Weekly insight and thoughts from Fr. Damian Zuerlein
Pastor’s Letter 2.12.17
Dear Friends, On one of my first days, here in the parish, I encountered an image of a saint I had never heard of before – Sr. Josephine Bakhita. From the framed image, I knew she was a woman from Africa but I did not know her story. There are just too many saints to...
Pastor’s Letter 2.5.17
Dear Friends, There has been quite a bit of uproar this past week concerning President Trump’s decision to temporarily ban people from coming to the United States from seven countries (most of which have been violently torn apart by war). The Catholic Church has stood...
Pastor’s Letter 1.29.17
Dear Friends, During my recent vacation in Palau we snorkeled almost every day. There was a reef right off the beach of the resort we were staying at which was filled with wonderful fish. Four times we went out in a boat to snorkel at one of the more than 200 islands...
Pastor’s Letter 1.22.17
Dear Friends, I just returned from spending two weeks in Palau with a couple of other priests. You will probably notice that my skin has turned a darker shade of tan, but you may not quickly notice the change which came from the process of being forced to slow down...
Pastor’s Letter 1.8.17
Dear Friends, I am on a little vacation with Fr. Boes and Fr. Lordemann. We are doing a bit of snorkeling and sitting in the warm Pacific sun. To give you some spiritual warmth this week I am offering you a homily about the Incarnation given by Pope Benedict a few...
Pastor’s Letter 1.1.17
Dear Friends, Happy New Year! May the new year be filled with wonder and blessings. Pope Francis is always challenging us to see and hear the gospel message in a way that calls us to change our stance. His Christmas homily is an example of that. I want to share part...
Pastor’s Letter 12.25.16
Merry Christmas! “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in a land of doom a light has shone.” (Isaiah) As this year comes to an end and as we celebrate Christmas, this message from Isaiah is a very relevant one. Darkness for...
Pastor’s Letter 12.18.16
Dear Friends, This year you are getting a two for one special! Both Christmas and the Feast of Mary the Mother of God (January 1) fall on a Sunday this year. Most years, we celebrate those two holy days and then have to turn right around and celebrate the Sunday...
Pastor’s Letter 12.11.16
“Be patient, brothers and sisters, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You too must be patient. Make your hearts firm, because the coming of...
Pastor’s Letter 12.4.16
Dear Friends, Welcome to the Second Sunday of Advent. We continue preparing our hearts and minds for the coming of Christ at Christmas and his second coming at the end of time. The Second Sunday always belongs to John the Baptist who prepared for the first...
Pastor’s Letter 11.27.16
Dear Friends, At the close of the Jubilee Year last Sunday, Pope Francis spoke about mercy one last time. It was a wonderful talk that I would encourage all of you to read in its entirety. Here is the beginning of the talk: “MISERICORDIA ET MISERA is a...
Pastor’s Letter 11.20.16
Dear Friends, Today, the Feast of Christ the King, wraps up our Jubilee Year of Mercy. Pope Francis had offered this special year as an opportunity and a challenge. It was to be an opportunity to reflect on the wonder of God’s mercy, to change ourselves for the...