Spotlight on Human Trafficking
When I was in Elementary School we learned that Slavery here in the United States ended in 1865 when Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. Unfortunately, the message did not reach all of the slaves in America until much later. Which is why we now have a Federal Holiday celebrating Juneteenth. As a young student in the 1960’s, I […]
Vocations Awareness Sunday
Today is Vocations Awareness Sunday, a day in which we all celebrate the fact that each one of us has a Vocation, by virtue of our Baptism. A Vocation is a Calling, and we are all called by name when we have the Holy Water poured over us as a sign of welcome into our Catholic Church community! […]
He Has Risen! Alleluia!
He Has Risen! Alleluia! Today we celebrate the event that caused the disciples to recognize and accept the Message of Resurrection, the Message of Salvation, and the Message of Eternal Life! During this past week we have commorated the triumphant entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, we celebrated Holy Thursday with the […]
Compassion and Encouragement
Last month was one of the most difficult times in my priesthood, and, for that matter, my entire life. When word came to us that Bishop Dave O’Connell had been brutally murdered in his private residence, we were all shocked with unbelief. How could this happen to him? How could it happen to anyone? This […]
Bishop Dave O’Connell
After completing my first assignment as a priest at Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Claremont, I was assigned to be the Pastor of Holy Name of Jesus Church in South Los Angeles. What a change! After four years as an Associate Pastor in a wonderful parish, I moved into the inner-city and took over a parish that had $2,636.45 in the checking account and over $7,000.00 in unpaid bills. Rather than making sick calls to elderly people who were struggling with the health issues related to aging, I was visiting young people who had been shot or stabbed and were fighting for their lives. As you can imagine, each day was a struggle and a challenge. And, there were times when I wished that I had brother priests with whom I could discuss the issues I was facing.