All Saints Parish Homilies and News

Enjoy this uplifting column about the Little Sisters of the Poor by "The Trib" columnist Tom Purcell and published in The Times Record , in Mid Coast Maine, Brunswick ME. https://www.timesrecord.com/articles/opinion/tom-purcell-god-chose-her-to-be-a-beggar/ Saint Jeanne Jugan (1792-1879) Her service resulted in the establishment of the Little Sisters of the Poor , who care for the elderly who have no other resources throughout the world.  She has been declared a saint by the Catholic Church.

Happy Birthday to our former All Saints Pastor Father Steve Concannon. Thanks to Deacon Dr. John Murphy and Sheila Murphy for helping to organize the March 24, liturgy and the birthday gathering with the delicious cake! A large congregation of parishioners attended the 5PM Mass  who celebrated with Father Concannon and Deacon Murphy,  with the youth choir led by Sheila Murphy .  I was impressed by the number of people who attended to support Father Concannon during his special visit to All Saints at St. Charles Borromeo Church. During the homily, we learned more about the message in the Gospel through the eloquent examples Father Concannon gave to put context around St. Luke's fig tree symbolism.  In other words, a fig tree needs cultivation to grow and God gives us graces to nurture our spiritual development. The Gospel is from St. Luke, 13:1-9. Our Lord stresses that we need to produce plenty of fruit (cf. Lk 8:11-15) in keeping with the graces we ...

Our Lady of Knock shrine in Ireland Thank you to beautiful Teresa Murphy, soloist and the keyboard accompanist Sheila Murphy, for providing the lovely " Our Lady of Knock " hymn, following the Eucharist, during the St. Patrick's Day Mass, at St. Charles Borromeo. Teresa Murphy performed the hymn " Our Lady of Knock " during the St. Patrick's Day Mass, at St. Charles Borromeo in Brunswick, Maine. Our Lady of Knock with lyrics by Dana (Rosemary Scallon): A YouTube taping of the hymn was sung at St. Patrick's Cathedral, in New York City is at this link * .   Lyrics:   There were people of all ages gathered 'round the gable wall poor and humble men and women, little children that you called we are gathered here before you, and our hearts are just the same filled with joy at such a vision, as we praise Your Name Golden Rose, Queen of Ireland, all my cares and troubles cease as we kneel with love before you, Lady of Knock, my Queen of Peace...

This beautiful Three Kings tapestry was displayed in the art exhibit at the Topsham Maine Public Library: Needlepoint Tapestry by Jill A. Vendituoli Practically all Christians recognize the Feast of the Three Kings as the celebration of the Epiphany. In my father's Ukrainian Greek Catholic tradition, this was the feast day when families exchanged gifts. This tradition is consistent with the Biblical story about how the three kings made the the presentation of gold, frankincense and myrrh, to the infant Jesus, after the they traveled east, following a brilliant star, to find the Nativity. " Star of Wonder, Star of Night, Star with Royal Beauty Bright " is the hymn we sang during the Celebration of the Epiphany, at Sunday's Jan. 6th, Mass. In the Eastern Rite and the Roman Rite, the Epiphany is explained somewhat (but not entirely) differently.  In my mother's Roman Catholic Rite, the Epiphany was a celebration of when the Three Kings visited Jesus in the B...

O Come All Ye Faithful was our entrance hymn for Christmas morning's Mass at St. Charles in Brunswick, ME.  I was reminded about when my husband and I were at Midnight Mass, in Rome. St. Charles Christmas wreath with candles December 25, 2018 Singing this beautiful hymn reminded me of the occasion when my husband and I were blessed by attending the Vatican's Midnight Mass, when Pope John Paul II (St. John Paul) was the celebrant. Of course, celebrating Midnight Mass with the Pope was extraordinary. Yet, the moment I remember most was when the 10,000 plus worshipers, who were in St. Peter's Basilica, were joined together while singing Adeste Fideles.    As we know, the Adeste Fideles is the Latin verse for the familiar O Come All Ye Faithful. Midnight Mass at St. Peter's is when the huge sanctuary in the Basilica is absolutely packed with people, who attend from all over the world.  In just the small area where my husband and I were seated, we were a...

This Advent Wreath at St. Charles Church in Brunswick, ME is among the most beautiful I've ever seen in a sanctuary. December 22, 2018 Gospel:  Luke 1: 39-45 Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled."

A beautiful Advent wreath.  A picture taken in the St. Charles Borromeo sanctuary, on the first Sunday of Advent 2018 (December 1-2, 2018).  Brunswick, Maine. Jeremiah  JER 33:14-16 The days are coming, says the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and Judah. In those days, in that time, I will raise up for David a just shoot ; he shall do what is right and just in the land. In those days Judah shall be safe and Jerusalem shall dwell secure; this is what they shall call her: “The LORD our justice.”