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During his last year as pope, our late Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI reminded us that the feast we will celebrate today in Catholic churches throughout the United States – the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, Corpus Christi – “is inseparable from the Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Supper, in which the institution of the Eucharist is also celebrated” (June 24, 2011).  A profound and beautiful thought, important for us to keep in mind.

In 2002, Pope St. John Paul II declared the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus as an annual occasion for the Universal Church to pray for the Sanctification of Priests. The joining of these two events is easy to understand and appreciate, especially when one recalls the words of St. John Vianney, patron of priests: “The priest is not a priest for himself ... he is for you. The priesthood is the love of the heart of Jesus.”

This coming Sunday, the Church throughout the world celebrates the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, the central mystery of our Catholic Faith, that honors God as Father-Creator, Son-Redeemer and Holy Spirit, Sanctifier. We speak of God as a communion of persons: one God in three distinct persons. It is a central mystery of our faith because it deals with the mystery of God himself in whom we place our faith. God as Trinity is the source of all other mysteries of faith and it gives light to them, the Catechism reminds us.

Memorial Day is the national holiday that is widely regarded as the “unofficial beginning of summer.” Originally known as “Decoration Day,” the holiday dates back to a commemoration of U.S. military personnel who lost their lives in the Civil War.

“After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken.  And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the Word of God boldly” (Acts of the Apostles 4:31).

Although the liturgical celebration of the Solemnity of the Ascension has been officially transferred to the Seventh Sunday of Easter in the Dioceses of New Jersey – this year, May 21 – I can’t help but reflect about its meaning 40 days after Easter. 

Mother’s Day Weekend is a wonderful opportunity for us to celebrate the unconditional love of the women who, with the grace of God, first brought us to life. Whether they are living or have gone home to be with the Lord, mothers still have a profound influence on their children – and a profound responsibility for them.

I was one of the millions who woke up in the early hours of Saturday morning to watch the historic coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla. Although I proudly acknowledge my Irish ancestry, I was eager to witness this moment in history and I didn’t regret it.

 Hail Mary, full of Grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

World Day of Prayer for Vocations will be observed on Saturday/Sunday, April 29-30, 2023 – also known as "Good Shepherd Sunday." The purpose of this day is to publicly fulfill the Lord's instruction to, "Pray the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into his harvest" (Mt 9:38; Lk 10:2). 

It seems to go in cycles, but recently I have been asked questions about “exorcisms” – no doubt, because of current films dealing with demonic possession like, “The Pope’s Exorcist,” (which I saw) and, “Nefarious,” (which I have not seen) – and the possibility of performing this ritual for people who believe they “might be possessed by the devil or demonic spirits.” I did some research into the topic and here is what I found:

Bishop David M. O’Connell has shared this message for Divine Mercy Sunday The most supreme act of love and mercy that the world has ever known was the Crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ celebrated by the Church throughout the world little more than a week ago on Good Friday. The consequence of that greatest love and mercy was the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday. The proof of that greatest love and mercy was the empty tomb which the women found when they came that Easter morning to anoint his body.

Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., has shared this message for Easter: St. Paul wrote, “If there is no Resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith” (1 Corinthians 15:13-14). 

On the afternoon of March 29, Pope Francis was taken to Gemelli Hospital in Rome. Reports followed that Pope Francis has a respiratory infection and will remain in the hospital for several days.

During our preparations for the Synod of Bishops 2023-2024, the Catholic Church and its leaders have focused upon the idea of a “journey” through life. Holy Week is part of that journey and is, in fact, a journey of its own, following the Lord Jesus Christ.

Here we are at the midpoint of our Lenten journey.  How has it been going? Living our Catholic faith takes practice all the time. But when we trip or fall, true believers pick themselves up, dust themselves off and carry on where they left off. 

Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., has issued the following message on the occasion the Holy Father’s 10th anniversary as Pope.

In observance of St. Patrick’s Day 2023, Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., announced the following dispensation from the Friday obligation to abstain from eating meat and to fulfill the spirit of the obligation through other works, actions:

As with so many traditions in the Church, Lent has evolved over the years. People began to emphasize more “giving” rather than “giving up.” The sober and serious tone of the forty days of Lent, beginning with Ash Wednesday, became lighter and less intense.

In his 2023 message for the annual “World Day of the Sick,” our Holy Father Pope Francis reminds us that “iIllness is part of our human condition. Yet, if illness is experienced in isolation and abandonment, unaccompanied by care and compassion, it can become inhumane.”