humanity is brought to the heights of God; thus, every time we pray, earth is united to heaven. And like incense, burning, its scent is carried on high, hence, when we raise our prayer to the Lord with confidence in Christ, it travels across heaven and reaches God himself and is heard and answered by him.” And again in that same message, the Pope says, “The Ascension of the Lord marks the fulfillment of salvation that started with the Incarnation. After he had instructed his disciples for the last time, Jesus was taken up into heaven. He, however, was not separated from our condition. Indeed, in his humanity, he took us with him into the intimacy of the Father and thus revealed [to us] the final destination of our earthly pilgrimage. As he descended from heaven for us, and for us suffered and died on the cross, so for us he rose and ascended to God, who, therefore, is no longer far away.”

I issue a gentle reminder to all who have not yet made a gift or a pledge to the Archbishop’s Annual Appeal. The needs of so many are great, especially given the state of the economy and the ever-increasing cost of just getting by day to day. Those of us with some means are asked to make a sacrificial gift so that many in great need in Hartford, New Haven and Litchfield counties can be assisted. I have made a pledge and I hope many in our parish will do the same.

Finally, as regards the Archbishop, by the time you read these words, I expect that Archbishop Blair will be officially retired, his resignation being accepted by the Holy Father. Archbishop Coyne will succeed him, and in perhaps the most noticeable effect of that, we will be saying “Christopher, our bishop” instead of “Leonard, our bishop,” as we have been saying for over a decade now. As we should always do, we keep Archbishop Coyne in our prayers.

Have a good week!

March 31, 2024

Dear Friends:

As I announced several weeks ago, we are instituting a revised Mass schedule for our parish which will become effective on Wednesday, January 1, 2025. In line with the directives of the Archdiocese, and out of a concern for the energy and well being of the priests, we are reducing the number of weekend and weekday Masses. The Archdiocese asks that we try to celebrate Masses on a schedule that allows for the churches to be filled at least to half their capacity, which in the case of both of our churches is about 350 people and there is to be one vigil Mass only. As for weekdays, given the sheer number of funeral Masses and other demands on the priests’ time, it seems prudent to have one weekday Mass instead of the two we have had for some years now. Additional factors that entered into the decision are that no priest normally should celebrate more than three Masses on a weekend, and, if absolutely necessary, one priest could celebrate all the Masses.

The revised schedule will be as follows:

WEEKEND MASS SCHEDULE

Saturday Vigil Mass at 4:30 PM at St. Mary’s Church

Sunday Masses

7:00 and 9:30 AM at St. Agnes’ Church

8:15 and 10:45 AM and 4:30 PM at St. Mary’s Church.

WEEKDAY MASS SCHEDULE

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday

8:30 AM at St. Agnes’ Church

Thursday, Friday and Saturday

8:30 AM at St. Mary’s Church.

CONFESSIONS

Saturday from 3:00-4:00 PM at St. Mary’s Church

Monday from 6:00-7:00 PM at St. Mary’s Church.

NOVENA WITH EXPOSITION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT

Monday at 7:30 PM at St. Mary’s Church.

EUCHARISTIC ADORATION (HOLY HOURS)

Wednesday after the 8:30 AM Mass at St. Agnes’ Church

First Saturday of the month at 3:00 PM at St. Agnes’ Church.

Again, this schedule becomes effective as of January 1, 2025. I thank everyone for their understanding and cooperation. I wish everyone a blessed Easter

March 10, 2024

Dear Friends:

You may already have received, or soon will receive in the mail a letter from me requesting your support of the 2024 Archbishop’s Annual Appeal. The theme of this year’s appeal, as we heard in the video two weeks ago, is taken from the words of Jesus spoken at the institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper: “DO THIS IN MEMORY OF ME.”

Since the earliest times of the Church’s history, those words of Jesus have been carried out faithfully. Daily, across the globe, in many languages and cultural contexts, the Eucharist is celebrated and the Church is fed, not with mere bread and wine, but with the Body and Blood of the Lord himself. The Eucharist is our sustenance and the source of strength in our daily efforts to live out the Gospel message Jesus preached.

The words “DO THIS IN MEMORY OF ME” can be understood in a broader context than just celebrating the Eucharist. Everything that the Church does, all the various ministries that the Church sponsors, carries out, and supports are connected to what Jesus said and did when he lived among us centuries ago. The Church in these various ministries, and in the support that it gives to charity both inside the Church and outside, continues the work of Jesus in the world of today. Our efforts to educate the young, to care for the sick, to assist those in need in any way, all of these are done in memory of Jesus and, more than that, bring the presence of Jesus into the world here and now.

I ask everyone in our parish to consider making a gift or a pledge to the 2024 Archbishop’s Annual Appeal. Consider your financial circumstances and make a sacrificial gift to help the Church in the Archdiocese of Hartford to help those in need. Last year, you, the people of the parish donated just over $146,000 to the Appeal. Our goal this year, when the need is even greater, is $160,000. I have made a pledge and I encourage you to do so as well. Last year, about fourteen percent of parish households gave to the Appeal. I am sure that we can do better than that this year.

In speaking of charitable outreach, the proceeds of the Ash Wednesday collection this year were just a tad shy of $10,000. A check in that amount will be sent to the Beth-El Shelter this week.

Finally, many of you are aware that I have a new dog. His name is Moose and he comes to me from North Carolina via the good people at the Animal Clinic of Milford. He is a beagle and we think between two and five years old. He is a real “love-bug.” He likes people and is good with children. So, do not be afraid to say hello to Moose when you see him.

Have a good week!

February 25, 2024

Dear Friends:

At this point of the year, toward the end of February, it seems proper to give you an account of the spiritual state of the parish for the year 2023. As our fiscal year for the parish has been changed recently from a January to December model to a July to June model, a financial report on the state of the parish for July, 2023 through June, 2024 will be coming sometime in late summer or early fall as our data is finalized.

For the year 2023, we celebrated the baptisms of one hundred thirty-nine (139) children. One hundred and four (104) children received their First Communion. Eighty-three (83) young people in their junior year of high school were confirmed at the cathedral in Hartford in November. Eight (8) couples were joined in marriage. We commended one hundred and forty-seven (147) parishioners to God in funeral rites. While these may seem to be little more than statistics, and statistics are not without their importance, these numbers tell us that we are part of a large and active parish.

We must look to the future and it is more proximate than we may think. It is very likely, very probable, that in the near future we will have only two priests assigned to our parish. We have to make plans to deal with one fewer priest, even as the work load will not diminish. With this in mind, it is perhaps providential that recently, all the priests in the Archdiocese received a letter from the Archbishops, and I say Archbishops as it was signed both by Archbishop Blair, who is retiring in the near future, and Archbishop Coyne, who will succeed him on his retirement. The letter lays out the case that there are too many Masses scheduled in the parishes of the Archdiocese, especially given the size of some of our churches. The letter directs the pastors to begin to consider seriously a reduction in the number of Masses offered. While celebrating the Mass is a primary and important role for priests, it is not the only thing that we have to do. The desire is to see that we normally do not celebrate weekend Masses with churches less than half full.

With this in mind, after consultation with Fr. Lijo and Fr. Alen, Deacon John and Deacon Nick, as well as the Parish Pastoral Council, I have decided to introduce a new Mass schedule that will take effect on January 1, 2025. This new schedule will entail a reduction of our weekend Masses by two, from the current eight Masses to six, eliminating a Mass at both churches, and a significant reduction of our weekday Masses, from two a day to one. The sheer number of funerals adds significantly to our weekday schedule here, and there are days when there may be two or even three funerals celebrated.

It is important that the priests have sufficient energy to celebrate every Mass reverently and well. It seems prudent at this time to reduce the schedule. Furthermore, the new schedule has to be arranged so that one priest, if absolutely necessary, can celebrate all the Masses if the other is away or unable to do so because of illness or another reason. Of course, every effort will be made in such instances to procure assistance from other priests, especially senior (retired) priests, but it is not always easy to do so.

The new schedule will mean that some of you may have to change the Mass which you have been accustomed to attend. Some will have to go to a different church, be it St. Mary’s or St. Agnes, if you cannot change the time or the day when you want to participate at Mass. Almost everyone will have to make some changes in this regard, and that includes the priests themselves. While I know that this may seem disconcerting and perhaps upsetting, please understand that these changes are necessary, especially for the physical well-being of the priests. In the long run, I believe that these changes will enhance the spiritual life of the parish as well. Another factor that remains out in the future is the possible merger of our parish with St. Raphael Parish [the former St. Ann and St. Gabriel parishes on the western side of Milford] when the pastor retires. When and if that happens, and I think it is more likely when, some additional modification of the parish schedule will become necessary.

I will leave this as it is for now. I will announce the new Mass schedule in the bulletin for Easter Sunday, and the Mass Book for 2025 will be opened on Monday, April 8. Due to the reduction in Masses available, we may place a limit on how many Masses, be they for Sunday or weekdays, that can be booked at any one time. I ask and hope for the cooperation of all as we seek to adjust to ever new and unfolding realities.

Sincerely,

February 11, 2024

Dear Friends:

Wednesday of this week, believe it or not, is Ash Wednesday and with it, the season of Lent begins. These next forty days are a time of opportunity, opportunity for spiritual renewal and, with it, a deeper and more vibrant relationship with God. During these next forty days, I would suggest at the very least that more time than usual be set aside for daily prayer, that you consider a visit to either church several times a week for prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, that you join us for the praying of the Stations of the Cross on Fridays, and, finally, at some point, that you take the opportunity to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation (to go to confession). If you do this, or at least most of it, it will be indeed a good and fruitful Lenten season.

On Ash Wednesday, there will be six Masses celebrated between both the churches and an additional Liturgy of the Word with the imposition of ashes in the afternoon at St. Mary’s. Please note that in keeping with our practice since the pandemic, we will be imposing ashes on the top of the head, and not on the forehead. This eliminates any unnecessary skin-to-skin contact, and in my mind, better fulfills what Jesus teaches in the Gospel of the day, namely, that you should “ anoint your head and wash your face, so that you will not appear to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.” Lent is a time for personal reflection and conversion. The only ones who need to know that we are fasting are God and ourselves. If you want to have ashes imposed on your forehead, please go to another parish on Wednesday, as there will be no exceptions.

As we have done for several years now, in the spirit of alms giving, a collection will be taken at all Masses and at the Liturgy of the Word service on Ash Wednesday and the proceeds donated to the Beth-El Shelter.

Please note that Ash Wednesday is a day of universal fast and abstinence in the Church. Please check elsewhere in this bulletin for the regulations on fast and abstinence.

Finally, I have noticed a tendency among some to take a bulletin, read it, and then either leave it in the pew or place it back on the table as they leave church. Besides the unsanitary nature of this and the need it creates to clean up clutter, it thwarts the primary purpose of the parish bulletin, which is to inform the people of what is happening. Before the pandemic, we had instituted a policy whereby bulletins were made available only on leaving the church. Beginning the weekend of the First Sunday of Lent, February 17-18, we will reinstitute this policy. The bulletins will not be placed at the doors of the church until after Communion and will not be available until then. Please take one with you on leaving church and keep it at home for future reference. Prior to Mass is not the time for reading the bulletin. It is a time for prayer and quiet. The bulletin should not be read during the homily, as it is rude to not listen to the homilist who has prepared a suitable reflection on the Scriptures. We have very good preachers in our parish and their messages ought to be heard properly. If this sounds harsh or rude, forgive me. It needs to be said.

Have a good week and a very good Lent!

January 14, 2024

Dear Friends:

Now that the Christmas season has come to an end, we return to a brief period of Ordinary Time. Ordinary Time is, in fact, the longest season in the liturgical year, a season focuses on the mystery of Christ in general and not on particular poignant moments of his life. As we make our way through these weeks, we will be reading, this year, from the Gospel of Mark, which is the oldest of the four gospels. Mark is noted for his short, blunt, and unpolished style, but his gospel served as the basis for Matthew and Luke to write their own account.

A good reminder to all is that we should spend time in quiet prayer when we come to church and not engage in banter or conversation with those around us. This is distracting to those who like to pray. One can always ask for a phone number after Mass or spend a few moments then to catch up outside of the church. A suggestion might be in order: pick up the hymnal and read over the readings for the Mass. You might also look over the hymns for the celebration as well.

In a few weeks time, just five or so, we will begin the season of Lent. Easter comes early this year, on March 31. We will have a full schedule of Lenten devotions and activities. The schedule will appear in the bulletin on January 28 and on-line as well. Ash Wednesday is February 14.

I want to thank all of you for your generous support of the parish throughout the past year. We have done well financially and we have exercised due diligence fiscally. Your generosity shown in support of the Giving Tree endeavor during Advent is also notable. Many needy people were helped by your thoughtfulness. I also want to thank all who supported the Annual Collection. The final results came in just shy of $70,000, almost ten thousand dollars over our goal. The new statues of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph have arrived at St. Agnes. They will be placed in their proper places and formally blessed by me at the 10:30 AM Mass on Sunday, January 21.

Finally, Deacon John is away for a few weeks of well-deserved rest and vacation. He will return on or about February 1.

Have a good week!

January 7, 2024

THE EPIPHANY PROCLAMATION, THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF EASTER AND THE MOVEABLE FEASTS

Know, dear brothers and sisters, that, as we have rejoiced at the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, so by leave of God’s mercy we announce to you also the joy of his Resurrection, who is our Savior.

• On the 14th day of February will fall ASH WEDNESDAY, and the beginning of the fast of the most sacred Lenten season.

• On the 31st day of March we will celebrate with joy EASTER DAY, the Paschal feast of our Lord Jesus Christ.

• On the 9th day of May will be the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ.

• On the 19th day of May, the feast of Pentecost.

• On the 2nd day of June, the feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ.

• On the 1st day of December, the First Sunday of the Advent of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom is honor and glory for ever and ever.

Amen.

December 31, 2023

Dear Friends:

With this last day of December, we come to the end of yet another civil year. The year 2023 has passed and the year 2024 lies ahead of us, filled with uncertainties, yes, but also filled with possibilities. What has 2023 been like for you, and what are your hopes for the year ahead? These are important questions to consider and to ponder, especially in prayer before God.

The end of a year is often a melancholic, mixed-feelings time. We often look back over the past twelve months and remember both the good and the bad. We can become wistful when we remember those we loved and who were taken from us and are with us no longer. We can reflect on the difficulties and the challenges that presented themselves to us during the year, be they health challenges, financial or career challenges, relationship challenges or something else. The end of a year can be a depressing time for many. One way we can counteract that is to stop and consider carefully,count carefully, the blessings that came our way. If we are at all honest about it, we have been blessed and abundantly so, even if it just being able to live through a stretch of 365 days and to be able to reflect on it. Count your blessings and say a heartfelt “thank you” to God. Hold up before God your hopes, your dreams and your desires for the coming year and also hold up before God the sorrows, the pains and the burdens of the past year. In doing so, we will remember that we are not alone, that we are never alone, never abandoned to face life with all of its ups and downs and joys and sorrows. The timeless Lord of eternity has made a solemn promise to remain with us always, and God always keeps his promises.

Every December 31, the Holy Father has the custom of presiding at a service of Solemn Vespers [Evening Prayer] in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican. This service of prayer affords those in attendance to bring the civil year to a proper close, commending it with all of its blessings and burdens to God, asking God for blessings on the year ahead. The service includes the solemn chanting of the Te Deum (in Latin). I include it here for your reflection and suggest that you make use of it in your evening or night prayers this New Year’s Eve:

TE DEUM

You are God: we praise you;

you are the Lord: we acclaim you;

you are the eternal Father:

all creation worships you.

To you all angels, all the powers of heaven,

Cherubim and Seraphim, sing in endless praise:

holy, holy, holy, Lord, God of power and might,

heaven and earth are full of your glory,

The glorious company of apostles praise you.

The noble fellowship of prophets praise you.

The white-robed army of martyrs praise you.

Throughout the world, the holy Church acclaims you:

Father, of majesty unbounded,

your true and only Son, worthy of all worship,

and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.

You, Christ, are the king of glory,

the eternal Son of the Father.

When you became man to set us free

you did not spurn the Virgin’s womb.

You overcame the sting of death,

and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.

You are seated at God’s right hand in glory.

We believe that you will come, and be our judge.

Come then, Lord, and help your people,

bought with the price of your own blood,

and bring us with your saints

to glory everlasting.

December 17, 2023

Dear Friends:

Our short season of Advent is progressing quickly. This Third Sunday in Advent is known traditionally as Gaudete Sunday, the Sunday of rejoicing. The season of Advent is focused on hope-filled, joyful expectation of the coming of the Lord. Now, with just little over a week to go, our hope is uplifted at how close the Lord is to us.

The words of St. Paul in the second reading for today’s Mass, two simple words, sum it all up so well. “ Rejoice always.” The words are one thing. The reality, alas, for many of us, can be quite another. We live in a world where there are daily threats to peace, especially in the Middle East and in the ongoing aggression against the Ukraine by Russia. Issues on the national level, ranging from the economy and inflation, to open borders, to the ongoing dysfunction in Washington, fill many with concern. What is there to rejoice about? While I am not so naive as to suggest that we outrightly ignore the major issues of our time, we should keep everything in perspective. The world is from the hand of God, is in the hands of God, and in the end, will return to God. Our task in the meantime is to live the message of Jesus, following the commandments, especially the commandment to love, doing our very best to be faithful disciples, and then leave the rest to God. If that is the task we embrace, then we have every reason to rejoice. “Rejoice always.”

This Wednesday, December 20, marks the 37th anniversary of my ordination to the priesthood. That fact makes me marvel at the sheer passage of time. Thirty-seven years have passed so quickly. Where has the time gone? Many of you perhaps have wondered the same thing with regard to your marriages or other aspects of your life. For my part, I am grateful for the years I have been blessed to serve the people of the Archdiocese of Hartford as a priest, and especially grateful for the years I have been the pastor, first of St. Mary Parish, and now of Precious Blood Parish. I ask for your prayers for me and for my remaining twelve classmates from the ordination class of 1986. There were fifteen of us. Two have died and one left the priesthood within a year or two of ordination.

Please take good note of my message regarding Mass attendance obligations for next weekend, as the Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord [Christmas] on Monday comes so quickly upon the Fourth Sunday of Advent.

Have a good, final full week of Advent!

November 12, 2023

Dear Friends:

With this Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, we are quickly approaching the end of the liturgical year. In two weeks’ time, we will celebrate the feast of Christ the King, and the following Sunday enter into the season of Advent. As is usual, the tone and theme of the readings from Scripture change as the year draws to a close.

The end of the year is a stark reminder that all things eventually will come to an end, including our own lives, even the world and the cosmos itself. We can approach this truth, this reality in a number of ways. We can live each day in absolute denial of it, surrounding ourselves with all kinds of pleasures, seeking an escape in passing things. Many in our culture today live this way, but it is not the answer. It is no way to live. The end will come as it must, and then what? That is the question we must all face. For us who believe in Christ, we are called to live each day in active, hope-filled anticipation, or even better, active, hope-filled preparation for that moment when the end will come, be it most likely at the moment of our own death, or with the end of the world through some kind of cataclysmic catastrophe. That moment will bring us to new and unending life when we will see God face to face. It is to be longed-for and very much anticipated.

The Gospel today presents us with yet another parable, that of the ten virgins who were waiting for the arrival of the bridegroom so that the wedding celebration could begin. They were expected to be awake on his return and to greet him with lamps lighted so that they could lead him into the feast. As Jesus tells the story, five of the virgins were wise, for they anticipated that they would have to be patient and perhaps wait quite a long time. In preparation for that, they brought extra oil. The other five were not so wise. They did not expect to wait, and as such, they did not bring sufficient oil with them. The bridegroom was delayed, and the virgins fell asleep, and when he does approach, they rise and get their lamps ready. Only five were ready and went into the feast. The others went off to buy some oil, but on their return, they were barred from entering the feast. The moment had passed. They were not prepared, and even all of the cries of “Lord, Lord!” did not gain them admittance.

The lesson is clear. We must not yield to the temptation to live only for the moment, but rather, we should live each day aware that one day the end will come and we will have to render an account to God for the way that we lived. Someone once said that we should approach each day as if it were our last, for one day that will come true. Another wise person advises us to remember that yesterday is gone, tomorrow may never come, and all that we have is today. So let us make the most of each day. Live not for yourself, but put God and the needs of others first and foremost. Nurture the virtue of hope in your approach to life. Hope is not pie-in-the-sky wishful thinking. Hope is grounded in our faith in God, his goodness, his love and his providence. Hope helps us to trust that, provided we do the best that we can, we can trust that in the end, all things, because of God, will work out for good, even if that good proves to be unexpected and very surprising.

A word on the Annual Collection is in order. As of this week, already we have received gifts in the sum of over $37,000. We have passed the half-way point to our goal of $60,000. Thanks to all who have made a gift and for those who have not done so, please consider doing so between now and the end of the year so that it can be credited to you for income tax purposes.

Have a good week!

October 29, 2023

Dear Friends:

When most people hear the word “church” they tend to think automatically of a building wherein sacred ceremonies and times of prayer are celebrated. While a church is that, THE Church is much more than a building. The Church, as the Second Vatican Council taught, is first and foremost, a “mystery,” which does not mean that it is beyond intellectual understanding. In theological parlance, the word “mystery” refers to the privileged reality, place or moment where the reality of heaven touches upon the reality of earth. The sacraments, rightly so, have been referred to as mysteries, for in those sacred celebrations, we here on earth encounter the goodness, the grace and the mercy of the God of heaven.

These first days of November are dedicated to a focus on the mystery of the Church, with particular attention devoted to the “Communion of Saints,” which is a fundamental belief that we have as Catholics about the Church. The Church transcends space and time. It exists in this world in us, who are called “the Church militant,” those who are in the midst of the day-to-day ongoing struggle for holiness, undergoing conversion from sin and trying to grow in holiness. We are in the midst of a great spiritual battle against sin and evil. Armed with God’s grace, and making proper and regular use of the sacraments, daily prayer, and the effort to live as Jesus calls us to live, we have good grounds for hope that we will be victorious because of the power of God’s grace at work in us.

This Wednesday, November 1, is the annual celebration of All Saints. On this day, we celebrate those “holy men and women of every time and place” who have won the victory, through the power and the grace of God, overcoming the power of sin and temptation, those who, as the Book of Revelation tells us, have “washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb.” These holy men and women, the saints, comprise “the Church triumphant” and as friends of God already live in God’s presence in the glory of heaven. They are also our friends, standing before us in our struggles as models of holiness, examples to be followed and imitated. As our friends and as friends of God, they can pray. and intercede for us before the Lord for the grace and the help we need to live holy lives. It is my hope that each of us has several patron saints whom we look to as models, and to whom we pray as intercessors.

Thursday of this week is the annual Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed, what we commonly refer to as All Souls’ Day. On this day, we remember the souls of all those who have died and are even now undergoing purification awaiting entrance into heaven. These souls comprise “ the Church suffering.” While they can do nothing for themselves at this point, we can say that they are assured of entering into the glory of heaven after a period of purification from sin and its effects. To be sure, I think very few people leave this world in the state of such perfection that they enter into heaven, the presence of God, immediately. All of us have sinned and we have to be purified of our sins and the effects of our sins before coming into God’s presence. This is God’s own doing, for none of us can perfect ourselves. Only the One who is perfect can make us perfect. While we think of purgatory, the state of being purified, as being painful, I like to think of that pain as something like an extreme longing, even a thirst, for the joy and happiness of heaven. The “suffering” entailed is found in our having to wait for that joy and happiness until we are ready. It is the pain of intense anticipation. We can help those undergoing the purification of purgatory with our prayers, and not only on November 2, but every day. It is a good and holy thing to pray for and remember the dead.

Have a good week!

October 15 2023

Dear Friends:

Last week I was away for two days at the annual Convocation for Priests. During that gathering, the new director of vocations, Fr. Anthony Federico, gave a presentation on the state of vocations to the priesthood in the Archdiocese and on some of the ideas and initiatives he had in mind. To put it mildly,he was quite impressive. One point that I would like to draw to your attention is the effectiveness of the Prayer for Priestly Vocations which we have been praying together after every Mass for some months now. Fr. Federico noted that, as of last week, he had received thirty-one calls and inquiries about the priesthood. Twenty-two of those, after some screening, have been invited to discern the possibility of a priestly vocation. This means that Fr. Federico sees that there might be a call from God to the young man. Fr. Federico also indicated that he expects that perhaps five of these twenty-two will start their seminary formation in the fall. For this, we thank God.

In light of this, I would say two things. First, our prayers do not go unheard. As Jesus tells us in the Gospel, “The harvest is great, but the laborers are few. So ask the harvest master to send out laborers for his harvest.” Our prayer for vocations is bearing fruit. I would encourage us all to pray that prayer daily, even if we do not come to Mass. Secondly, it has become evident that many a priestly or religious vocation is the fruit of someone being personally asked to consider it. Vocations do not fall off trees. Young men and women have to be invited to consider spending their lives for the Lord and his People as priests, religious, or deacons. If you know a young man whom you think might make a good priest or religious brother, or a young woman who might make a good religious sister, ask them to consider the possibility. There is no harm in doing so.

Fr. Federico would like every parish to establish a vocations committee. We will be doing so. The purpose is to help our parish be a more fruitful place for its members to consider their life vocations, be it as priests, religious, deacons, married couples, or singles. All of these are legitimate vocations, calls from God, and the only way we will ultimately find happiness in life is if we do what God wills for us, whatever that may be. I will have more to say on the parish vocations committee as we go forward.

The parish is in need of a pro-life representative. The task of this person is to keep the pro-life movement before the people, urging prayer and action to bring about an end to abortion and all crimes against human life. The Dobbs decision of the Supreme Court handed down last year did not end abortion. It merely returned that issue to the states for legislation. Our own state of Connecticut, if anything, has become more entrenched in a pro-choice position. It is obvious that our work as Catholics in Connecticut is not over. If any individual or even a couple would be interested in being appointed as parish pro-life representative, please let me know.

Finally, as we approach the month of November, when the Church prays in a special way for the faithful departed, I draw your attention to the All Souls envelope in your packet. This is a good way to remember our beloved dead at every Mass in both churches throughout November. Simply write the names of your deceased relatives and friends, put an offering of your choosing in the envelope and drop it in the basket at any weekend Mass or in the mail. There are envelopes available at the doors of the churches as well. These will be placed on the altars of both churches for the entire month of November.

Have a good week.

October 8, 2023

Dear Friends:

As we have now launched into the month of October, we undertake some normal activities. Normalcy, whatever that means in our day, is a good thing as it serves as a kind of “anchor” to which we can cling in the midst of the uncertainty and upheaval of our times.

You will notice for the next several weeks that the ushers will be making their way up the aisles at every Mass. You might hear a clicking noise. This is a normal October activity, what is called the “October Count.” Every year the Archdiocese of Hartford requires that parishes take a count of the number of people at every Mass, as well as the number receiving Communion. This gives the Chancery, the administrative offices of the Archdiocese, a “snapshot” as it were regarding the health and the vitality of the various parishes. While the Archdiocese asks that such a count be taken on one weekend, I have deemed it better to take it on most, if not all, of the weekends in October and then submit a count based on the average weekly attendance. This, I think, is much more accurate.

I will say that, given the numbers I have seen over the past few months, there is the possibility of reducing the number of weekend Masses from eight to six, eliminating one each, both at St. Mary’s as well as St. Agnes’. The Archdiocese prefers that the number of weekend Masses not be unnecessary, but only the number needed to serve the people who come to Mass. I am hesitant to do this at this point, especially given the fact that our parish is fortunate to have three priests assigned to it. However, the reduction in Masses may become necessary, especially if we lose one of the priests to a reassignment and he is not replaced. Another factor that will be in the mix is the fact that I myself am not getting younger, but a bit older as we all do (I am 63 years old). We can all do something about this, and that is to encourage parishioners we know who have not been coming to Mass (for whatever reason, be it indifference or fear stemming from the pandemic) to do so. Our parish has some 4500 families listed as registered parishioners. Our Sunday Masses should be fuller than they are.

The Annual Collection is being reinstituted this year, after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic. Letters will be sent out in the near term asking for your support of this collection which is aimed at funding significant improvements to the parish plants. Already we are working on having the doors at St. Mary’s completely refurbished, as they are sorely in need of it. We will be installing power door openers to assist those who are disabled (or those assisting them) to get into both churches more easily. We also are purchasing two new beautiful church-sized statues of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph for St. Agnes. The current statues, which are really too small, will be relocated to the vestibule near Fr. Callahan Hall.

Finally, as the year wanes, I would encourage anyone who has not done so to consider making a gift or a pledge to the 2023 Archbishop’s Annual Appeal. We are slightly short of our goal of $145,000. If ten or fifteen families were to step up and make a gift or pledge, we will meet it. The Appeal does a great deal of good, not only for the ministries of the Archdiocese, but also for those in need across New Haven, Hartford and Litchfield counties.

Well, that is enough for now. Have a good week!

September 17, 2023

Dear Friends:

By now, most of you have heard the sad news about Bruce. A week ago this past Wednesday, September 6, I made the decision to euthanize him. A veterinarian, experienced in hospice care, came to the rectory and, with her help, Bruce passed peacefully about 8:00 P.M. I am heart broken, but I am at peace with letting him go.

Bruce was a very old dog, perhaps as old as fifteen or sixteen years in all, and I will say that he was in remarkably good health, with no major health issues for much of his life. Of course, as with us, age caught up with him. He began to show difficulty with going upstairs and some hesitancy coming downstairs last summer. For that he was placed on medication to help with arthritis, especially in his hind legs. He also began to have some difficulty seeing. But to the end, his sense of hearing and his powerful hound nose continued to work. Shortly after my return from vacation last month, I noticed a marked decline in his ability to get up. He needed help, especially coming in from outside, to make it up the stairs. In the last days, he spent most of the time sleeping and his hind legs gave out even more. Thus, the decision was made by me that the time had come to let him go. I miss him terribly. The rectory at night seems empty and lonely. I have never been alone here in the rectory without him, as he came with me when I arrived from Bloomfield back in January of 2012.

I have been thinking about all of this, and it seems to me that God lends us our pets, and there comes a day when we must return them to the Lord. That is always a sad day, but it must happen nonetheless. One of the most painful realities about having pets is that they live such short lives. It falls to us, their owners, to care for them, to love them, and to thank God for the blessing that they have been. Bruce has been a blessing to me most certainly and from all the words of condolence that I have received and read, I can say that Bruce was loved by so many of you as well. I was happy to share him with you. I think he will be remembered here as an institution in himself.

What of Bruce now? My prayer is that he is at peace. Years ago, when I lost my first dog, a parishioner sent me a card with a meditation on it about animals who have died. It is called “The Rainbow Bridge” and it is well-worth reading if you have lost one or more beloved pets. In my life, I have been blessed with three dogs, the first being a beagle named Clancy, the second a “bagle” (beagle/basset hound mix) named Buddy, and Bruce. I take comfort that they are all in God’s good care now.

As for me ever seeing them again, I think that our beloved pets will be part of our experience of heaven. Creation itself will share in the redemption wrought by Christ and animals themselves are part of creation. I found comfort in these words of the late Rev. Billy Graham: “I think God will have prepared everything for our perfect happiness. If it takes my dog being there (in heaven), I believe he’ll be there.”

Have a good week!

September 3, 2023

Dear Friends:

This weekend, of course, we celebrate as a nation Labor Day weekend. On Labor Day, we remember the contributions of the labor movement through the years that insure that all workers receive a just wage, have proper and safe working conditions, as well as protections from unfair labor practices. On this weekend, we pray for all who work to support themselves and their families, for all who are seeking honest and gainful employment, and for all of our elected officials, that, putting partisanship aside, they will promote policies that strengthen our economy and increase the opportunities for all who wish to work to better themselves.

Last Monday, our own St. Mary School opened its doors for the 2023-2024 academic year. Our school, now in its 62nd year of existence, in my mind and I hope in yours, is a source of pride for all in our parish. Under the capable and steady leadership of Deacon Dominic Corraro, the principal, working with a dedicated and talented faculty and staff, our school welcomed just over 400 students spanning the years from prekindergarten through Grade 8, the largest enrollment our school has had in many years, making us perhaps the largest parish elementary school in the Archdiocese of Hartford. Our school is made possible through the support offered by tuition income, as well as fund-raising by the parents through the Home and School Association, and contributions from alumni and parishioners. I support our school without reservation and see in it a great sign of hope, not only for the future of our parish, but also the future of the Church and the betterment of society. Let us all keep our parish school and its important work daily in our prayers.

Last weekend, the Little Sisters of the Poor were here to speak to us of their important work in caring for the elderly poor through the homes that they operate, not only here in the United States but also around the world. Here in Connecticut, they operate the St. Joseph Residence in Enfield, which I know to be an excellent place, well-run, where the residents receive not only excellent physical and emotional care, but very importantly, excellent spiritual care. I am happy to announce that, as of this writing, your generosity, all on the spur of the moment, resulted in a contribution of some $8,976.00. As always, I commend your unbridled generosity, seen not only in your generous support of the parish, but also in your support of second collections as mandated by the Archdiocese. I will note, too, with deep gratitude, your overwhelming generosity to the annual Mission Appeal, taken several weeks ago. As of this writing, the proceeds to be forwarded to the Mission Office in Bloomfield, and then ultimately the Archdiocese of Tororo in Uganda, came to approximately $20,000, the largest amount taken for such an appeal in my tenure as pastor here, and might I say, in my almost thirty-seven years as a priest.

On a sad note, I ask your prayers for my brother, Sean, who died somewhat suddenly and unexpectedly last Saturday. He was 59 years old. He had his share of struggles in his life, and while my brother and sisters (there are five of us left) are sad at our loss, we also take some comfort in knowing that he is now free and at peace. We will have a private funeral Mass and burial for him in the near future.

May God bless you all!

August 6, 2023

Dear Friends:

Every year the Archdiocese of Hartford welcomes delegates from missionary religious orders as well as delegates from missionary dioceses around the world to come and speak to the people about the work that is being done and the needs that they encounter. They then take up a second collection, the proceeds of which is sent to the order or the diocese to be used for its needs.

This year, two priests from the Archdiocese of Tororo in Uganda, a country in Africa, will be with us. They are Father Felix Hinambona and Father Frederick Masayi. They will speak at all Masses in both churches next weekend, August 12-13. The second collection will be taken for the needs of the Church in the Archdiocese of Tororo. I am aware that next Sunday is the second Sunday of the month, the Sunday on which the monthly collection is usually taken. In light of the special missionary collection, you may want to donate what you would give to the monthly collection to that purpose instead. In any event, we will ask that, when the collection is being taken next Sunday, all parish envelopes, weekly and monthly, should go into the first basket. The basket will then be passed a second time for the missionary appeal.

The Archdiocese of Tororo in Uganda has a population of some 3,600,000 people, of whom 1,200,000 are Catholics. There are forty-five parishes with an additional 984 missions or what they call “sub-parishes” which are village churches with no resident pastor. There are now 123 priests in the Archdiocese and an addition 14 priests from religious orders. A happy note is that there are 335 college-level seminarians and 48 seminarians at the major seminary level, the years just preceding ordination. The priests have the assistance of 1340 catechists who do the important work of overseeing the village churches where there is no resident priest present. Fathers Hinambona and Masayi will lay out more of what their diocese needs and how we can assist them in some way. I am very aware of how generous you, the people of this parish are, and I know that you will do whatever you can to help by making a contribution to the collection next weekend.

Finally, just by way of information, I will be away the next two weeks on a cruise, sailing out of New York, stopping in Halifax and Newfoundland in Canada, followed by two stops in Greenland, ending with five stops around Iceland. I am traveling with a priest friend and classmate I have known for over forty years. We leave this Monday, August 7 and return late on Monday, August 21.

Have a good week!

July 30, 2023

Dear Friends:

During this liturgical year, we are making our way through the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew’s Gospel was written for a community composed of significant numbers of Jewish converts to Christianity, a community that was also seeing an increasing influx of non-Jewish (Gentile) converts as well. Tensions arose between the Jewish converts, grounded in Jewish customs and traditions, and the newcomers, the Gentile converts, who knew little to nothing of Judaism. What arose was a tension between the “old” (the Jewish way of thinking and doing things) and the “new” (the need for adaptation and change in the ways of being, thinking, and doing). Such tension is never easy and most of us in one way or another have experienced it in our own lives.

At the end of the Gospel this weekend, Jesus says something quite curious when he says, “Then every scribe who has been instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old.” There are some Biblical scholars who see in this one verse a biographical reference to the source behind the Gospel of Matthew. His genius is found in his knowledge of and reverence for Jewish tradition and custom which is combined in his openness to new ways of thinking, being and living in the light of the life and the teachings of Jesus.

How do we cope with the tension between the old and the new in our own lives? Do we dig a hole in the sand and bury our heads in it, hoping to avoid any possibility of change and adaptation? Are we so wedded to the ways of thinking and the ways of doing things from the past that we shut ourselves off from facing the challenges of the present that may ask us to look at things from a different and new angle? We must be open to change and adaptation or we will wither away and eventually die. Life itself demands that of us.

Then there are those in our world of today who have absolutely no connection with the past, no real knowledge of the wisdom and insights of history, no grounding in history. These people tend to drift along, carried away by every whim and fancy. They have no roots, no real perspective, and as a result, can live life in a shallow way. We see much of this in the so-called “woke” movement of our time. These people tend to make up the rules as they go along, have little regard for the natural law and the natural order instilled in everything by God, and as a result, life for them is essentially centered on themselves, their needs, and the way they see things. They expect everyone else and everything else to adapt to their way of thinking.

The wise approach to life is found in the middle of both of these. We must have a proper, reverent respect for the world as it is, for the order, the natural law, instilled in creation by God himself. We must be willing to learn from history (not erase it) and use the insights and the wisdom gained from knowledge of what has been. At the same time, we must be open to facing the future and to change and adapt as needed, all the while respecting the limits set down by God.

Have a good week!

July 16, 2023

Dear Friends:

This Sunday’s Gospel presents us with the rather well-known “Parable of the Sower” in which Jesus speaks of a farmer sowing seed liberally, without any concern as to where the seed might land. Some falls on the hardened path, where it has no chance to take root. Other seed falls among the thorns and thistles, where they are overwhelmed and choked off. Still other seed falls on rocky ground which is not in any way conducive to the production of good fruit. Finally, some seed falls on good, rich soil where it produces an abundance of good fruit.

The image of the “soil” or the “ground” on which the seed falls refers to our hearts, which can be, due to any number of circumstances, unreceptive to the seed, the word of God sown in us. This image should lead all of us to ask ourselves just what kind of place in our hearts we have or have not prepared for the word of God which is so freely sown among us. Some of us have been hardened by sinful lives and we offer the word no place to penetrate or grow. Others of us have allowed ourselves to fall away from the fervent practice of our faith and that prevents us from being receptive to the word of God preached to us. We are rootless drifters who have no connection to the Lord and, as such, make it difficult for God to work his wonders in our lives. Still others of us have been overcome by the burdens, the cares, the worries, and, even in the case of some, the sinful pleasures of life that they choke the word off and do not allow it to enter our lives and grow.

Wherever we may be in our journey of faith, we must never despair. Nor should we ever rest on our laurels. All of us have fallen short of what God has called us to be in life, and few, if any of us, are so far along the path of holiness and perfection that we can say we have reached our goal. The challenge presented by the parable in the Gospel today is simple. We are asked to open ourselves to the word of God, to engage ourselves in the reading and the praying of the Scriptures. I would hope that many, if not most of us, have personal copies of the Bible. That is a bare minimum requirement. However, having a copy of the Bible but not ever taking the time to read it is insufficient. The Bible is not some kind of artifact to have in the home and rarely to be opened. It is never meant to be a coffee table book or a volume that sits among other books in our bookcases.

Happily, the Church offers us a way to engage ourselves, that is, our hearts and our lives, with the word of God. We are blessed as Catholics with the Lectionary, the book of sacred readings from Scripture used at every Mass. Over a three-year cycle, we as Catholics read from almost every book in the Bible, both in the Old Testament as well as the New Testament. A good way to engage ourselves with the Bible is to read it “along with the Church.” Every week in this bulletin, we will list the readings for the daily Masses, including Sunday Mass. Open your Bible and find the selected passages. Read them slowly and prayerfully as part of your daily spiritual exercises and as a way of preparing for the Mass. Ask the Lord to speak to you, to your way of life, in whatever way he chooses as you read and pray with the word. Make this effort and you will find your life changed. You will grow closer to God and it may well make all the difference in the world.

A highly recommended way of praying with Scripture is known as lectio divina. I would encourage you to look lectio divina up online if you have a computer and begin to make use of it. There are also books written on this method of reading and praying with Scripture. It is very powerful indeed.

A final note I would make is to comment on our new and expanded parish bulletin. This has been made possible by many advertisers who have confidence in the size of our parish community. What we can all do by way of appreciation for them is to support, whenever possible, the businesses that make our bulletin a reality. I thank them for their support, and going forward, we will highlight a bulletin advertiser each week, both in the bulletin itself as well as on parish social media outlets.

Have a good week