The Clergy Corner

I am taking a little time away this weekend before the busy Lenten Season begins .  Thanks to my friend and retired priest of the diocese, Father Bill McGuirk for pinch-hitting in my absence.  Please keep me in your prayers during my travels and know that you are in mine. See you at the end of the week.   Don’t look now, but Lent is sneaking up on us very quickly.  Ash Wednesday is only a week and half away , which means it’s a good time for us to do a little bit of planning

Before you took your first breath. Before your heartbeat was ever heard. Before your name was spoken aloud by anyone on this earth you were already known by God.   Sacred Scripture tells us, “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.” (Jeremiah 1:5) Not noticed. Not discovered. Not guessed at.   Knew.   Long before the world formed opinions about you, God had already formed you. Before your successes or failures, before your joys or wounds, before your faith was strong or

On behalf of my brother, Paul, and my entire family, I extend our sincere and grateful thanks to the members of the Holy Family and St. John the Evangelist parish families for the most generous and sincere outpouring of sympathies and promises of prayer at the passing of our mother, Lois, earlier this month. Most members of the parishes never had the opportunity to meet Mom since she had already been battling her cancer for several years by the time I arrived in Latrobe and w

As we have transitioned from the joyous season of Christmas, adorned with festive decorations and the resounding echoes of “Gloria in Excelsis Deo,” we enter the quiet expanse of Ordinary Time in the liturgical calendar. This period, nestled between the celebrations of Christmas and the anticipation of Lent, holds a unique significance in our spiritual journey.   Ordinary Time does not signify mundanity but rather a time of ordered, numbered weeks, inviting us to find the sac

Today’s feast of the Baptism of the Lord brings our celebration of the Christmas Season to a close. It is a kind of threshold through which we pass each year from our reflection upon and celebration of the Mystery of the Incarnation—of the Lord’s Nativity and his early manifestations—into Ordinary Time, that part of our calendar “in which no particular aspect of the mystery of Christ is celebrated, but rather the mystery of Christ itself is honored in its fullness….” [Univers

A New Year, A New Heart… The turning of the calendar always brings a sense of possibility. A new year feels clean, untouched—twelve months waiting to be written. Yet for the Christian, the New Year is not merely about fresh schedules or resolutions. It is an invitation from God to look inward, to ask not only what will I do this year, but who am I becoming before the Lord? Jesus never measured life by accomplishments, status, or success. He measured it by love. As the New Yea

This weekend we are celebrating the patronal feasts of both of our partner parishes… On Saturday the Church celebrates the Feast of St. John the Apostle and Evangelist. John and his brother, James, were the Sons of Zebedee; Jesus nicknamed them the “Sons of Thunder” for their often fiery and zealous reactions during his ministry [Mark 3:17]. Known as the Beloved Disciple for his close relationship with Jesus, John is present at many significant moments in Jesus’ life, most n

n the Mass, there comes a moment so familiar that we can miss how extraordinary it truly is. After the priest lifts the Body and Blood of Christ and proclaims, “Through Him, and with Him, and in Him…”, the entire Church responds with a single word: Amen. This is not just another response. This is the Great Amen—the summit of our spoken participation in the Eucharistic Prayer. To understand the power of that moment, we must look at what leads up to it. From the opening prayers

Today our observance of Advent “turns the corner” as we celebrate Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete is the Latin word for rejoice. Back in the days when there was a much greater emphasis placed on penitence during Advent (like Lent), this Sunday was a day to “lighten up” because we were past the halfway point of the season, thus we light the rose candle on the Advent wreath (this day and the Fourth Sunday of Lent—Laetare Sunday— are the only two days on which rose vestments may be worn

Sometimes, in the rhythm of Mass or our private prayer, we rush through the Our Father almost without thinking. The words are familiar, comforting — but if we’re not careful, they can roll off our tongues faster than they reach our hearts. Yet this prayer, taught to us by Jesus Himself, is not meant to be recited quickly. It is meant to be lived. Each line carries the depth of our faith, the heart of our relationship with God, and the map for how we are to live as His childre

This is Father John’s final weekend with us as our senior priest active. It has been my pleasure and my good fortune to work with him over the past two plus years. While we have all benefited from his wisdom and priestly ministry, I am particularly grateful for his friendship and fraternity. I have enjoyed swapping stories with him, particularly about our shared Fayette County homeland and our experiences serving, in different decades, the good people of Glen Campbell and Nor

There are moments in Scripture that speak so gently, yet so powerfully, that they seem to rest right on the heart. The blessing from the Book of Numbers —  “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace”  — is one of those sacred moments. It is God’s promise spoken over His people then, and still whispered over each of us today.   When we hear  “The Lord bless you and keep yo

As we approach the end of the liturgical year, the Church turns her attention toward consideration of “the last things” ,   or eschatology .  Over the centuries, but especially in recent times, some Christians have used texts like today’s passage from Luke’s gospel or the words of Malachi the prophet to try to “scare the devil” out of others.  The Church at Thessalonika was dealing with those same fears in the decades after Jesus' resurrection and ascension, as today’s second

Godly wisdom is one of the most important components of godliness. It is not only a gift from God but also an essential part of your spiritual growth. The life of wisdom is a life that is spent pursuing truth and learning as much as possible about God and His plans for us. Godly wisdom brings peace and understanding to our lives, allowing us to make decisions and choices with confidence and clarity. It helps us live with grace, compassion, forgiveness, patience, humility, and

It is with very mixed emotions that I announce that Father John has informed Bishop   Kulick of his plans to retire from active ministry.  His last day with us will be November 30.  While I am happy for Father John that he will be able to fully enjoy his retirement, I will sorely miss working with him.  He will be greatly missed by you as well.  To give both   parishes a chance to wish Father John well, this month’s continental breakfast at Holy Family on November 16, and Don

This Sunday, I want to speak directly to your heart. Not the polite, church-on-Sunday heart that smiles and shakes hands, but the heart that beats quietly when no one’s looking — the one that knows the truth about where you really are with God.   Let’s be honest: too many of us have gotten comfortable with a lukewarm faith. We say we love Jesus, but we live like He’s optional. We pray when it’s convenient, serve when it fits our schedule, and forgive when it’s easy. But deep

The month of November is dedicated to All Souls.   As we approach this annual commemoration, you are invited to write the names of deceased loved ones in our Books of Remembrance, located near the baptismal fonts at both Holy Family and St. John.  At every Mass in November, as we pray for the dead, we will especially remember those whose names are written in our books. Please take the opportunity through All Saints Day to add to our Book of Remembrance anyone you would like t

Each Sunday, as we proclaim the Nicene Creed together, we profess the very heart of our faith — a statement that unites us with the...

For the last half-century, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has designated the month of October as Respect Life Month  ...

How often do we miss out what is before us? We are so busy most of the time we don't take the time just to breathe. We are so anxious to...