On July 1, at 2:40 p.m., with the help of four ardent adorers, St. Charles Borromeo Parish completed its 250 Holy Hours of Adoration in Commemoration of 250 years of our Nation’s existence. Thanks to ALL who have participated throughout the season.
The night before, over twelve pilgrims came and stayed after Adoration and Vespers to break open the Sacred Scriptures, drink coffee, enjoy fellowship, and pray. We will continue to meet Tuesday nights (6 p.m.) and urge anyone looking for deeper communion with Jesus through shared faith to join us!
In commemoration of 250 years of our nation’s existence, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has asked all U.S. Parishes to offer up 250 Hours of Adoration to the Blessed Sacrament… by the Fourth of July!
If you, like myself, think we can do it, here’s what we’d need: 20 souls offering Adoration every Wednesday afternoon (Eucharistic Exposition after 12:10 Services) and 44 adorers offering Adoration every Sunday, from now until July 1st (even visiting at the Tabernacle). That would be around 250 hours.
So if you’re with me, come to Adoration and bring somebody with you. See you there!
Celebrating 45 years of priesthood is a profound milestone. Please allow me the opportunity to reflect on this honor. Reflecting on 45 years of Catholic priesthood means looking back at nearly five decades of being a bridge between God and God’s holy people. It has been a journey defined not by grand, sweeping triumphs, but by quiet, profound consistency: breaking bread, walking with the brokenhearted, and bearing witness to enduring grace.
Four and a half decade ago on June 13, 1981, the feast of St. Anthony of Padua, at St. Mary’s Cathedral in San Francisco, California, I was sent into the vineyard of the Lord. Thinking back over all these years is an opportunity that invites both profound gratitude and quiet introspection. As I look back over the span of 45 years in the Catholic priesthood, I am struck less by the passage of time than by the mysterious, unchanging heartbeat of the vocation itself. Time is a curious thing in the life of a priest; days can be long and exhausting, but the years slip by in a blur of baptisms, weddings, funerals, and the quiet rhythm of the daily Mass.
Continue reading “Reflecting on 45 Years as a Priest”→
