Easter in Ordinary

I am preparing for some changes. Fr. Peter Pacini, C.S.C. will be taking the helm of St. Adalbert and St. Casimir Parishes in July. I am also preparing to walk the Camino de Santiago de Compostela , departing July 1 and returning August 10. It is a time of taking stock and passing on. It is a time of preparation, spiritual and physical, for the rigors of the pilgrimage. It is a time of remembering and looking ahead. I have been taking some long walks through the neighborhood. I walked past one street to see a crew doing a home demolition. The home has rested on the West Side for probably one hundred years, but I have known something of it since 2001. In 2001, I came to St. Stephen and St. Casimir as associate pastor. Early in my time at St. Stephen, a woman would call the parish office and speak to me anonymously. She was in a violent marriage, raising three children. In a series of calls, I learned that she had previously been hospitalized for a beating that she had t...

In the midst of Holy Week, we join with whole church for the celebration of these holiest of days. These are a few snapshots of our celebration of these great days.

Today begins Catholic Schools Week. St. Adalbert Parish is blessed with an "exemplary" Catholic school-- it is not just me saying so-- the State of Indiana has agreed every year that they have been evaluating Hoosier schools! Bishop Kevin Rhoades, pictured at left, said it well: "A Catholic school is not just a physical place; it is a spiritual reality" as it is commissioned to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. That reality, built on Christ, requires students (naturally), devoted faculty and staff, parents, friends, clergy and religious. An "exemplary" teacher is Annette Romans, sitting to the left of Msgr. Bill Schooler (in the front row). Annette goes above and beyond the call of duty with her students. She serves on our school board. She works closely with parents in the Home And School Association (HASA). Annette was named our Light of Learning winner for 2010. Thank you, Annette, for all you are and do! Thanks, too, to all who ha...

The West Side is dotted with beautiful churches-- not just at St. Adalbert and St. Casimir, but all over. The immigrants who came to the West Side did not have much, apart from a dream and their faith. They lived in smaller homes, but they built beautiful churches! These shared spaces of beauty have always been places of pride in our community. Sometimes, when I drive over the railroad tracks at Ford Street, near Walnut, if I look down the way, I can see St. Hedwig's. I can't tell you how many times we've had cloudy days but a ray of light shines down and illuminates that church. Here is a photo of the bell tower at St. Casimir, taken yesterday (January 30, 2010). It reaches up to heaven in a blue sky. I also love the wispy clouds!