All Saints Parish Homilies and News

A Washington Post echo report: VATICAN CITY — The Catholic Church conducted a historic funeral Thursday for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI , using a mix of ancient rituals and new precedents for a figure who transformed the papacy with his decision 10 years ago to retire . Pope Francis presided over the 90-minute ceremony, a stripped-down farewell in which he paid tribute to his predecessor with a homily light on personal touches and heavy on verse, mentioning Benedict’s name only once. Afterward, as Benedict was being carried away by pallbearers, Francis — standing with the help of a cane — put his hand on the casket for a final goodbye. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI died on December 31, 2022, at the age of 95, on the Vatican grounds, where he had spent nearly all of the last 10 years of his life in retirement. The Vatican said Thursday that the body of the late pope had been buried in the grottoes beneath St. Peter’s Basilica, during a private ceremony.

Kateri Tekakwitha or Tekaouïta (baptised Catherine), known as the Lily of the Mohawks, first North American Aboriginal person elevated to sainthood (born in 1656 at Ossernenon in Iroquois country, now Auriesville, NY; died 17 April 1680 at the St. Francis Xavier Mission. Published in Columbia Magazine , by the Knights of Columbus: Celebrating Saint Kateri Tekakwitha In honor of the 10th anniversary of the canonization of St. Kateri Tek akwitha, Lily of the Mohawks, on October 21, the Knights of Columbus and the Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions hosted a special Mass at the Saint John Paul II National Shrine in Washington, D.C. Bishop Chad W. Zielinski of New Ulm, Minnesota, and chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Subcommittee on Native American Affairs , was the principal celebrant, while Father Maurice Henry Sands, executive director of the Black and Indian Mission Office, delivered the homily. “I think it’s very appropriate that we are offering this special Mass to honor St. Kateri today...

Echo commentary published in The Catholic News  Herald : This essay reminds me about how the life of the Catholic social activist Dorothy Day (1897-1980) seemed to emulate the meaning of this Scripture .   Day was a champion of the poor and the co-founder of the Catholic Worker Movement. The one who is least among all of you is the one who is the greatest.” (Lk 9:48) God’s ways are not our ways. Whether we see this in the prophets like Isaiah or in Jesus’ words and actions, it comes to us as both helpful and a challenge. It is helpful because it calls on us to discern the trends and movements of our society and of our world. The challenge is one of conversion – to discern properly what is good and just, and then to act, putting Jesus’ values and actions first in the way that we live our lives. So often in the Gospels, we see the disciples arguing about who is the greatest. This happens in our culture and in most cultures and historical periods. Like young children, we li...

This meaningful prayer (below) was sent to me from a Jesuit priest who is a friend of our family:   Not because our tables are full Lord of all, We look up to you and give thanks, Not because our tables are full, Our harvests are robust, Or our homes resound with laughter and joy. Though these things may indeed be true, Too often we have looked upon want, We see times of dryness, And lives of loneliness and despair. Even then, we thank you nonetheless, Because, it is in times such as these, That we see hands that share, We see feet that walk in solidarity with the outcast, We see arms that open up to embrace the broken hearted, And, we see the sinner weep to know of your forgiveness. And, whatever the joys and comforts of our homes, great and small, It is in the blessings of these times that our cup truly overflows. And so, we bless you and thank you not because our tables are full,     But, because our hearts are,          Because your love ...

Pope Francis arrived in Bahrain Pope Francis arrived to celebrate Mass at the Bahrain National Stadium in Riffa, Bahrain, Saturday, November 5, 2022. Pope Francis  made the November 3-6 visit to participate in a government-sponsored conference on East-West dialogue and to minister to Bahrain's tiny Catholic community, part of his effort to pursue dialogue with the Muslim world. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Alessandra Tarantino] The papal plane touched down in Awali, as Pope Francis arrived in the Kingdom of Bahrain for his 39th Apostolic Journey abroad. By Benedict Mayaki Pope Francis’ 39th Apostolic Journey abroad kicked off with the arrival of the papal plane at the Sakhir Air Base in Bahrain's central city of Awali at about 16:36 pm (GMT +3). After his welcome at the airport, the Pope’s first official visit was a courtesy visit to the King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain at the Sakhir Royal Palace. The Holy Father then met with local authorities, repr...

This is not just an ordinary essay, because Father Santora seems to hide salient message in his narrative. Journalism 101, "Do not bury your lead".  Read on..... Lessons learned from 40 years in the priesthood | Fait h Matters Opinion echo published by Father Alexander Santora published in NewJersey.com ( The New Jersey Journal ):  Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, the fifth-largest cathedral in  North America ,  in Newark, New Jersey. The Sisters of Charity educated my mother, Grace, at St. Bridget’s, Jersey City, and impacted her life. Those same sisters expelled me from kindergarten at St. Joseph’s, Jersey City, and changed my life. After sitting out that year, I enrolled in Holy Rosary School, down the hill in Jersey City, and found heaven on earth. The Religious Teachers Filippini and the four Italian-American priests sustained a little Italian village at Sixth, Seventh and Brunswick streets. In fact, that overall area was known as “The Village.” From seco...

In the Roman Catholic tradition, October is a Marian month because she is honored for her intercession as Our Lady of the Victories * . October is also commonly known by most Roman Catholics as the month dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary ** Echo essay by Aleksandar Mishkov published on line at DocumentaryTube.com. Our Lady of Victory Mary, or the Virgin Mary, or Saint Mary is one of the most controversial woman in the history of religion. In the New Testament, Mary is the mother of Jesus. She was an ordinary Jewish woman of Nazareth, and she was impregnated by God in a sinless way. Protestants believe she was not sinless, while Catholics and Orthodox Christians honor her virginity. She is known also as Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint Mary and Virgin Mary. Here are some interesting facts you need to know about the woman. Infant Jesus of Prague alter shrine in the Our Lady of Victories church in Prague Czechoslovakia.  (Kostel Panny Marie Vítězné, also referred as the Shrine of the Infa...