The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity celebrates the great mystery of the Trinity, that there is only One God, in Three Divine Persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This mystery has been revealed to us by Jesus Christ, Who is Himself the Son and the Second Person of the Trinity.

When speaking of the Trinity, mystery means that the Trinity is a reality which is just too deep to be fully grasped by our minds, but is one that slowly continues to unfold the more we get to know God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

The Solemnity of Pentecost This Sunday we celebrate the Solemnity of Pentecost, the most important feast of the Church after Easter and Christmas. It is called Pentecost from the Greek word for fifty because we celebrate it fifty days after Easter. What many Christians don’t know is that it was, and still is, a very important Jewish holy day called the festival of Shavuot, which is celebrated fifty days after Passover. It was one of the three great feasts that required all Jewish men to come to Jerusalem to celebrate it. That is why at the first Pentecost, Jerusalem was filled with Jews from all over the Roman Empire who spoke many different languages.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

We are blessed with so many wonderful parishioners. The many young people and families breathe new life into our already vibrant community. I am always amazed at the incredible sacrifices I see parents make at each and every Mass. As I see moms and dads bring their little ones to religious education classes, I am so grateful for their dedication and desire to share God's love with their children. I am reminded of the love my own mother and father have shown me throughout my life and I give thanks to God for blessing me with wonderful parents. Parents have the awesome privilege and blessing to form the future of the world IN GOD'S IMAGE! That is something we should all give thanks for as well as pray for families who are struggling and children who suffer without loving and caring parents.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Of the many things I am blessed to experience, offering the Sacrament of Confession ranks near the top of the list of positive experiences. If I ever make it to heaven, I want to know how many confessions I have heard! In a parish like ours, that number is high, thanks be to God! I love helping people reconcile with God! That being said, many of us have pits in our stomachs about not being able to make progress in overcoming a particular sin that we confess over and over. They drag us down. I hear the frustration in people's voices in confession and I have experienced that in my own life.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

"But he was pierced for our sins, crushed for our iniquity. He bore the punishment that makes us whole, by his wounds we were healed."
—Eph 2:4-5

On Divine Mercy Sunday, the focus is on the healing power of Our Lord's Mercy. Through Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament, Confessions, praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet and the celebration of the Eucharistic Liturgy, we focus our attention to God's Divine Mercy.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Happy Easter to you and a special welcome to you if you are visiting our wonderful parish family! It is hard to believe that it has been two years since we were able to celebrate Easter Sunday together. As we are able to come together as God’s family, I pray you may come to know the peace of God in your hearts now and always. Our Lord is our strength in good times and in bad.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Welcome to Holy Week! Today, we begin the holiest week of the year for the Catholic Church. This week, the Church commemorates Christ's death and burial. Ancient writers called this the Great or Holy Week of Our Lord's Passion. The custom of keeping the Holy Week goes all the way back to the time of the Apostles. When the early Christians spoke about Jesus to others, they started with the Passion of Our Lord. Scholars believe that the Passion of Our Lord spread before the other parts of the Gospel were even written down. The Passion of Our Lord is really the starting point for building our relationship with Jesus.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

On June 16, 2019, I was installed by Bishop Olmsted as the pastor of St. Bernadette parish. I am grateful to be part of the St. Bernadette family united in our Catholic faith, inspired by the Holy Spirit, and committed to one another and Our Lord in love and humble service.

For about three years now, I have witnessed firsthand the great works of the good people of our parish. Through the sacrificial love of so many people, our approximately 100 ministries serve the needs of our parishioners and people throughout northeast Scottsdale and beyond. We are truly blessed! The willingness to serve Our Lord has brought other people to be attracted to the faith and as a result our parish has grown to more than1,800 families and our school has continued to attract students from all over the valley.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

During the year of St. Joseph, we will be celebrating the Solemnity of St. Joseph this Friday, March 19. We will celebrate the feast at the 6:30am and 8:30am Masses. My middle name is Joseph and I consider St. Joseph to be my patron. St. Joseph has always held a special place in the heart of Christians throughout the world. I ask for his intercession often. I pray to him for those who need jobs, for the dying (he is the patron of a happy death), for fathers and for purity. To combat and overcome Satan's lies, the Church needs St. Joseph!

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Jesus went up to Jerusalem. He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, as well as the money changers seated there. He made a whip out of cords and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen, and spilled the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables, and to those who sold doves he said, “Take these out of here, and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.”