Homilies

As you all know, Father Tom and I recently returned from a two-week pilgrimage in Europe, travelling to five cities in three different countries: Fatima, Portugal; Burgos, Spain; Lourdes, France; Barcelona, Spain; and Paris, France.  It was a Marian pilgrimage, where each place we visited had special places that were dedicated to our Blessed Mother.  […]

Not too long ago, I saw a movie entitled The Boys in the Boat. If you haven’t seen it, do it! Based on a true story, it’s a great movie about a rowing team in the early 20th century. I’ll probably talk about the story from that movie in a future homily, but this Sunday

This Sunday I’m thinking of the life of a young Catholic girl who was born in very humble circumstances. Her father, Francois, was a poor miller. After being raised by a wet nurse for the first two years of her life, this young girl returned home to her family. They didn’t have much, but their

I have been introducing Benedictus and Abs to the TV show “The Office” during their time here this summer. The show tracks the misadventures of the staff at a small paper company named Dunder Mifflin in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Maybe some of you are familiar with this old sit-com. It is one of my favorite comedy

Presence is a powerful thing. There is nothing that compares to being in the presence of a person you love, a pet you love, or even a place you love. People, pets and places have a way of impressing themselves on your heart. For me, it was great to return home, even though my pilgrimage

We’ve all heard it before.  In the movies, on TV shows, in the news and in interviews.  We’ve probably heard it from friends and relatives, and maybe we have even said it ourselves.  Imagine a situation in which you hurt someone else.  Not just a slip of the tongue or a simple mistake.  But you

All of you who were alive on 9/11 probably remember where you were when you heard the news. I was in Mrs. Montanero’s French class at Bexley High School. I want to tell you the story of 24-year-old Welles Crowther, who was working for the investment firm Sandler O’Neill on the 104th floor of the

Today’s celebration of the Trinity is an important feast in the life of the Church. What we believe about the God who created us and has revealed Himself to us has important implications for how we live. It’s always tricky to preach and teach about the Trinity because God is God and we are not.

My favorite year of elementary school was fifth grade. The person who made that year truly special was my teacher, Chris Kaune. Chris was passionate about teaching and loved us students, giving many of us nicknames and treating us with great kindness. He brought an energy and excitement to the classroom that was hard not

Today we celebrate the feast of the Ascension, that event which took place, according to the Acts of the Apostles, forty days after Jesus rose from the dead, when he ascended into heaven. This particular event is very significant to us and has a large bearing on our faith for a couple of reasons.  First