When together we celebrate 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.

Holy Week begins a most sacred and venerable time for Christians and most specifically for Roman Catholics alike. We will celebrate the Passion, death and Resurrection of the Savior of the world. As last week’s gospel noted, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat, but if it dies it will produce much fruit. Father Raymond Brown, scripture scholar, asks us to look upon the crucified Christ as a grain of wheat and in His self-emptying death He fell to the ground and died, producing the greatest harvest of all

In today’s Gospel of John we hear God the Father’s voice from heaven reassure Jesus in His questions and His fear at the hour of His death—and we are reminded, as Scripture Scholar Father Raymond Brown points out, that God reassures Jesus as He did the apostles at the Transfiguration—and us today—of His Eternal Love.

Each year the Archdiocese of Hartford, under the direction of Archbishop Leonard Blair, presents parishioners across the Archdiocese with the Archdiocesan Saint Joseph Medal of Appreciation for their continued service to the parish and the Archdiocese. The Saint Joseph Medal is awarded either to an individual or to a married couple. This year I am happy to announce that the 2018 Awardees from our parish are Christine and Tom Tanski. Christine and Tom Tanski have been involved in our parish’s community and spiritual life in many different ways

These two readings speak to us of “signs” which both Saint Paul and Exodus asks us to consider: the signs that God has given us and asked us to listen to as well as the “signs” of God’s wisdom, mercy and power—and how we are called to welcome them into our lives. The Gospel of John also uses the word “signs” and while John may use the word differently, the Catholic Church this is a unique understanding of this word

On Tuesday morning I received a phone call from Sr. Frances of the Little Sisters of the Poor in Enfield. She telephoned to say that she just called the Chancery and spoke to the Chancellor, Father Ryan Lerner, and told him that our parish was “the most awesome and wonderful people.” He asked her “why” and she listed all that this parish (and that means all of you!) have done for the Little Sisters of the Poor...CLICK TO READ MORE