2016 10-23 Priesthood Sunday
From our pastor, Father Neil Herlihy This Sunday as a Church, as a faith community, we celebrate Priesthood Sunday. It is a special day set aside to honor the priesthood in the United States. It is a day to reflect upon and affirm the role of the priesthood in the life of the Church. We…
2016 08-28 The Canonization of Mother Teresa of Calcutta
From our pastor, Father Neil Herlihy One of the truly great Christians of our time was Mother Teresa. As a young woman, she heard the call to serve the Lord. She affirmed that call and became a nun and a teacher. Later, she affirmed this call, this commitment, in a more direct way by devoting…
2016 09-11 The World Day of Prayer for Peace
From our pastor, Father Neil Herlihy This Sunday marks the 15th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. We as a nation recall the tragic deaths and injuries that occurred at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and on the fields of Somerset, Pennsylvania. We also remember the men and women in uniform…
2016 09-18 Mustard Seed Communities – We Are Called to Love All Children of God
From our pastor, Father Neil Herlihy Pope Francis has a great love and concern for all children of God. He has a special love and concern for children struggling with serious illness or disability. He recently stated, “Yet what an illusion it is when people today shut their eyes in the face of sickness and…
2016 10-16 World Mission Sunday
From our pastor, Father Neil Herlihy World Mission Sunday is traditionally celebrated in the latter part of October. It is a day set aside for Catholics throughout the world to publicly recommit themselves to the Church’s missionary activity through prayer and sacrifice. As we know, evangelization is very important to Our Holy Father Pope Francis. …
2016 09-25 Stewardship Time and Talent Sunday
From our pastor, Father Neil Herlihy My brothers and sisters in Christ, the fall season is the time for stewardship renewal in our parish. The International Catholic Stewardship Council stated, “The parish is where the Church lives, and stewards are the lifeblood of a successful parish. In the parish, we find community and support, liturgy…
2016 07-17 The Importance of Mass.. Recommit to Making it the Heart of Your Day
From our pastor, Father Neil Herlihy Our Holy Father Pope Francis reminds us of the importance of prayer and Mass. EWTN News reported that he said prayer should come from the heart, “gazing on the Lord, hearing the Lord, asking the Lord.” When Our Holy Father recounted the story of Mary and Martha in our…
2016 07-10 Reach Out to Your Loved Ones and Invite Them to Mass.
From our pastor, Father Neil Herlihy Many of us have friends, relatives, siblings, co-workers, or neighbors who are Catholic but who do not come to Mass on a regular basis. They may fall away from the active practice of the faith for a time but some eventually come back and begin participating in the life…
2016 07-03 Fortnight for Freedom
From our pastor, Father Neil Herlihy This Monday we celebrate the Fourth of July, Independence Day. On this day, we remember and appreciate the birth of our nation. This day also marks the end of the “Fortnight for Freedom” Campaign sponsored by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. The Campaign included the celebration…
2016 06-19 We Celebrate Father’s Day and We Remember All Fathers in a Special Way
From our pastor, Father Neil Herlihy Today we celebrate Father’s Day and we remember all fathers in a special way. As we know, Pope Francis has placed great emphasis and focus on fatherhood. Being a father is a great privilege and also a great responsibility. He encouraged fathers to look to Saint Joseph as…
2016 06-26 We Are Challenged to Set a Good Example for Others, and to Truly and Publicly Live our Faith
From our pastor, Father Neil Herlihy Catholic author Scott Richert has reminded us that “…we are called to be Christian together; while we can and should engage in private worship of God throughout the week, our primary form of worship is public and communal, which is why Sunday Mass is so important.” As Catholics…
2016 03-27 Celebrate Easter – Be a Witness for Christ
From our pastor, Father Neil Herlihy Today we celebrate Easter Sunday. We celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus. Once again we welcome all to our vibrant Parish community. We especially welcome all those who have completed a thorough period of inquiry, education and catechesis and will have received the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, or the…
2016 03-20 Celebrate and Experience the Joy of Palm Sunday
From our pastor, Father Neil Herlihy Today, on Palm Sunday, we focus on the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. In our faith tradition, Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week during which we commemorate the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus. As we know, this week is the holiest week in the…
2016 03-13 We Are Challenged to Follow the Example of Saint Patrick
From our pastor, Father Neil Herlihy We celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day. Patrick is a saint known primarily for his great missionary work with the Irish people. He was a priest and later became a bishop in the fifth century. While living in England, he was kidnapped and taken to Ireland where he lived as…
2016 03-06 Prayer Should be an Integral Part of our Lenten Journey of Faith
From our pastor, Father Neil Herlihy As Catholics, prayer should be an integral part of our Lenten journey of faith. Catholic author Scott Richert says that prayer is a form of communication, a way of conversing with God. Prayer may be formal or informal. The word “pray” means to “ask earnestly.” Mr. Richert states, “In…
2016 02-28 We Invite You to Participate in the Lenten Initiative; “24 Hours of Mercy”
From our pastor, Father Neil Herlihy This Friday as a faith community we are invited to participate in the “24 Hours for the Lord” initiative, also known as the “24 Hours of Mercy.” The publication, “Catholic Communications” reported that The Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization has said the theme this year…
2016 02-21 We are Privileged to Sponsor a Lenten Parish Mission Presented by Dr. Allen Hunt and Parish Penance Service.
From our pastor, Father Neil Herlihy This week from Monday February 22nd to Wednesday February 24th we are privileged to sponsor a Lenten Parish Mission presented by Dr. Allen Hunt. He is a well-known Catholic author and radio host, who converted to the faith in 2008. He is also a dynamic speaker and conference leader…
2016 02-14 We Continue our Lenten Journey
From our pastor, Father Neil Herlihy This week we continue on our Lenten journey. Lent is a good time to focus on what is truly important in our lives. Renewal and conversion of heart and mind should be key goals for many of us. Our Lenten experience should include a clear and compelling witness to…
2016 02-07 Ash Wednesday is Feb. 10 – Allow the Lord to Effect a Lasting Transformation in our Hearts and Minds.
From our pastor, Father Neil Herlihy Next Wednesday in the Church year is Ash Wednesday. Many Churches are full as people flock to Church to publicly humble themselves before the Lord. It is a day of fasting and abstinence. Pope Francis has called on us to discern in our hearts why we fast. In an…
2016 01-31 The Feast Day of Saint Brigid and Respect for God’s Children at Mustard Seed Communities
From our pastor, Father Neil Herlihy This Monday, February 1st, we celebrate the Feast day of Saint Brigid, the patron saint of our Parish. She joins Saint Patrick as one of the patron saints of Ireland. Saint Brigid is known for her extraordinary spirituality and prayer life. She is also known for her Christian charity….
2016 01-24 Prayer for Christian Unity and The Archbishop’s Annual Appeal 2016
From our pastor, Father Neil Herlihy This weekend we are completing the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. We were asked during this week to unite in prayer with our Christian brothers and sisters. We were invited to pray for peace in our world and to pray for those Christians who are being persecuted, especially…
2016 01-17 The Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King
From our pastor, Father Neil Herlihy This weekend as a nation we honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. for his work in promoting the dignity of the human person regardless of skin color. In honoring his legacy, we recognize the great strides that our country has made in overcoming the racial injustices…
2015 12-27 The Feast of the Holy Family and “Come Home For Christmas”
From our pastor, Father Neil Herlihy Next Sunday we will conduct a conference to assist people in their desire to learn more about the Catholic faith. We will also strive to effectively address questions or concerns some may have about the faith. In addition to inviting those who are not Catholic to learn about our…
2016 01-03 Begin This Year Of Mercy with a Christ Renews His Parish Renewal Weekend
Guest column from Deacon Tom Huff It’s hard to believe that a new year is upon us. Pope Francis has declared 2016 as the Year of Mercy. He declared the Year of Mercy because, “It is the favorable time to heal wounds; a time not to be weary of meeting all those who are waiting…
2016 01-10 The Baptism of the Lord, The Year of Mercy and the “Living the Eucharist” Lenten Program
From our pastor, Father Neil Herlihy As we celebrate the Baptism of Our Lord, Our Holy Father, Pope Francis reminds us that “our baptism has also given us a share in the Church’s mission of evangelization; as disciples, we are also missionaries.” He has called on us to ask the Lord “to renew in us…
2015 12-20 Jesus “Emmanuel” Comes to Us
From our pastor, Father Neil Herlihy At Christmas, we welcome the Christ Child into our world, into our homes, and into our hearts. Jesus “Emmanuel” comes to us. In a Christmas message, Pope Francis said that Jesus brought light and grace to the world and that grace “made salvation possible for the whole human race.”…
2015 12-13 Our Lady of Guadalupe
From our pastor, Father Neil Herlihy On Saturday December 12th, we celebrated the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. She is the patroness of the United States, Mexico and all of the Americas, as well as the protector of the unborn. She is a religious as well as a cultural figure to the people of…
2015 12-06 Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy
From our pastor, Father Neil Herlihy Our Advent season has begun and we thank all who participated this past week in our Advent Mission. On Tuesday we will celebrate the feast of the Immaculate Conception. It is a Holy Day of Obligation as we honor the Blessed Virgin Mary who was preserved from all stain…
2015 11-15 The Conclusion of the Synod of Bishops on the Family
From our pastor, Father Neil Herlihy The Synod of Bishops on the Family has recently concluded. Catholic News Service reported that the synod tried to find better ways to convince the world of the importance of the family based on the lifelong marriage of one man and one woman. It also reported that Pope Francis…
2015 11-22 We Thank the Lord for the Gift of Our Precious Faith
From our pastor, Father Neil Herlihy Today, as we celebrate the feast of Christ the King, we can thank the Lord for the gift of our precious faith. The word “Eucharist” means “giving thanks” and the Eucharist is the source and summit of our faith. Our Church leaders remind us that the Lord establishes a…