Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Pope Francis, quoting Pope Benedict XVI once wrote: If indeed 'the just ordering of society and of the state is a central responsibility of politics,' the Church, 'cannot and must not remain on the sidelines in the fight for justice.'" (Evangelii Gaudium, No. 183)

As the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops remind us, "Our nation faces many political challenges that demand well informed moral choices: The ongoing destruction of a million innocent human lives each year by:

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I’m sure you have seen the rather ghoulish Halloween scenes in front yards around your neighborhood, not to mention the spooky de cor found in many stores that seem to glamourize evil. The fascination with death is troubling. The way our culture currently recognizes Halloween is more than scary… it is wrong. Let me attempt to clarify a few things. Next week, we will celebrate the Feast of All Saints, which is celebrated every November 1st. This celebration dates back to the fourth century. It was originally called the Feast of All Martyrs. The words “martyr” and “saint” originally meant basically the same thing — someone who is a witness to Christ even unto death.

Dear Brothers and Sisters, After years of prayer, fasting, and a powerful Christian witness by Respect Life groups from faithful Catholics and the faithful witness and support from organizations like the Knights of Columbus, Planned Parenthood is struggling to promote their failed agenda against women and the unborn. The hours of standing in the hot sun, hearing the insults of passersby, resisting the temptations to give up, all speak to the grit of the prayer warriors who are fighting the good fight and standing for life!

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

On the first Sunday of October the Church in the United States celebrates Respect Life Sunday. We are encouraged to focus on the Church’s teachings on human life. As Catholics, we believe that every human person is made in the image and likeness of God. Every human life is therefore sacred and inviolable and should be protected and cherished from conception until natural death. Practices such as abortion, assisted suicide, and capital punishment violate the dignity of the human person and must be rejected.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Several years ago, a brother priest and some dear friends were blessed to visit the Island of Molokai where St. Damien De Veuster and St. Marianne Cope ministered to lepers. At that time, there were twelve people afflicted with Leprosy or Hansen’s disease who are now cured but remained on the Island. If I had to guess, they preferred to be hidden from the world after being treated so harshly when diagnosed.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

One of my favorite places on all of planet earth is Lourdes in France. There are many reasons I enjoy this holy place. The peace, the prayerfulness, the faith, the candlelight processions, the healings, the beautiful liturgies, and adoration of Our Lord, are just a few ways I have encountered God’s goodness there. Many people who have been to Lourdes have shared with me similar experiences. While making a trip to Lourdes is a blessing, it is not always possible. So, after many months of planning and waiting for the city to grant us the permits to build, we are finally able to begin construction our new grotto right here in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

When I was a kid, I always enjoyed this time of year. Going back to school was sort of exciting– call me weird. I liked seeing my classmates and hanging out with friends. I even looked forward to my first day of Kindergarten – just ask my mom. Recently, I have been thinking about education and religious education in particular. Today, I want to reflect on the role of parents as educators of our children in the faith of Our Lord Jesus.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

On December 7, 1941, the United States was attacked at Pearl Harbor. This attack eventually led to World War II. I have met veterans who had once been young and patriotically idealistic and had responded to Japanese aggression, altering their whole life for the good of our country. After what they had been through and what they had lost, including many of their peers, one can understand how they would not want us to forget the pain of their past and the military heroes of World War II.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

This past week my family celebrated my sister’s birthday at Lake Pleasant. If you are familiar with that area, you know that there is minimal, if any, cell phone reception. Whenever that happens, I realize how dependent I have become on my phone. It also reminded me that from time to time, I need to be less connected to my email, text messages and the phone that seem to keep my priestly duties front and center.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Is it okay to have some pride? Our Lord reminds us today that we are supposed to be humble? Humility is a virtue and it is the best virtue to fight against pride. But is all pride bad? For example, is it wrong to be proud of your children’s accomplishments? Is it wrong to share the gifts God has given to you?

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

We hear so much today about science. For some people, science is like a god to them. Of course, science has done so much to help humanity. There are many serious diseases that have been conquered. Humanity owes a great deal of gratitude to the incredible scientists who have made our lives better. But there has been (and will probably be for our lifetime) those who believe that God is not essential. Many evil forces have tried to “rid” God from our lives.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

We at St. Bernadette are so blessed to have St. John XXIII Catholic grade school as part of our history. For over 20 years, dedicated teachers and staff has educated thousands of young people in our beautiful Catholic faith. As we begin our 2022/2023 school year, we are blessed to welcome the most students we have ever had in our school’s history with nearly 630 students. This makes us one of the largest Catholic grade schools in the Diocese of Phoenix.

Earlier this year, Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted from pastoral governance of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix and appointed Auxiliary Bishop John P. Dolan of San Diego as the fifth bishop in the 52-year history of the diocese.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Arizona Rosary Celebration is an annual state-wide event, held on the third weekend in October, with gatherings in five cities. In Phoenix, we are expecting between 4,000 and 6000 thousand Catholics will participate. The event is free, open to the public, and sponsored by the Knights of Columbus in collaboration with the Diocese of Phoenix, Legion of Mary, Catholic Daughters of the Americas, and other organizations.