The news returned yesterday to report on the fifth anniversary celebration of the dedication of the new church at Sacred Heart.  The bilingual Mass was extremely well attended with over 1,200 faithful.  Father Fred Nijen, pastor, Chris Sheridan, builder of the church, and Henrietta McIntyre, chairperson of the building committee were present for the joyful occasion. After Mass, which included a slide show with pictures of the history and dedication of Sacred Heart, there was a celebration which expressed the great cultural... Read more

Tuesday morning I checked my phone messages at the office.  One was from a student from Fort Valley State University asking me if I could come to her class to speak about the “Catholic religion.” I called her back to get details and to determine if I would go speak about the “Catholic religion.”  It was an advanced counselling course and her group was presenting on inter-faith marriages.  I would speak for fifteen to twenty minutes, focusing primarily on the Catholic Church’s... Read more

Ayer en algún momento entre las 3:30 y las 4:15pm alguien vació dos extintores de fuego dentro de nuestra parroquia del Sagrado Corazón.  La iglesia, sacristía y entrada estaban completamente cubiertas por químicos blancos mientras una nube blanca opacaba toda la iglesia.  Uno casi no podía respirar por las primeras horas hasta que se empezó la limpieza de la iglesia con nueve grandes filtros de aire. Un acto sin sentido como este lo deja a uno desconcertado.  Lo que uno... Read more

Yesterday afternoon sometime between 3:30 and 4:15pm someone emptied two fire extinguishers inside my parish church.  The church, sacristy and narthex were completely covered with white chemicals while a white cloud hang over in the air.  You could hardly breathe in the church for the first hours and it only began to clear up once the cleaning service arrived with its nine massive air filters. Such a senseless act leaves you puzzled and bewildered.  What one can do is clean up and... Read more

We have begun the liturgical season of Lent and for forty days we will imitate the forty days Jesus spent in the desert praying and fasting as he prepared for his public ministry.  These forty days are given to us now as a time to prepare our hearts to renew our baptismal promises on Easter Sunday.  During Lent we purify our hearts, minds, and souls of every sinful inclination and evil, so we may once again embrace the Risen Christ.... Read more

During a weekend of October in 2001, I drove down from college to Macon.  This was my first official step in answering a mysterious call I felt to the priesthood.  The same evening I arrived, a group of us continued onto Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Columbus for a vocations dinner.  That evening I met the legendary Father Lucree, pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes. After dinner while standing in the parking lot, Father Lucree approached me and another... Read more

He sido sacerdote solamente por dos miércoles de cenizas y ambos años me he conmovido con las palabras “recuerda, hombre, que polvo eres y en polvo te convertirás.”  Estas palabras se convierten aun más conmovedoras al colocar cenizas en las frentes de los niños.  Niños que aun tienen todas sus vidas por delante, pero que aun permanecen polvo que en polvo se convertirá. Esta realidad es resaltada cada año en la liturgia de la Iglesia por una razón: para que... Read more

I have only been a priest for two Ash Wednesdays, and both years I have been deeply moved by the words “remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”  The words became even more poignant when placing the freshly burnt ashes on the foreheads of children and infants.  Children who still have their whole lives ahead of them, yet they are dust, and to dust they shall return. This sobering reality is highlighted every year in the Church’s... Read more

Imagine you run into a high school buddy after many years and he asks you, “who did you marry?” You answer, “Susie, and I’m so happy.” Your buddy replies, “That’s too bad, I really wish you had married Lola.” The reply is very rude and inconsiderate!  It questions your choice while also questioning where you find happiness. The reply may seem odd and improbable, yet people, and many times faithful Catholics, say this to priests occasionally. “Father, I wish you could... Read more

Today I returned to my high school for the annual Diocesan Catholic School Teacher Institute.  I taught a session on the Gospel of Saint John. My new (an unique) experience began when two of my three high school religion teachers entered the classroom to attend my session. My calculus teacher also came.  The classroom where I taught had been my history teacher’s class, Doc, who influenced my decision to study history. When one of my religion teachers arrived, I said... Read more