I recently read an article about the distinction between our private lives and our public lives and it affects the community at large. I found it provocative and I want to share some of it with you as we reflect on the power of community. Fr. Ron Rolhesier says, that “No one is an island;…
Over the last many months, many of us have heard about the Global Synod on Synodality but we have heard little in our own local Diocese of San Jose. What we do hear seems to be confusing! So let me spend a few moments trying to explain some of the different aspects of what will…
I am not sure if you have ever visited the famed John Muir National Forest. It is about 1.5 hours away depending on traffic and has some beautiful old sequoia trees some of which are 1,000 years old. It is a beautiful national treasure along with many other places to hike and enjoy nature. …
I just arrived back from Ireland today and it was a bittersweet experience. Bitter because of the nature of the trip—to preside at the memorial service for my brother Paul so all our family and friends back there could gather and mourn the loss. Sweet because it was good to be back in Ireland surrounded…
What can be said of 2021? It was a tough year for all of us for sure and yet it was also full of grace and light. As Charles Dickens once said, it was the best of times and the worst of times. That is certainly true for many of us—2021 was a great year…
Recently when I visited the students in our school classrooms, one of the children asked me what was my favorite season of the liturgical year? I immediately said it was Christmas. I explained that it is not only because I love to decorate my home with lots of Christmas trees and lights, but also because…
As I write this bulletin article, my room is full of cards, flowers and baked goods from families and parishioners of St. Simon Church and School. Also, my inbox is full of countless emails. The outpouring of love since the loss of my brother, Paul, and my spiritual director, Fr. Dave, has left me speechless.…
They say that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” In my experience, that is so true. If we do not want to see beauty, we will NOT see it. Even if we do want to see beauty, it is hard enough to see it! Yet we ought to try hard to see the…
As you already know this week has been a difficult week for me. On Monday night my mentor-friend and spiritual director, Fr. Dave Ayotte, died after a yearlong battle with pancreatic cancer. Then on Tuesday afternoon, after a 6+ month battle with pancreatic cancer, my closest brother and best friend, Paul died. It was the…
I hope you had some quality time with family and friends over the Thanksgiving holidays celebrating the many gifts we share as a nation, as families and as a community. It has been a strange and difficult year with the pandemic lingering longer than anyone would have guessed and the long-term effects of this pandemic…