Our sacraments are not just traditions or conveniences — they are sacred moments that shape our faith from beginning to end. A Funeral Mass should honor the faith of the person who has died, not whether their family still practices, and that’s why planning ahead and making your wishes known is an act of love. In the same way, Baptism and the choice of godparents deserve real intention, because we are passing on a living faith, not just a name or a role.

Over the next few weeks I would like to ask our parishioners to consider either being a lector at the Mass or a Eucharistic Minister. Such members of the ministerial team are needed in order that the Mass be celebrate reverently and smoothly. Both a lector and Eucharistic Minister should serve terms, so that new faces and voices are always welcome. This is meant to be a sign to others of welcoming all in service to God.

Epiphany in Greek means “manifestation”. In the West, the visit of the Magi is celebrated as the event through which the Lord was “manifested” to the pagans and, therefore, to the world. In the Eastern Church, the accent for this solemnity is on the Trinitarian “manifestation” during the Baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan. While what is central on Christmas is the birth of the Child Jesus, on Epiphany, what is highlighted is that this poor and vulnerable Child is King and Messiah, the Lord of all the earth

On this first Sunday after the Nativity of the Lord, which is called the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, the gospel tells of an angel who again appears to Joseph in a dream and warns him to take Mary and the baby Jesus to Egypt to escape from King Herod who ordered the baby Jesus killed. Joseph does as the angel warns him, and he and his wife and child flee to Egypt under the cover of darkness, remaining there until the threat of Herod is over due to his death.

I wish to express my thanks to all the decorators of our Christmas cheer here at St. Catherine of Siena. Under the direction of Ale Palomo, Neil Vayda, Ed Caputo, the Palomo family, and Chris Berg made the church, Russell Hall and our outside looked was filled with the beauty of Christmas and the glory of the Christ Child. Thank you!

Our passage today focuses on Joseph, a righteous man, chosen by God to the earthly father of His Son, Jesus, and Joseph's faithful response to God. Mary is found to be with Child through the Holy Spirit, a situation that could have brought shame and scandal. But, Joseph we are told is a just man, and he chose to act with mercy and compassion.

I pray for joy in our lives, peace in our world and in our families around our dinner tables, as well as on the roadways, and that there is healing in our bodies, minds, spirit and in our words spoken to all. It's a big wish list, but always worth the time and effort.

Gaudete Sunday The third Sunday of Advent, known by the name of Gaudete Sunday, which comes to us from the first word of the introit of the Mass that day, Rejoice!, is a call for all Catholics to celebrate this Sunday with a special kind of Joy or Rejoicing—a supernatural type of Joy—that leads us to understand and live-out the happiness that God desires for all His children.

As Catholics we believe Holy Communion to be the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, this stems from our belief in the Real Presence of Christ in the material elements of bread and wine, which comes about through transubstantiation at Mass. With that in mind, I want to remind us and clarify some of the procedures we as Catholics employ during Holy Communion. For some, when we do something over-and-over again, a ritual or action may lose a little of its “specialness” or in case of the Church, the holiness of an action. Due to our belief in the Real Presence of Christ:

Advent is a profound season of preparation, reflection, and anticipation that enrich es the spiritual journey of Catholics as they prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and look for ward to His return. During this Advent, we may also look to other Catholic traditions to grow our faith— from the Advent calendar filled with chocolates to the Jesse Tree decorated with Old Testament items— all of which draws us deeper into Christ, the breath, depth and fullness of our Catholic faith

Celebrate the Savior with Santa! Saturday, December 13th, 2pm-4pm St. Catherine's families are invited to join Santa Claus as we kick off the Advent and Christmas seasons to celebrate the birth of Jesus! We will have cookies and hot cocoa available to you as you write your letter to Santa, listen to a Christmas story, and enjoy a craft

Our St. Elizabeth House Ministry leader, Leila Bruno, is moving away and will not be able to continue her years and years of service to others in need. We have a great team of volunteers and now we are looking for a few people to step up and become part of the leadership team, which requires scheduling the volunteers to sign-up each month and then coordinate the meal delivery to the shelter.

Today we find ourselves at the heart of the Passion narrative, with our Lord Jesus Christ hanging on the cross, hears the many mockers around Him reviling Him. He is accompanied by two “criminals” or revolutionaries. This is indeed a moment of great sorrow, but also a time of deep hope and mercy.

Jesus & Sacred Space In today’s gospel of John, 2:13-22, Jesus is disturbed by how the worshippers and outsiders treated the Jewish Temple, which like our Catholic churches, are sacred spaces. More than 2,000 years later, we might want to ask ourselves “how do I treat my church, and is it a sacred space in my mind?”

In a nutshell, the Catholic meaning of “humility” is a virtue that acknowledges God as the author of all good, emphasizing Hs greatness over our own. St. Augustine states that the most important virtue is “humility, humility, humility.” (Eph 118.22) Our gospel this weekend, Luke 18:8-14), calls us to reflect deeply on humility and the disposition of our hearts before God. We hear a parable by Jesus that tells of two men who go to temple to pray, one a Pharisee, the other a tax collector.

All Soul’s Prayers Prayers for the faithfully departed are part of the Catholic faith and Tradition. Here at St. Catherine, we continue each year, especially in November, to remember the dead and to pray for their noble souls into Eternal Life. On Sunday, November 2, at the 11 a.m. Mass we shall remember and pray by name for those who were buried from our parish between November 2024 and November 2025.

Our gospel’s key theme is about the power of persistence in prayer and the timing of God’s response; it is also about the motivating factor behind God’s Love versus the reason why today’s judge finally gives in to the persistence of the widow.

How many times have we all blurted that request/demand out in our mind or even out loud? In the midst of a crisis or in anger or in fear…Lord, why can’t I believe… Well, the more things change, the more they stay the same, I guess. Even for the apostles— and most likely right down through human history—this just might be the most often asked question among mere mortals. In today’s Lukan Gospel we hear those closest to the Jesus Himself were at odds with their faith. So, what is going on in today’s gospel and what are we to learn from it?

The Archbishop is coming; the Archbishop is coming… In two weeks, Archbishop Christopher Coyne will be the principal celebrant of our 11 a.m. Mass on Sunday, October 5th. Along with offering a homily, the Archbishop hopes to have the pleasure of your company and to meet you and hear your thoughts about our faith, our parish and our archdiocese.

Seeking Peace through Prayer: When: Monday, September 22 Where: St. Catherine of Siena Church Time: 7 O’clock in the Evening Join Us From school shootings to killings on mass transit, from hate-filled and corruptive language to political assassinations, our Nation is in need of peace. And, not just our Nation but our Church, our families, our marriages, our children, our politics, our social media and our public discourse, our very selves.