A good question—one that we must answer if we want to “get” anything out of the story or parable itself. Over the next three weeks we will hear in the Sunday Gospels from Matthew, specifically from chapter 11 and the parables of Jesus. So, as Julia Andrews in the Sound of Music told us, start at “the very beginning,” and with the parables this is most important to their understanding and meaning—so we can begin with the question: “What are the parables all about?” before we go deeper into their meanings and applicability to our faith lives.

The maintenance of our facilities is important—and like your homes—ongoing, and we all know that it is less expensive to keep up with repairs than to replace items before their life expectancy ends. A couple of items for your information: This coming week you will notice all of the OUTSIDE DOORS in Russell Hall are being replaced with doors similar to the ones on the front entrance to the atrium

In the second reading today from Romans we hear “Brothers and sisters: You are not in the flesh; on the contrary, you are in the spirit, if only the Spirit of God dwells in you. Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.” What does it mean for us today as Christians to have “the Spirit of God dwell in us?” What must we think about “Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him”?

With great joy the people of Saint Catherine of Siena Parish welcome newly ordained Transitional Deacon Joseph MacNeill of the Archdiocese of Hart-ford to our parish for a summer internship. Archbishop Leonard Blair ordained Deacon Joe on 27 June 2020 at the Cathedral of Saint Joseph in Hartford. Deacon Joe will serve here at Saint Cath-erine of Siena from mid-July (July 18) until mid-September,

In the Gospel of Matthew this weekend we see the beginning design of Jesus’ Church: personally Jesus can only reach so many people so He needs disciples to continue and expand His personal mission and ministry into the world, thus He will need His disciples to travel in His Name and proclaim His Love to the world, continuing to this very day calling us—you and me—to be His disciples. Thus the gospel is meant to be read closely and taken to heart.

That’s right, on July 4 and 5 our parish along with all parishes in the Archdiocese of Hartford are able to offer in-person public Masses on the weekends. This is in addition to our regular 8:30 a.m. Daily Masses. Our summertime Mass schedule is the Saturday Vigil at 5 p.m., and Sunday Masses at 8 and 11 a.m. How do we return to the Public Mass? CLICK TO READ MORE!

As we celebrate Father’s Day—and in remembering Mother’s Day, since “the two become one”—our faith calls us to recognize the importance of parenthood on this weekend. It becomes clear in the Rite of Baptism’s closing prayer as the priest proclaims the Church’s hope for the parents in these prayerful words: that “He and his wife will be the first teachers of their child in the ways of faith. May they be also the best of teachers, bearing witness to the faith by what they say and do, in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

These last few months certainly have been challenging and difficult times. We all have had our work- and home-lives changed, our social lives too have been turned upside-down to say the least. We’ve learned to grocery shop differently, to greet and say goodbye in new ways, Zoom or GoToMeetings have become new ways of communicating; and what can we say about distance learning and the workload added to being a mom and dad.

So a good starting point for us to consider might be this: How essential is Christ to me and my life? As Catholic Christians we believe that we have been made in the image and likeness of God; that we share in His Divine Attributes: that we are comprised of His Mercy, His Compassion, His Love and His Charity. And that is a wonderful starting place—and enough for us to be sure that to God, and hopefully to one another, we are “essential.”

Beginning Monday, 15 June 2020, Archbishop Leonard P. Blair has appointed me as Vicar for the Office of Education, Evangelization and Catechesis (OEEC) in the Archdiocese of Hartford (AOH). “The OEEC of the Archdiocese of Hartford invites, supports and accompanies parish and Catholic school leaders in their efforts to inspire educational excellence and transformative lifelong faith formation

A celebration of First Holy Communion for our first communicants and us all This weekend our parish celebrates the Sacrament of First Holy Communion (FHC) as our second grade Faith Formation students will be fed and nourished by the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ (CCC). For we believe what Christ Himself said: “Whoever eats this bread will live forever.”

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity is celebrated on our Church’s calendar this weekend—and what a good time it is for us to hear God’s message as we find ourselves in the midst of the Coronavirus, the just protests and the unjust riots. But first, what is this Solemnity all about? “The Most Holy Trinity asks us to understand “The fundamental dogma, on which everything in Christianity is based, is that of the Blessed Trinity in whose name all Christians are baptized.

Beginning Monday, 8 June, the celebration of DAILY Mass will be at its normal time at 8:30 a.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays (No Mass on Thursdays, which is my day off from the parish—St. Mary’s has a daily Mass on Thursdays but not Friday’s which is Monsignor Matera’s day off). The Archdiocese of Hartford (AOH) has not selected a date for the resumption of weekend (Saturday Vigil and Sunday Masses) as of yet, but hopefully will soon.

In keeping with the State guidelines and the Archdiocese of Hartford, we may have up to 100 parishioners attend daily Mass. Please sign up to attend a specific day of the week. Please read the details on safety requirements here. Please see the YouTube link on this page on the demonstration on receiving Holy Communion. Mass requirements.

This Sunday, which is the last weekend of the Easter Season, is also Pentecost Sunday , the birthday of the Church and when God gave the gift of His Holy Spirit to mark the beginning of her mission to evangelize the world. This “birthday gift” from God is the Advocate, the Counselor and the Spirit of Love — that is of God’s Love, and not an ordinary love with a lowercase l.

Beginning Monday, June 8 th, St. Catherine of Siena will initiate a partial reopening of the public worship of Mass as well as a return to our public Sacramental Life in the Church (weddings, baptisms, confessions and funerals). Sunday Masses will not begin at this time, but it is our hope that very soon we shall celebrate the Sunday Masses together .

“Now this is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ. I glorified youon earth by accomplishing the work that you gave me to do.” (John 17) This quote from today’s Gospel of John for our Seventh Sunday in Easter “describes” Eternal Life for us. Perhaps it’s not our “picture” of heaven...

The Archbishop of Hartford created a committee of priests to develop Church guidelines for returning to the public worship of Mass and the Sacramental life of the Church. That committee has done its work and presented it to the Archbishop’s Presbyteral (Priest) Council for their approval. I believe it now is being reviewed by the Archdiocesan Pastoral Council. I hope we hear this coming week on good news!

Fear is a powerful motivator, certainly. Amid the changes Jesus’ discourse warned of, He dealt with humanity’s concerns when He told them He had to leave them for a while. He informed His apostles that He will ask the Father and the Father will give another Advocate to them—the Holy Spirit—to guide humanity to all Truth and to Advocate for all. We aren’t alone!

In the first reading this Sunday, again from the Acts of the Apostles, we hear of the creation of the Diaconate and of the appointment of the first Deacons in the Church. Stephen and his fellow companions, in total numbering seven, are made deacons by the laying on of hands—the invocation of the Holy Spirit used in the Ordination rite of the Priesthood and the Diaconate as well as in the Sacrament of Confirmation...