When I was newly ordained, a priest gave me books and videos by an Italian missionary priest who had spent most of his life in Mexico. Fresh from the seminary where I had to read heavy philosophy and theology books for seven years, I must confess that I found Father Flaviano Amatulli’s books too simple. I didn’t pay too much attention to them. After being at a parish for a few months, I was teaching a sacrament preparation course... Read more
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Cuando estaba recién ordenado, un sacerdote me dio libros y videos de un sacerdote misionero italiano que había pasado casi toda su vida en México. Recién graduado del seminario donde por siete años tuve que leer libros de teología y filosofía, debo confesar que encontré los libros del Padre Flaviano Amatulli demasiado simples. No les presté mucha atención. Después de estar en una parroquia por unos meses, estaba enseñando un curso de preparación sacramental para adultos. Mientras en medio de... Read more
Today we remember Peter and Paul: two men called by God to do great things. Two men who certainly were not born equipped to serve the Lord, but rather, two men who were equipped by the Lord himself with the grace necessary to preach the Gospel and ultimately to give up their lives for its sake. First came Peter: a young fisherman living on the coast of the Sea of Galilee in a marginal province of the mighty Roman Empire.... Read more
Soon it will be two weeks since I moved from Saint Joseph in Augusta to Savannah to begin my new assignment. I want to share a few pictures of my new home, the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist. The day I arrived the Wall Street Journal published an article where Trip Advisor identified the best attractions in the world based on the quantity and quality of reviews of landmarks and parks worldwide. The Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist... Read more
Por algún tiempo he tenido una curiosidad en mi mente. El 7 de agosto de 2010 un evento histórico sucedió en los Estados Unidos cuando Elena Kagan juramentó como jueza de la Corte Suprema. Por primera vez en la historia no había protestantes en la corte más alta del país. Tres judíos y seis católicos se convirtieron en los jueces de más alto rango. Mi curiosidad es referente a los seis jueces católicos. ¿Qué papel ha desempeñado el catolicismo en... Read more
For some time I’ve had a curiosity bouncing around in my mind. On August 7th, 2010 a truly historic moment happened in the United States when Elena Kagan was sworn in as a justice of the Supreme Court. For the first time in history there were no Protestants in the highest court of the land. Three Jews and six Catholics became the highest ranking judges in the country. My curiosity concerns the six Catholic justices. What role has their Catholic... Read more
When I arrived to Saint Joseph two years ago, God manifested his strange sense of humor when the Gospel for my first weekend here proclaimed, “no prophet is accepted in his own native place.” What did this mean? I was happy to be home, but only the Lord knew the blessings and challenges that lay ahead. I was excited about serving the local Church that saw me grow and nourished my faith. Especially as an immigrant myself, I wanted for... Read more
Click here for English Antes de dar inicio a la Misa de Domingo de Ramos el año pasado decidí revisar los titulares en un sitio web católico. Mi corazón casi se paró al leer en la parte inferior de la página, “Sacerdote sirio secuestrado mientras la guerra continúa.” Durante mi tiempo en el seminario me hice muy amigo de dos seminaristas sirios provenientes de Alepo. A lo largo de los tres años que estudiamos juntos en Roma comparaba yo las... Read more
Before starting the Vigil Mass for Palm Sunday last year I decided to check the headlines on a Catholic news website. My heart almost skipped a beat as I read towards the bottom of the page, “Syrian priest kidnapped as war rages on.” During my time in seminary I became a very close friend of two Syrian seminarians from Aleppo. Throughout the three years that we studied together in Rome I compared the conditions that awaited me in the United... Read more
Imagine that you just took a seat at the Woodruff Arts Center in Atlanta, right on Peachtree, excited that you will listen to the Atlanta Symphony. The lights dim, the curtains open, the first violinist comes out, everyone claps. He stands in front of the musicians and you hear an A played by the oboe, all the instruments tune playing that A. The conductor now comes out, takes his baton, stands in front of the musicians and for the next... Read more
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