What a Sunday, the Solemnity of the Holy Family…J.M.J., Jesus, Mary, and Joseph! There was no Catholic school in our town,  so Mom and Dad chose to homeschool my sister and me.  J.M.J was the first thing written on all our papers.  To this day, I type or write those initials on my papers.  Why?  … Continued

God Making Himself Small for Us Dear Parish Family, In over 18 years of priesthood, I’ve celebrated the baptisms of many infants.  Babies draw everyone’s attention and affection.  There is little that disarms us and endears us more than a small baby.  The biggest wonder of Christmas is the gift of the infant Jesus.   Our … Continued

The Stations of Advent If you’re anything like me, by now – the 3rd Sunday of Advent – you’re tired of trying to come up with the “perfect” gift ideas, tired of the running around & busyness, and especially tired of hearing the same five Christmas songs on endless repeat.  Yet, today, this Gaudete Sunday, … Continued

PRAYING THE PARISH FORWARD The current rallying cry for St. John Parish is prayer: “Discipleship Deeply Rooted inPrayer.” Prayer is the essential conversation with God, and prayer is intimately tied tothe four powerful “themes” of the four weeks of Advent; the virtues of hope, peace, joy,and love. We’ve started presenting a series called Praying the … Continued

Advent Poetry Advent, a journey through time and space,A pilgrimage to a sacred place.With every carol, a melody's embrace,Echoing dreams of love and grace.So, in this season of wonder and glee,May your days be filled with harmony.As Advent whispers its last goodbye,Embrace the love that will never die.ChatGPT 3.5 This past Thursday was ChatGPT’s first … Continued