Weekly insight and thoughts from Fr. Damian Zuerlein
Pastor’s Letter 9.29.24
Dear Friends, Today’s gospel has Jesus offering a teaching to his followers that may, at first hearing, seem to be a bit much. Jesus is reacting to some of his disciples not being happy about what other people were doing in the name of Jesus. Jesus tells them not to...
Pastor’s Letter 9.22.24
Dear Friends, Last Friday evening I had the opportunity to be at the premiere of the new documentary about Fr. Flanagan. It was created by the Father Flanagan League which is working for the canonization of Fr. Flanagan. The narrator for the documentary was Jonathan...
Pastor’s Letter 9.15.24
Dear Friends, I am not a big follower of Britain’s royal family though I must admit I did enjoy watching The Crown on Netflix. As I approach seventy years of life, I have to acknowledge that I lived through most of those same historical events which were portrayed in...
Pastor’s Letter 9.8.24
Dear Friends,You may be aware that Pope Francis is in Indonesia for a papal visit. This country has the largest Muslim population in the world. He had an opening Mass in Jakarta on Thursday. I think his homily from that Mass is good for all of us to hear:The encounter...
Pastor’s Letter 9.1.24
Dear Friends, Each year, the bishops of the United States offer a statement on Labor Day encouraging support ofworkers and protection of their rights. Here is this year’s statement: This Labor Day, let us recommit ourselves to building together a society that honors...
Pastor’s Letter 8.25.24
Dear Friends, I took a few days this past week and went to northern Minnesota to rest, to hike and to simply be with God for a bit. It is a part of the world that I often explored in my younger years. As a young priest I organized an annual trip with high school age...
Pastor’s Letter 8.18.24
Dear Friends, This week we continue with some excerpts from Brad East’s article in Commonweal about Mary. In much recent academic theology, there is a strange silence about Jesus’ life in the womb. We are told that what it means to be human finds its norm and pattern...
Pastor’s Letter 8.11.2024
Dear Friends, This week, the Church celebrates the feast of the Assumption of Mary into heaven. This was a long-held belief in the Church and was made official by Pius XII in 1950. In preparation for that feast, I am giving you, this week and next, a few excerpts of...
Pastor’s Letter 8.4.24
Dear Friends, This weekend our parish joins with the Santa Lucia Festival Committee in celebrating a 100-year tradition in the Sicilian community in Omaha. Congratulations to the Festival Committee for all their hard work in keeping the tradition alive! The Festival...
Pastor’s Letter 7.28.24
Gathered around Jesus, the disciples share their experiences and recount what they have witnessed. This is a fundamental step of faith, as it involves reflecting on our experiences allowing the teachings of the Lord Jesus to illuminate those experiences.
Pastor’s Letter 7.21.24
..churches in metro areas offer a chance for connection, have a positive influence, and are valuable members of the community. (Inside the Urban Church, Barna, 2024).
Pastor’s Letter 7.14.24
Dear Friends, A quick update on the new “rectory”. The condo has been repainted and some furniture has been moved in to it. Since we are having to replace many items or wait until the Paul Davis Company has finished cleaning them, it is a place in transition. We have...