As I head out on vacation and celebrate my first-year anniversary, I wanted to thank you again for a wonderful year as your pastor. The more I reflect on this last year, the more I am amazed at what we accomplished together. It has been truly a blessing. From the multiple iterations of Mass, inside…
There are times in our lives when we need inspiration to live closer to Christ’s call to love. One way to be inspired is to go on pilgrimage. A pilgrimage is a journey to a sacred place to deepen our faith through prayer and experience. People have been taking pilgrimages for centuries and they have…
I always find Father’s Day a bittersweet experience for me. On one hand, it is sweet because I remember the love that my father shared with all of us as a family. On the other hand, it is bitter because my dad died twenty-five years ago, and I still miss him. I still marvel at…
Finally, we received some good news from the State and County government about the COVID-19 restrictions effective June 15, 2021. Most of California has returned to the lowest yellow tier allowing us to return inside for worship more fully. Consequently, I am delighted to say effective June 15, we will move all daily Masses (6:30am…
On Saturday morning, the St. Simon class of 2021 will graduate. Many of these students have been at St. Simon School all ten years of their elementary school and they have a tight bond. Fortunately, I have gotten to know the class quite well through the process of the Sacrament of Confirmation. They are a…
This weekend we celebrate the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity, and we try to say something about the doctrine of the Trinity. I believe that Hilary of Poitiers said it best when he spoke about how the Church “defines” the Most Holy Trinity as attempting to define something that is it not containable in…
On Thursday, May 20, 2021 the Jesuits began a celebration recognizing the 500th anniversary of St. Ignatius’ conversion experience and the start of the Jesuits as we know them. It marks the beginning of a yearlong celebration of the Society of Jesuits and the contributions they have made to society and the Church. On…
The priests of the parish just arrived back from San Juan Bautista after spending the week with all the clergy of the diocese for our Annual Clergy Study Week. This was the first time we have gathered as clergy in over 17 months and it was a great week for all of us. We needed…
On Thursday, I visited the pre-K at the school, and I read a book to the students and their mothers. The children’s book was called “Love You Forever” by Robert Munsch and beautifully illustrated by Sheila McGraw. I had never read it before and I was not prepared for the ending; I cried like a…
Recently I read an article from Fr. Ron Rolheiser speaking about anger and how prevalent it is in our society today. He says, “That most of us operate, however unconsciously, out of anger and this shows itself in our constant criticism of others, in our cynicism, in our jealousy of others, in our bitterness, and…