You'll be pleased to know that our group for new and aspiring Catholics is flourishing. Good numbers show up on Wednesday nights for our RCIA group; a similar number have already received initiation this year. Please God, there will be many more. Everyone is always welcome; we’re ready to welcome you as soon as you’re ready. This is the Lord’s work among us and in you. For new Catholics, there is a detachment from the original community. If they’re coming from a Christia

When I was a kid I sometimes saw movies in which one of the characters called out, “Smithkins, you’re fired!” To me back then, it seemed like a moment of power. But, a few years ago when I found myself in that situation, the experience was quite different. I was running a theological college in another country, and one of the ancillary workers, let’s call him Raphael, was going through a marital crisis. We were arranging marriage counselling for them, but before it could t

In today’s Gospel, we hear the beginning of chapter 13 of Matthew’s Gospel, which scholars call the “parabolic” discourse of Jesus (don’t worry, it has nothing to do with mathematics!). It’s the third of five discourses in the Gospel of Matthew, so we are right in the heart of his Gospel. There are seven parables in this chapter. We hear the first, and the longest, today, and we will hear the rest of them over the next two Sundays. Given that we are entering into Matthew’s pa