by Father William R. Dulaney It happens to most of us. It can be gradual or sudden, but once it happens, our lives are never the same. You might remember when it happened to you – when you underwent a conversion that involved a profound change of heart that signaled a major turning point in […]
Sunday Scriptures
Called to Even Greater Service
by Father William R. Dulaney HAVE I REACTED angrily or judged rashly before hearing the whole story, getting the full picture or thinking through a situation? Any one of us whose honest answer to this question is “yes” would be wise to approach today’s Scriptures with an open mind, giving their message a chance to […]
Opening Our Hearts to Hear The Subtle Cry for Love
by Msgr. Joseph Calise ALTHOUGH THE EXACT facts are not completely clear, the date March 13, 1964 will always be a black mark on New York’s reputation. It was on that night that Winston Moseley attacked and killed Catherine “Kitty” Genovese. The early reports, which were later contested, said that her screams were heard by […]
Make Friends for Yourself with Dishonest Wealth
by Msgr. Joseph Calise IT WAS DURING my first year on the teaching faculty at Cathedral Preparatory Seminary that O.J. Simpson was accused of the murder of his wife, Nicole. As an explosive news story that involved a former football hero, the students, as well as the rest of the country, were engrossed in the […]
Valuable Strangers in Our Midst
by Msgr. Joseph Calise I LIVE IN Williamsburg, which is an exciting neighborhood. As pastor of the Shrine Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and administrator of the Church of the Annunciation, I have the opportunity to watch the incredible merge of cultures that is taking place daily. Of course, there is the old […]
Who to Give the Self-Gift to?
by Msgr. Joseph Calise Several years ago while I was ministering as one of the part-time chaplains at the Newman Center of Queensborough College, I received a call from a former altar boy who asked if I was available to meet him for a while. As is the case on many campuses, there was a […]
Expectations Are Dangerous
by Msgr. Joseph Calise In 1955, Jock MacGregor played the character Morris Fink. If that makes sense to you, you must be a genuine Honeymooners fan. Morris Fink was the Grand High Exalted Mystic Ruler of Ralph Kramden’s Lodge, the Raccoons (or, as Norton would call him, the “Emperor of all Raccoondom.”) In one particular […]
Each Day Is a Chance to Grow Closer to God’s Kingdom
by Msgr. Joseph Calise SEVEN YEARS AGO this week, I was having a once in a lifetime experience. I had just begun walking the Camino de Santiago, a pilgrimage walk across the Pyrenees Mountains in the footsteps of St. James. Although the walk can have several different starting points, the ultimate goal is the Cathedral of St. […]
Christ Sets the World on Fire
by Msgr. Joseph Calise EVERY ONCE IN a while, we meet someone challengingly inspiring. I do not mean someone who necessarily has a high office or who is well known – although people like Mother Teresa, Dorothy Day and Pope Francis would certainly be inspirational – I mean someone who simply does brave things as they live […]
It’s Our Choice How We Respond to God’s Call
by Msgr. Joseph Calise I ADMIT THAT I am not a technological wizard, but I am also not completely inept. I am comfortable on the Internet, and any communicating I cannot do face-to-face I accomplish via e-mail. However, my phone is not a multitasking computer that can give me driving directions – my phone makes phone calls […]