Bishop’s Corner Our latest of Lents got off to a good rainy start on Wednesday. Rain sometimes symbolizes an abundance of heavenly blessings (on a wedding day, for example) and our Ash Wednesday was full of graces. How many of you made the sacrifice to come through the dark and the rain to receive your […]

Bishop’s Corner I was speaking with Fr. Hecquard the other day. He remembered fondly his stay with us last winter, and sends his prayerful greetings along with the report that France is also enjoying an early spring. The French call such mild weather (perfect days, really) “doux;” literally, sweet. And indeed how sweet have been […]

Bishop’s Corner I can’t help but see some spiritual symbolism in these dark February days. The shortest month has been all struggle, hasn’t it? Spring, promised at the Purification, has been waiting in the wings week after week, with its new life and warmth all wrapped up. But storm after storm distracts us, and delays […]

Bishop’s Corner The last days of Epiphanytide saw an early spring arrive to usher in Septuagesima, preparation in turn for the soul’s springtime, Lent. I knew it! Already on the last Sunday of January there was a bit of spring in the air, confirmed by Candlemas’ cloudy dawn later that week. Furthermore, the blackbirds were […]

Bishop’s Corner Fr. Cekada was teaching at the seminary last week, while I was in Mexico. I myself visited the seminary in January, to give the retreat. I must say I was very impressed, not only with the beautiful chapel which is nearing completion, but also with the caliber of our future priests, intelligent and […]

Also this week: Listen to Bp. Dolan’s Candlemas sermon: Christmas is Departing, But Keep Your Candle Burning Bishop’s Corner February, whose name means “to purify by sacrifice,” one author says, slid in on Tuesday, making an icy entrance for the shortest of months. Fr. Cekada, St. Francis de Sales-like, had to crawl on his knees […]

Bishop’s Corner Tomorrow January ends, and Wednesday, Christmas. Make of these endings a good beginning by a resolution or two, borrowed perhaps from St. Francis de Sales, whom we solemnize today. (You might call him the patron saint of reading as well as of writing.) It is too long to wait for Lent to reform […]

Bishop’s Corner Another “snow cycle” began again last Thursday. We are grateful for the moisture, but also for the intervals of clear weather, when it is easy to move around, and anyone could make it to church. Fr. McGuire departed in the snowstorm for points east, including the funeral on Friday for Jackie Neubauer, first […]

Bishop’s Corner Christmas reached its high point with Epiphany on January 6, a feast of devotion which we observed as the holiest of holy days, and a true holiday. Our school children sweetly chanted the First and Second Vespers which begin and end the liturgical day. Other children joined us and helped for the Solemn […]

Bishop’s Corner I write this column on Epiphany itself, after a beautiful morning Mass sung by our school children, and a very nice brunch with everyone to celebrate “Little Christmas”. The day is overcast and perhaps portends snow. We shall see. We managed to get in a story or two for the little ones, who […]

Bishop’s Corner Christmas, its vigil and holy night, its day and feasts and octave, all passed peacefully, in great beauty and quiet and spiritual joy. Even the light, “Christmasy” snow did not hold people back too much, but served rather as a charming backdrop to the feast. Our attendance was excellent, and all of those […]

Listen to Bp. Dolan’s Christmas Sermon: The Christmas Gift of Hope Bishop’s Corner All of this past week, your devoted fellow members reported to the galley to give a hand with the oars, and help our Christmas celebration to come together. This always entails a certain amount of stress and fatigue, of course, as well […]

Bishop’s Corner For a “weather week” this has been a busy one, beginning with another excellent Advent Sunday. All three so far have been snowy, yet gratifying in their attendance and spirit. Some came early last week to avoid the afternoon snow. Our Christmas Craft and Cookie Sale (get in on it, still today!) did […]

Bishop’s Corner A window in our winter weather opened Wednesday, and the sun shone brightly for our Blessed Lady’s Immaculate Conception. I was even able to sit in some sunny windless corner of my garden to pray my Office that afternoon, and most of you were able to make it for Mass. The sunlight sung […]

Bishop’s Corner It snowed, or tried to, on December 1st, almost as if to say, along with the biting chill: “December is here, winter has arrived.” The day before so many of you charitably braved the rains and the dark day to be the family for Ed Sayre’s funeral – his Rosary and Mass. I’m […]

Bishop’s Corner Advent Sunday is also Thanksgiving Sunday this year, a fitting combination because of the many blessings God has showered upon us of late, blessings (both crosses and crowns) which prepare His advent in to our hearts and lives. The devil usually stirs up some trouble around Forty Hours, as he cannot bear the […]

Bishop’s Corner St. Gertrude’s feast brought a good soaking rain all day, sure sign of Heaven’s blessings, to break the drought which has afflicted us here since June. There may still be time for us to enjoy a bit of fall before winter comes to stay. Let us pray the rains continue to repair the […]

Bishop’s Corner I am writing this on Martinmas, the great feast of St. Martin, the original autumn harvest festival or Thanksgiving Day, and our Veterans’ Day, 11/11. It is, sure enough, St. Martin’s summer this week. We call it “Indian summer,” these warm sunny days after a freeze. I’ve just learned that this weather was […]

Bishop’s Corner These short sunny days of November we await a hard freeze which many years never comes. The garden goes to sleep a bit at a time, and winter’s approach is gentle. May it be so this year. I am admiring nature’s forgiving bounty this week, contemplating a chrysanthemum in my garden. We had […]

Be sure to listen to Bp. Dolan’s Christ the King sermon: From Actors to Saints Bishop’s Corner The strong winds at the beginning of the week blew in a brief, refreshing relief from our Summer drought, but now it feels like Winter as I write this. We’ve just had a sugary sweet Halloween lunch for […]

Bishop’s Corner What beautiful Fall days have fallen to our lot this month! We are grateful for the glorious weather, and are getting ourselves, slowly, ready for Winter. An icy patch of parking lot has been corrected near the garage, and the fish pond is being seen to. The asphalt in the parking lot needs […]

Bishop’s Corner Today’s feast of St. Margaret Mary makes us think of the Sacred Heart, the main devotion (among so many!) at St. Gertrude the Great. Your Rosary meditation can help to inspire you with a greater, more generous love of the Sacred Heart. Come to the Friday evening Novena sometime both to ask and […]

On Rosary Sunday, Fr. Carlos Ercoli gave a very moving talk, “My Path to the Priesthood.” If you missed our Rosary Sunday breakfast, be sure to listen to it here. Bishop’s Corner How was your first Rosary week? Did you remember to shove back the plates, and pass out the beads, and pray together? For […]

On Rosary Sunday, Fr. Carlos Ercoli gave a very moving talk, “My Path to the Priesthood.” If you missed our Rosary Sunday breakfast, be sure to listen to it here. Bishop’s Corner A Blessed Rosary Sunday to you all, and especially our St. Gertrude Rosarians. I hasten to thank Gloria and Richard Zbilicki who helped […]

Bishop’s Corner I hope there are many little children to bless and dedicate to their Guardian Angel today. The other Sunday I was thinking how nice it is that the 11:30 is once again full of families especially, with many infants in arms and little children. These lucky babies, if their parents persevere, are destined […]

Bishop’s Corner Did you remember to pray last week for rain? We did, but to be on the safe side, Eldon and Dale watered everything on Wednesday, which was guaranteed to bring rain. Sure enough, I awakened during the night to the sound of a very fine shower of rain. Now, let us continue to […]