Do you ever wonder what kind of stories Jesus might tell today if He came among us to preach? Would He use the same examples in His 2000 year-old parables which we read today? Would we hear about “talents and treasures” or “a widow’s mite” or as in today’s Gospel, the Savior speaks about gardening and baking—two items that His listeners certainly understood through everyday life as they were part of daily survival for His audience. Most likely, the Lord would do the same style of preaching and teaching with us today—only using easily understood modern situations—and I am thankful for this since I only garden by direction, and cook by telephone

Tis’ the season…of weddings and this article recently appeared on the internet and caught my eye. In the Catholic Church, our Pre-Cana wedding program offers an inventory which the couple takes aimed at seeing how they view and understand important issues of marriage—everything from inter- and intra-family relations, child rearing issues, faith issues and even financial concerns and styles. The goal is to highlight any “red flags” or topics not yet discussed in detail by the couple before the walk down the aisle

Mission Team 2017 arrived home safely from our week of service in Dover, Delaware. We felt the prayerful support of the St. Catherine of Siena community all week. Our work sites this year were varied and a departure from the familiar. Some of us worked at The Boys and Girls Club, others were at a women and children’s shelter, the food bank, or the animal rescue zoo. Most of us spent the week outside with home repair projects such as power washing, painting, and home restoration for seniors and the physically challenged of the Dover area. Still others, worked under the hot, humid, Delaware sun on weeding and clean- up projects.

This Sunday the Gospel of Matthew speaks about the large crowds that gathered to hear Jesus talk about the Good News that He was proclaiming of God’s love for each person, of God’s desire that we too love others as we love ourselves, and of God’s understanding of compassion and hope which may lead to eternal life—through the daily actions of our lives today. This call from Jesus was a call that elevates all humanity to the excellence which God calls us to be and become, rather than the world’s “call” to selfishness—and sometimes to seek the “lowest common denominator.”

A few months ago I was invited by Archbishop Blair to join him as part of a 25-member Hartford delegation to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishop’s (USCCB) Convocation of Catholic Leaders in Orlando, Florida. The Convocation’s goal was to unite Catholic leaders across the nation in a new and far-reaching effort to re-evangelize former and fallen away Catholics and to bring to faith the unbaptized, the "Nones,"—those who are non-affiliated by way of religion, and all the other children of God so that they may come to know the depth and breadth of His love for them.

On behalf of the entire Saint Catherine of Siena community, I wish to offer a warm welcome to our brothers and sisters from Saint Bernard Church. I know that the implementation of the Archdiocese’s Pastoral Plan, merging and even closing churches, is a difficult thing to accept. I honestly cannot imagine how I might feel if my home parish were merged or closed. So please know that you are all in our prayers…and also know that we welcome you to this Catholic Church and we hope that you will find not just a warm welcome, but a place of worship to call home, and that you will come to believe that this is YOUR parish and not a pew in which to sit.