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 is, simply put, my favorite liturgical feast. The fervor and devotion of our parishioners is what brings life and energy to this day. In 1531, when Our Lady appeared to Juan Diego, Mexico was in darkness. The indigenous had been conquered by Spanish invaders. Their world, as they knew it, had collapsed. Imported diseases wrought a horrific toll on the indigenous population. Indeed, there was darkness, and Our Lady was a light that shone in the darkness. She brought new purpose to the people of Mexico. Now, almost five-hundred years later, she brings light to the Americas and people the world over. She, like her Son, calls us to be light to the nations, to push back the darkness. Even before Mass began, the church was full of the faithful. The choir sang the traditional Marian hymns. This feast is a Feast of " Flor y Canto ," Flower and Song. The choir is essential to this celebration. Likewise, La Sociedad Guadalupana is essential to...