Last year Pope Benedict XVI declared a “Year for Priests” beginning with the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus on June 19, 2009. At the same time he named St. John Vianney as the Universal Patron of Priests on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the death ... Continue

The liturgical year started, as it always does, with a concentration on the mystery of the Incarnation during the weeks of Advent and Christmastide. Then we had six weeks of Ordinary Time, beginning with the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, before we turned our attention to the mystery ... Continue

On this Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, Corpus Christi, I want to draw your attention to a mysterious English poem from the Middle Ages called the Corpus Christi Carol. Although it’s called a carol and has had several musical renderings in modern times, it was ... Continue

This weekend the parishioners of Our Lady of the Lakes in Deltona are saying goodbye to Father Álvaro Jiménez who has served them as their Associate Pastor for over five years. Tomorrow, Monday June 7th, he begins his service at Saint Charles Borromeo. Father comes from Pereira, a city of about ... Continue

Today is Trinity Sunday, and as usual we will recite the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed at Mass (the shorter version, called the Apostles’ Creed, is the one more likely to be learned by students in Religious Education classes). Both creeds are Trinitarian: that is, they lay out what we believe about the ... Continue

For me, the Feast of Pentecost is always associated with the great hymn “Come down, O love divine” which invites the Holy Spirit to burn away all that is unworthy in us, to bring repentance and to establish a longing for the things of God. In England it’s almost invariably ... Continue

Traditionally the Solemnity of the Ascension is observed on the Thursday which comes forty days after Easter (May 13th this year) - and that is the practice in the dioceses in the Northeast of the United States. Elsewhere it is transferred to the following weekend (this Sunday) to make sure ... Continue

May is known as Mary’s month, and yet it’s not a time which is dominated by a major feast day of the Blessed Mother. We remember her immaculate conception, the beginning of her life in Saint Anne’s womb, on December 8th; we celebrate her birthday nine months later on September ... Continue

This is the second - and busiest - weekend for First Communions. Last weekend the candidates were only at the 9 and 11 a.m. Masses on Sunday; this weekend 9 and 11 will see the largest groups again but there will be some at every Mass, even one brave soul ... Continue

Last weekend we had our Ministry Fair and I just want to take a moment to thank those who put it together. Carrie Busbee, with a full-time job and four children, nevertheless found the time to plan and brilliantly coordinate the whole thing. Earlene Mohr edited the information leaflets and ... Continue