Our gospel this Sunday is rich in Catholic tradition illustrated by a man who is deaf and mute, who comes to Jesus by the faith of others, and then there is the resulting praise of others. These are all important faith-filled issues to consider

Law, Order & Life. It appears that Law & Order isn’t just a popular, long running TV series or a political agenda, but that law and order has a purpose in our spiritual lives, so let us listen to God’s love explained in Sacred Scripture.

Hold your calendars open for a gala celebration of St. Catherine of Siena Parish 50 Years. When: November 16, 6 pm Where: The Riverview, Weatogue Friendship, dinner, music and reminiscing—50 years of faith, service, friendship and the Holy Spirit— honoring the past, celebrating the present, and planning for the future! Invitations forthcoming.

What does it mean to believe in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit? Believing calls us to know who God is, thus to have wisdom and knowledge of our God, and then to be a “doer” (to be in action)—thus to literally live out the faith of the Catholic Church, the Faith of our Trinitarian God.

Lectors, Eucharistic Ministers, Altar Servers Lectors proclaim the Word of God, the Old Testament and the New Testament, at the Masses. I am asking that if you have considered being a lector, please call the parish office, 658 1642 and asked to be placed on the list. New Lector Training - Sat, Sept. 21st, 10 a.m. in the church; New Eucharistic Minister Training - Wed, Sept. 25th, 7 p.m. in the church; New Altar Server Training - Sat, Sept. 28th, 10 a.m. in the church.

As you will notice in the atrium and vestibule, there are two red boxes complete with note cards, which are offered for your use in providing me with your input on issues, obstacles or other reasons why people are not attending Mass and living out their faith in our parish community. These boxes will remain in the church until September 1, but shall be emptied every week as we begin the research to rebuilding and expanding our faith community.

It has been nearly four years since the Covid virus upended our Nation and the world. As most people and entities have returned to normal, it is time for the Church and our Catholic population to embrace the “full and active participation of the Faith” as Vatican II would say. It is more than time for us to return to normal, and that means for those who are well and able, to “fully and actively participate in-person in the Mass

If you have knowledge or suspect that a minor or vulnerable adult (an adult with an intellectual disability) has been sexually abused, in any manner, by personnel of the Archdiocese of Hartford, you are urged to report this information to: Faith Vos Winkel Victim Assistance Coordinator 860-541-6475 faith.voswinkel@aohct.org

We all understand that a doubting Thomas is a skeptic who refuses to believe without direct personal experience – the reference to the Gospel of John's depiction of the Apostle Thomas, who, in John's account, refused to believe the resurrected Jesus had appeared to the ten other apostles until he could see and feel Jesus's crucifixion wounds.

The Catholic Church honors Christ’s Presence in the Holy Eucharist with a special feast owing to St. Juliana of Liège, a 13th-century Norbertine canoness from Belgium. She had a great love for the Eucharist. When she was 16, she had a vision in which the Church was a full moon with a dark spot. The dark spot signified that the Church was missing a feast dedicated solely to the Body and Blood of Christ.

Pentecost is the birthday of the Church, when after the Ascension of Christ into Heaven, God the Father and God the Son sent—the Procession of—Holy Spirit—their Love for each other—into the world to guide, defend and keep from error His Church on earth.

Celebrating “St. Catherine of Siena” after 50 Years! St. Catherine of Siena was born during the outbreak of the plague in Siena, Italy on March 25, 1347. She was the 25th child born to her mother, although half of her brothers and sisters did not survive childhood. Catherine herself was a twin, but her sister did not survive infancy. Her mother was 40 when she was born. Her father was a cloth dyer.

This year, St Catherine of Siena Parish celebrates 50 years of praise and worship of God, ministries and community building. The successes of the past 50 years falls squarely on the faith-filled shoulders of many women, men and children. Families and friends who saw a need, rallied together and found a solution for the common good.

I wish to express my sincere thanks and gratitude for the participation of our parishioners in the Sacred Triduum—Holy Thursday’s Mass of the Lord’s Supper, Good Friday’s Passion of the Lord and our beautiful Seven Last Words, and the Great Easter Vigil—the active participation, the music and the liturgies were beautiful. I thank you all for making our parish experience alive, well and joyful.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, At the Last Supper which we commemorated on Holy Thursday, Jesus took bread and wine and instituted the Eucharist, instructing the Apostles to “Do This in Memory of Me.” (1 Cor. 11:24) When we come together for the celebration of Mass, we not only experience our unity as living members of the Body of Christ, but we also receive Him — body and blood, soul and divinity — in the Holy Eucharist. This is so, precisely because He is not to be found among the dead, but among the living, and that is our Easter joy.

What does Easter mean for you? Easter is supposed to mean unending joy, forgiveness and mercy, love and hope, and the gift of Eternal Life, among many other faith-inspired purposes. While we are Easter people and celebrate Easter—the Resurrection of Christ—all the time, technically the Easter Season is between the Great Vigil of Easter on Holy Saturday night until the celebration of Pentecost, which this year falls on Sunday, May 19.

This Sunday we celebrate Palm Sunday, when the Church proclaims the triumphant entrance of Jesus of Nazareth into Jerusalem. Jesus rides a donkey and had fresh palm branches placed upon his entrance path yet in just a few short days, the triumphant entrance and praise will turn to horror and shouts of “crucify him, crucify him!”

As we prepare to enter into Holy Week, the most Sacred time in our liturgical year, we shall celebrate God’s Love for us and His desire to suffer, die and be raised from the dead so that we—all of us—might live for ever. This weekend we celebrate Palm Sunday, when Jesus entered triumphantly into Jerusalem. Shortly thereafter, the elders and the people turned on Him; they scourged and mocked Him, nailed Him to the Cross and then once dead, buried Him. However, God had a plan. His Plan!