Candlemas Day — February 2

01-31-2021Letter from the PastorFr. Don Kline, V.F.

Tuesday, February 2nd, is the day the Church celebrates Candlemas Day. It is one of the oldest feast days of the Church, and has been celebrated since the 4th Century.

This feast celebrates three important events. It commemorates the day that Our Blessed Mother Mary came to the Temple as the Law required of all women, in order to go through a purification ceremony 40 days after giving birth. Because of this, it is also referred to as the Feast of the Purification of Mary and is the reason why it is always celebrated on February 2nd. It is also the day that Mary and Joseph had to present their newborn Son, Jesus, to God in the Temple and offer a sacrifice on His behalf for His birth. All parents were required to do this for their firstborn sons. For this reason, it is also referred to as the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus.

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God is Pro Life (Part II of II)

01-24-2021Letter from the PastorFr. Don Kline, V.F.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Sadly, the unwillingness to offer real sacrifices and the lack of true love has led many people to believe that life is disposable. This tragic way of thinking has impacted our world in many negative ways i.e., marriages, families, workplaces, government, the economy, communities and even the Church.

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God is Pro Life (Part I of II)

01-17-2021Letter from the PastorFr. Don Kline, V.F.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

You have probably seen the bumper sticker: God is Pro Life. As children of God, we celebrate the Right to Life. We are all called to be Pro Life. All life has an inherent dignity because we were created by God and for God. Our Lord reminds us of the sacredness of every human life… born and unborn. Catholics have always held and will always preach the value of human life. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that:

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The Year of St. Joseph

01-10-2021Letter from the PastorFr. Don Kline, V.F.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Earlier this month, Pope Francis announced the Year of St. Joseph, honoring the 150th anniversary of St. Joseph’s proclamation as patron of the Universal Church. This made me happy as my middle name is Joseph and I pray to him often.

Pope Francis said the pandemic heightened his desire to reflect on St. Joseph, as so many people have made hidden sacrifices for others, just as St. Joseph quietly protected and cared for Mary and Jesus. He also said he wanted to highlight St. Joseph’s role as a father who served his family with charity and humility, adding, “Our world today needs fathers.”

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Epiphany of Our Lord

01-03-2021Letter from the PastorFr. Don Kline, V.F.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Magi? Wise men? Ancient astronomers? Kings? Who are these sojourners following the lightof the star to the Christ Child who is the Light of the world? We do know that they came toOur Lord to “do Him homage”. Following a star, they left the comfort of their familiarsurroundings to worship God. As the Gospel reminds us: When Jesus was born in Bethlehemof Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying,“Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do himhomage.”

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