Today in all the 194 dioceses of the United States (out of 2248 worldwide), we celebrate Priesthood Sunday. It is not a day to celebrate me or Fr Jose or any other individual priest, it is a day to celebrate the gift of the priesthood to the Church. It is also a day to…
This week marks the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month where we remember Independence Day in many countries throughout Latin America: Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, and Nicaragua. Each of them gained their independence from Spain in the early 1800’s. One of the last countries to gain its independence from Spain was Morocco…
In the past couple of years, we have made a concerted effort to make improvements to our church and facilities here at Sacred Heart. It began with a new sound system in the church, new lighting for all the PSR rooms, 2 new air conditioning/heating units for our parish hall and adding washer and…
There are many days that a Church is built upon, that give us our identity, the most important being Christmas, Easter, Pentecost as well as feast days like Our Lady of Guadalupe (Dec 12) and St Anthony Claret (Oct 24). There is one more date that gives our parish our identity and that has…
This week we will celebrate our 17th Annual Festival of the Nations. It is a time we grow in our theme, “Many nations, one family.” This is an idea written in the first reading this week in the prophet Isaiah, who reminded us, “my house shall be called a house of prayer for all…
Did you know over half of Americans really dislike surprises, especially surprise parties? Maybe you are part of this group that doesn’t like changes to your routine, or you don’t like losing a sense of control. Whether you like surprises or not, they are, surprisingly, a hallmark of Christian life as Elijah and Jesus…
Transfiguration This past week we celebrated the feast of St Ignatius of Loyola, who founded the Jesuit Order(formally called the Society of Jesus) in 1570. His order, which is the largest religious order in the world today, serves primarily in parishes and education in 112 nations around the world. More than the impact he…
“…all things work for good for those who love God.” So says St Paul today in the second reading. Perhaps you have heard this before or even said this to others, perhaps trying to encourage someone going through difficult times. It’s a one of the phrases in the Bible that can keep us going…
175th anniversary of the Claretians In our Claretian family, this week marks the beginning of our Jubilee Year for the 175th Anniversary of the founding of the Claretian Missionaries (formally known as the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary). Our foundation began on the feast of our Lady of Mt Carmel, July 16,…
Where is God in the summer? It would seem that sometimes Churches close down in summer, Mass attendance is down, meetings are suspended, faith formation programs take a break. Some will say in summertime, we don’t have to go to church every Sunday, that God is everywhere, He is in the beaches, in the…
You would think from today’s Gospel, Jesus does not want us to be smart when He says, “you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned but revealed them to the little ones…” (Matt 11:25) This passage highlights how God skipped speaking to the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the scribes, and the sages…
In our Claretian family, this weekend (july1st) marks the beginning of the jubilee year (2023-2024) to celebrate the 175th Anniversary of the Claretian Missionaries, formally known as the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Our missionary community began in a small seminary room in the diocese of Vic Spain (near Barcelona) on July…
