by Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) – After 20 children and six adults were shot dead in Connecticut, Pope Benedict XVI offered his condolences and prayers, urging all to dedicate themselves to acts of peace in the face of such “senseless violence.” After reciting the Angelus Dec. 17, the pope, speaking in English, said he […]
by Msgr. Joseph Calise As we celebrate the fourth Sunday of Advent on the liturgical calendar, the more worldly calendar is telling me that it is also the day before the day before Christmas. Gratefully, my Christmas chores are done – gifts are bought and wrapped, schedules are set and cards are in the mail. […]
The temptation to expect each Christmas to be a reprise of storybook models, reality-free, where innocence is spared the inevitable confrontation with the mystery of evil is less likely to hit us this year. As the day approaches, we adults customarily form a little pact between our children and the child within us to once […]
My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord, In the next few days, Christians around the whole world will celebrate the Nativity of the Lord’s birth. But for many of us, in the United States at least, our minds and hearts will also reflect on the massacre of the Holy Innocents. It is difficult for […]
by Msgr. Joseph Calise My closet and dresser are filled with clothes that I will probably never wear. Some were gifts and have a purely sentimental value to me. Others might (just might) fit again one day, and you never know if the rest will ever come back into style. Even though I do not […]
Finding the treasure of Advent is the key to getting into the Christmas spirit. Even with Advent more than half over – or perhaps especially because of it – claiming the time to accept its graces will deepen both the joy and peace Christmas promises. St. John the Baptist, a paramount Advent figure, spent most […]
A very beautiful Advent hymn that is known to many is “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.” Of course, “Emmanuel,” when translated to English, means, “God is with us.” That seems appropriate, because many of us today feel very much alone. Why is it that we feel alienated? Increasingly in today’s society, human beings’ worth is […]
by Marie Elena Giossi We will rise again – that motto has been adopted by the community of St. Francis de Sales School, which has temporarily relocated from Belle Harbor to the former parish school of SS. Simon and Jude, Gravesend, as a result of damages sustained by the school building during Hurricane Sandy. “Our […]
On the First Sunday of Advent, the Christmas creche and trees were lit at Visitation Monastery, Bay Ridge. The choir from Visitation Academy sang and Msgr. Jamie Gigantiello, chaplain, blessed the outdoor display before celebrating Mass. Guests of honor included Terese Sarachman, who was honored with the Distinguished Teacher of the Year Award, and Michael […]
by Father Frank Mann News agencies throughout the world recently captured Manila’s newly elevated Cardinal Luis Tagle crying soon after he was installed. Equally moving was the Holy Father offering a loving and supportive “touch” to Cardinal Tagle when he cradled his face with his hand. Asked why he became emotional after receiving his ring and […]
