Weekly insight and thoughts from Fr. Damian Zuerlein
Pastor’s Letter 2.23.20
Dear Friends, Lent starts on Wednesday. That is the day Catholics and a few of our Protestant brothers and sisters go walking around with black smudge marks on their foreheads. You know, we call it Ash Wednesday. So, let me repeat what I have said the past few years...
Pastor’s Letter 2.16.20
Dear Friends, On this weekend when many people are celebrating Valentine’s Day, I am on a quick trip (I will be back on Monday) to Guatemala to meet with the Huehuetenango leadership team to do planning for our summer mission trip and to do a bit of long range...
Pastor’s Letter 2.9.20
Dear Friends, As you may have seen on the news or in newspapers, our parish has been asked by the Archdiocese to take on Holy Family Parish. The decree for the amalgamation was issued on January 22 and is effective April 20, 2020. The principal motive for the decree...
Pastor’s Letter 2.2.20
Dear Friends, Each year, a liturgy of great solemnity and beauty takes place in every cathedral church in the world. At that liturgy, the Chrism Mass, the Archbishop blesses the oils, which are to be used during the ensuing year in the administration of the...
Pastor’s Letter 1.26.20
Dear Friends, You hear in the second reading this Sunday the urgent plea of St. Paul to the people of Corinth: “that all of you agree in what you say, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and in the same purpose.” It is a...
Pastor’s Letter 1.19.20
Dear Friends, In September of last year, Pope Francis issued a directive making next Sunday - The Sunday of the Word of God. Recalling the importance given by the Second Vatican Council to rediscovering Sacred Scripture for the life of the Church, Pope Francis...
Pastor’s Letter 1.12.20
Dear Friends, The Sunday after Epiphany, we celebrate the baptism of Jesus and we bring the Christmas season to an end. You may recall that the Catholic Church has been retranslating all her rituals. This process started a number of years ago and is almost complete....
Pastor’s Letter 1.5.20
Pastor’s Letter 12.29.19
Dear Friends, Merry Christmas!!!! I hope the day itself was filled with blessings, but the Church says one day is not enough. So the season of Christmas lasts until the feast of the baptism of Jesus on January 12. You can celebrate and give cards and give gifts and...
Pastor’s Letter 12.22.19
Dear Friends, During the Reconciliation Service on Wednesday evening, a second grader had a question for me. He said, “Before I tell you my sins I want to know something, how do you pray?” I said, “You want to know how I pray or you want to know in general how to...
Pastor’s Letter 12.15.19
Dear Friends, Christmas is quickly approaching! This Sunday we celebrate the Third Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete is the Latin word meaning “rejoice.” This Sunday is so named because “Rejoice” is the first word in the entrance antiphon for today's Mass:...
Pastor’s Letter 12.8.19
Dear Friends, Thanks to everyone who helped last weekend with the Archbishop’s pastoral visit. He was delighted by the experience and spoke very positively about his time with you. I am sure it is enjoyable for him to get away from his daily administrative duties and...