Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Catholic devotions are usually popular prayers, rituals and pious practices used by individuals or groups to worship God or venerate Mary and the Saints. Often devotions express a particular conviction about the object of the devotion. For example, Eucharistic devotions, Adoration of Our Lord in the Most Blessed Sacrament, Eucharistic Processions, and Benediction all express our Catholic belief in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

People are sometimes curious about what I do all day. Fair question. People are also surprised when I tell them that among my priestly duties, not a day goes by that I don’t encounter parishioners who have been afflicted with an addiction. Addiction touches nearly everyone, either directly or through a relationship with a loved one. Sadly, addiction was previously understood as some sort of substance abuse and dependence. The truth is that addiction originates and manifests itself in a variety of ways. Addictions have been linked to increased access to online pornography, legalized marijuana and sports gambling in many states, heightened pressure to meet societal standards, and fewer personal bonds has left our culture looking for love and seeking God in the wrong places.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross has special meaning for me. The year was 1987 and I was just accepted as a seminarian for the Diocese of Phoenix. On September 14th that same year, Pope John Paul II was in Phoenix. He had a Mass with about 80,000 people and I was able to be an altar server for that Mass!

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The Church celebrates 2 important canonizations in the universal Church. On September 7th, Pope Leo XIV will canonize two Italians, Pier Giorgio Frassati and Carlo Acutis, who both died young … but not without making their marks in the church and throughout the world.

Soon-to-be-Saint Pier Giorgio Frassatti was born into a wealthy family in Turin, Italy. His parents, however, had a difficult marriage and were only culturally Catholic. He was known as a joyful, adventurous young man and is referred to as the “Man of the Beatitudes.” He loved taking trips to the mountains for hiking and mountain climbing. He was a gregarious and friendly young man who had a great attraction to the Holy Eucharist and helping the poor.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I want to tell you about a very important meeting I had with the bishop recently. He called me up and he wanted me to come downtown to his office. He told me that it was a very important meeting. He wanted to talk to me and to get my thoughts on some very important things. He said the meeting could change my life. Now you all know the bishop. He is a very important person. He is a very powerful person in our diocese.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Pope St. John Paul II often spoke of the New Evangelization. There is a need to re- evangelize and reintroduce the Catholic faith to the world. Our Lord offers everything the heart desires through Him, with Him and in Him. Our Lord came to offer mercy and to gather the lost and forsaken. And by our baptism, we too participate in Christ's salvific mission. In Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, He reminds His disciples, "You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father." Matthew 5:14-16

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Jesus says things that can sound rather harsh. He said, “I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!” and “Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division!” This teaching from Our Lord can be difficult for us who see Jesus as the Prince of Peace. It is easy to see why His words can be very confusing because we usually think of Jesus as bringing peace and love, right?

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Have you heard that the older one gets, the faster time flies. I don’t know if that is scientifically verifiable, but it seems to ring true in my life. Where does the time go? Sometimes in the craziness of life, we can forget to pray. I want to remind you that next Friday we celebrate the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. Every Solemnity is a holy day of obligation which means Catholics are obligated to attend either the Vigil Mass on Thursday (the evening before) or one of the three Masses offered on August 15th. We will have Mass at 5:00 p.m. on the 14th. On the 15th, the schedule is the following: 6:30 a.m., 8:30 a.m., and 5:00 p.m. in English.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

We are so blessed to have St. John XXIII Catholic grade school as part of our history. For over 26 years, dedicated teachers and staff have educated thousands of young people in the Catholic faith. As we begin our 2025/2026 school year, we give thanks to God for all His blessings as we welcome our students and their families.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Perhaps you have come across inciteful quotes or stories that help you to make sense out of trials, setbacks, or struggles you are going through. Recently I came across a little story that was shared by Dr. Regis Martin, a professor of dogmatic and systematic theology at Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio, since 1988. The story was originally authored by G.K. Chesterton and it challenges the temptations we all have to complain about the state of things in our troubled world.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

In the New Testament, the Church reminds us of the first drops of blood that flowed for our redemption on the day when Jesus was circumcised. It is night on Mount Olivet, and the moon is shining. We see the holy face crimsoned with blood during the agony in the garden. Unhappy, despairing Judas casts the blood-money down in the temple. "I have betrayed innocent blood!" In the scourging of Our Lord, we see Jesus humiliated as blood flows from the beatings out onto the ground.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The month of July is dedicated to the Precious Blood of Jesus. The feast of the Precious Blood of our Lord was instituted in 1849 by Pius IX, but the devotion is as old as Christianity. The early Fathers say that the Church was born from the pierced side of Christ, and that the sacraments were brought forth through His Blood. In 96 AD, Pope St. Clement I wrote: “Let us fix our gaze on the Blood of Christ and realize how truly precious it is, seeing that it was poured out for our salvation and brought the grace of conversion to the whole world” (First Letter to Church at Corinth).

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The Catholic Church is now the largest religious denomination in the United States, and it may be hard to imagine that we were once considered missionary territory. However, in the 1840s, Catholic missionaries from Europe responded to the call to help spread the Faith in America. Two French nuns came as missionaries, teaching and serving the people of the Midwestern United States, then the western frontier of our nation. St. Théodore Guérin spread the Faith by founding many schools in Indiana, while St. Rose Philippine Duchesne founded several religious congregations of nuns and ministered to the Native American tribes throughout the Missouri Territory.