Weekly insight and thoughts from Fr. Damian Zuerlein
Pastor’s Letter 8.28.22
Dear Friends, Prior to Covid we offered the Eucharist under both kinds, the Body and Blood, at all of our weekend Masses. During the pandemic, for obvious reasons, the Archdiocese asked us to stop the distribution of the chalice and to limit Communion on the tongue....
Pastor’s Letter 8.21.22
Dear Friends, Over the past thirty years, we have seen report after report describe the loss of religious faith among people in the United States. Reports continue to proclaim the increase in the number of “nones”, those who have no religious affiliation. That steady...
Pastor’s Letter 8.14.22
Dear Friends, Ready or not school starts again this week. Teachers have been roaming around the campus the past week preparing their classrooms and their spirits. It has probably been too warm for students to start feeling the excitement of a new school year, but they...
Pastor’s Letter 8.7.22
Dear Friends, Our second reading this weekend is a brief portion of Chapter 11 from Hebrews. That chapter gives us a beautiful testimony as to how faith was lived out by the great ones of the Old Testament. It challenges us to have that same kind of faith. The Jesuit...
Pastor’s Letter 7.31.22
Dear Friends, This past week, Pope Francis has been on a pilgrimage to Canada and to visit the Indigenous people of Canada to make amends for the role the Catholic Church played over the years in the horrible treatment of native peoples. Hopefully you were able to...
Pastor’s Letter 7.24.22
Dear Friends, On this weekend where the Santa Lucia Festival is taking place on our doorstep, I think it is good to reflect on a consistent teaching of Pope Francis. That is the teaching that we as disciples of Jesus have to be people who create a culture of...
Pastor’s Letter 7.17.22
Dear Friends, When I remember childhood summer days, I remember sun and water. Wet grass squeaking between my toes as we ran through sprinklers in the yard. Wrinkled fingers and waterlogged ears from countless hours at the city pool. Barefoot running through...
Pastor’s Letter 7.10.22
Dear Friends, The decision several months ago for the Archdiocese to stop publishing the Catholic Voice newspaper because of increasing printing costs means that all of us have to work a little harder to get news of happenings in the Catholic Church around the world....
Pastor’s Letter 7.3.22
Dear Friends, Having recently returned from vacation, I am very aware of how much stuff I packed and took with me on the journey. I take pride in the fact that I strive to travel light. I check all the bags when I get home to make sure that I did not carry anything...
Pastor’s Letter 6.26.22
Dear Friends, Thanks for all your prayers during my recent trip to Great Britain with my niece and nephew. We had a wonderful trip with good transportation, great weather and plenty to see and do. I am sure your prayers helped to make the whole experience a blessing....
Pastor’s Letter 6.19.22
Dear Friends, I will be returning from vacation soon. On this Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ, I give you a homily from Pope Francis to reflect on that he gave on this feast: “…It is vital to remember the good we have received. If we do not remember it, we...
Pastor’s Letter 6.12.22
Dear Friends, I am on vacation this week with a niece and a nephew. I continue to keep you in my prayers each day! You have our annual Mission Co-op presentation at the Sunday Masses. I am sure you will welcome Fr. Loughran with open arms and a generous pocketbook....