As you can see things are moving here at quite a quick pace this summer. You will notice that the trees along the road next to the baseball field were taken down this week. Each of them was more dead than alive, and the large dead sections of the trees were a matter of concern, especially during the periods of heavy wind. Better to take them down when we could than have to deal with the fallout should something happen. Read more.

This year, it seems like every Sunday is something special instead of being able to celebrate Ordinary Time, and this Sunday is no exception. The only real difference is that this is a local celebration as today, we transfer the Solemnity of St. Benedict from its set date (July 11) to the nearest Sunday, as he is our patron saint. Read more.

A most joyful Independence Holiday Weekend to all. Although Friday was the actual holiday, we are all still in celebration mode this weekend and hopefully everyone is still off on Monday for recovery and travel. Read more.

This weekend we observe the Solemnity of the Martyrdom of Saints Peter and Paul. The co-patrons of Rome and pillars of the church, these two great apostles bore witness to the nascent Christian faith in Rome through their executions at the hands of theRomans. Peter was crucified -- upside down, as he was not worthy to die in the same manner as did Jesus -- at the Circus Vaticanus around the years 67-69. His remains are today under the altar of the great basilica that bears his name. Saint Paul was beheaded, within the same time frame, on the Via Appia in accord with his status as a Roman citizen, and is buried in the crypt of St. Paul Outside the Walls (of Rome) just off the Appian Way in Rome. His remains were only rediscovered there in the past thirty years. The red vestments we wear this weekend are in commemoration of their martyrdom. Read more.

A most blessed Corpus Christi Sunday to everyone. This weekend we observe the solemnity with a Eucharistic procession at the11:00 am Mass. It is also ten years ago this feast day that we inaugurated the Our Lady of Victories Adoration Chapel here at the parish. Read more.

This is Trinity Sunday. The notion of the Trinity probably confuses most of us, as the very nature of the Trinity is complicated and known only through the discernment of revelation. The Doctrine itself is best defined by the First Council of Nicaea (325). You will be hearing more about this Council during the year, as it is now 1700 years since the Emperor Constantine the Great convened a church council in Nicaea (modern Iznik, Turkey) to address some important theological questions. The matters at hand focused on the nature of Jesus and then consequently the nature of the Trinity. They were not, contrary to Dan Brown and his fiction writing, creating new doctrines, rather they were focused on coining the specific terminology and language in order to understand and explain those doctrines. Read more.

Happy Pentecost. This weekend we celebrate this feast, the commemoration of the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles. We see the work of the Holy Spirit at work in the life of the Church, guiding and directing us along the path of both evangelizing the world and in renewing and invigorating the faithful. The church exercises ministry in each and every age and place under the power of the Holy Spirit. As we try to both proclaim our faith in Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, and now seated at the Right Hand of the Father as Lord of Heaven and Earth, we do so with great peril. The world has never wanted to hear the Gospel. In many parts of the old world, the Faith has grown stagnant, and in many places in Latin America, Africa, and Asia, the church suffers from a lack of vocations and insufficient support. Yet, the church grows -- the number of people baptized increases, and the faith is passed on to the next generation. Read more.

This weekend we celebrate the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord. It certainly still feels strange to celebrate this Solemnity on Sunday instead of Thursday, but that is the decision of the bishops in New Jersey, and so it goes. Read more.

On Monday we observe Memorial Day, though given over to picnics and kicking-off the summer season, this is a solemn occasion when we remember the service men and women who have died defending our country and promoting peace throughout the world. Please take a moment on Monday to remember and pray for them, and for the more recent victims, and their loved ones as well. As Catholics it is our prayer that is our strongest and more important offering for their intentions. If you are able,Mass is celebrated at 9am on Monday (as it is every weekday). Read more.

Today is the formal inaugural Mass of Pope Leo XIV in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican City. We join our prayers with the church throughout the world for his health, his wisdom, his courage, his safety, and for the guidance and consolation of the Holy Spirit upon him and those whom he chooses to serve as his collaborators in the Petrine ministry. Yes, all of us were a bit surprised that the Cardinals would elect a White Sox fan and Villanova graduate to the papacy, but the Holy Spirit does does seem to have a sense of humor. The few people I know who have known the now Pope Leo during their seminary days with the Augustinians are universally effusive in their praise for his intelligence, personal integrity, commitment to justice, and his sense of humor. Pope Leo said that he chose the name to reflect the significance of the last Pope, Leo (XIII) who issued the monumental encyclical Rerum Novarum, in 1891. In that seminal document, Pope Leo began the development of Catholic social teaching reflecting the challenges of the late industrial revolution. This was the time in history when concerns for the rights of workers to decent working conditions, hourly wages, and days of vacation and rest sparked the labor union movement. The pope then spoke out courageously demanding that workers received just compensation and had the right to form unions. He also gavea clear condemnation of child labor and their exploitation in the industrial age. Read more.

As I write this letter, we are just hours away from the first vote of the conclave, so I am not able to intelligently address any of the issues around the election of the 267th pope in the life of the church. Read more.

I am writing this letter from the pilgrimage in Paris, though I will be back in the parish by the time you read this letter anyway. This morning the bishop and priests on the pilgrimage concelebrated Mass at the recently restored Cathedral-Basilica of Notre Dame. Having been there previously, it is simply amazing the work they have done — and continue to do — in restoring the landmark from the fire of 2019. The cathedral masonry is bright, the artwork restored, and the appointments are beautiful. Although, the more modern altar of sacrifice and the presidential chairs perhaps do not fit into the thirteenth century so well. Read more.

The church throughout the world is saddened by the unexpected passing of our beloved Holy Father, Francis. While his health had been deteriorating steadily since the middle of February, we are still shocked by the suddenness of his demise. Read more.

ALLELUIA! It has been a while since we have been able to chant that glorious Hebrew word meaning “Praise God!” and so here we are, Easter Sunday. Read more.

Our Lenten journey now reaches its climactic end as we today enter with Jesus in triumph to the Holy City, with us all knowing the starkness of the week ahead. Read more.

Happy April! Things here are beginning to look more like Spring, which is always a good thing. You might have noticed that a new playground set has been installed in the school yard next to the church. The previous one was no longer meeting the safety protocols and was removed over the summer. We have also done some other improvements and upgrades to the playground equipment so that the children have a nice, safe yard in which to play. We have other plans for the summer, including the installation of new basketball hoops in the back lot. More on these projects later. Read more.

As we come to the first week of April, our hope for some consistent spring weather resounds along with the sound of the baseball bats and the appearance of the robins nesting onour property. Read more.

This Sunday at 2:30 pm we will celebrate our Lenten Penance Service. There will be some visiting priests here to hear confessions. There is no service, so confessions are heard on a walk-in basis. Please try to arrive before 3:30 pm. There are other opportunities for confession during Lent at the neighboring parishes as well. St. Catharine in Holmdel has their confessions on Thursday, April 10th, beginning at 7:00 pm. Read more.

Finally, it looks like the hope of Spring looms in front of us! Wasn’t it wonderful not to wear a winter coat this past week -- indeed even no coat at all?! Read more.

The First Sunday of Lent draws our attention to the temptations of Jesus in the desert following his baptism. Our Lenten journey can be easily distracted through many small temptations that come our way, and even from lack of attentiveness. While the journey has just begun, much like the New Year’s resolutions that we make each year, we can fall into old habits very easily. Fortunately, Lent is a time when we can pick back up and go forward. Read more.