In today’s Gospel of Matthew, Jesus, en route to Caesarea Philippi, asks His disciples this question: "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" They replied, "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter said in reply, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus said to him in reply, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you...CLICK TO READ MORE

As pastor, I am proud of our Youth Ministry and all of the hard work, good fun and Christ-like action of the youth of this parish under the direction of Judy Pluta, our Director of Youth Ministry. I would like to invite all of our Junior and Senior-High students to consider joining in on the youth ministry experience here at St. Catherine of Siena. If you want to feel part of something bigger than yourself by going on a Mission Trip, raising money for a community need, if you want to help the homeless at Thanksgiving time by baking apple pies....CLICK TO KEEP READING!

"Foreigners, foreigners, foreigners!" In today’s three readings we hear, in various situations, of foreigners—you know—those people who are "from away," as Mainers would say—and who now want to be with "us." Why should we accept them into our community? Why don’t they build their own parish? Today’s readings are meant to remind us that with the Lord Jesus Christ we are all called to be One. God sees us as His adopted daughters and son, not distinguished by station in life, color of skin or any other variable

As we journey in faith this Sunday, the readings give us an opportunity to review—and perhaps extend— what kind of disciples we are. Are we comfortable disciples doing the "ordinary" things of faith, or are we risk takers who are willing, as Pope Francis asks us, to go to the peripheries and bring the Good News of the Gospel to someone who does not know or has not heard of Jesus’ love for them?

Go! Light Your Candle...but first acquaint yourself with the lyrics and our baptismal call and what lies ahead if we say “Yes.” (Click the link for the lyrics to "Go Light Your World")

The Liturgy dictates that when the Transfiguration of the Lord falls on a Sunday in August we hear, once more, the exact same Gospel reading we heard last Lent on the second Sunday of that Season (Gospel of Matthew). Rather than just reprint what I wrote that Sunday, we are called--as Scripture scholars tell us--to focus on a different part of the reading. Rather than concern ourselves with the more Lenten understanding of being more penitential, as the season of Lent would highlight, we need to listen to Peter’s words more closely.