Padre’s Points to Ponder

A Tribute to Our Veterans On this Veterans Day, we pause to honor the courageous men and women who have served our nation with unwavering dedication and sacrifice. Their commitment to protecting our freedoms and defending our way of life is a testament to their bravery and honor. In Scripture, we find encouragement and inspiration … Continued

Jesus isn’t anxious…why are we? Imagine Jesus Christ, risen from the dead and ascended into the glory of Heaven, seated at the right hand of the Father, surrounded by angels and saints all celebrating the Wedding Feast of the Lamb…is he nervous or stressed out?  Not at all.  Can we say the same? We tend … Continued

For God’s Sake: Give Your Life Away The first week of November is loaded with tremendous celebrations…our parish feast day and holy day of obligation, All Saints Day, followed immediately by the Commemoration of All Souls.  Then flowing from the celebration of those in Heaven, then those being purified for Heaven, the US Conference of … Continued

Evil at Our Doorstep Dear All Saints Parish Family, Since early September and in fever pitch now, the American cultural vibe has been to push Halloween themes.  Some of this is wonderful and helps us mark the changing of seasons.  Some of it needs to be avoided at all costs.  Pumpkin Spice, harvest themes, sweater-weather, … Continued

Principles for Voting like a Catholic Come Holy Spirit… Dear All Saints Family, Election season is at its fever pitch, and it’s usually the most divisive “moment” of every four years.  Human lives are at stake, power dynamics are at play, and we’re led to believe that the election of the “other” will mark the … Continued

Festivities Are Coming It’s somehow October.  I have no idea how, but it’s here.  And that means that the floodgates are about to open on so many incredible celebrations! First, take a look at the saints on the calendar this month…there’s some heavy hitters!  This month has the feast days of St. Thérèse, the Guardian … Continued

Rise Against Hunger Mark your calendars for Saturday, December 14…All Saints is partnering with Rise Against Hunger to help end hunger! Rise Against Hunger is an organization on the front lines of the food shortage crisis in many parts of the world.  As their mission states, “Rise Against Hunger is a growing global movement to … Continued

Who You Gonna Call? Do you know that we have a Sacramental Emergency Line?  Fr. Tan and I take turns carrying a special cell phone for just this purpose.  Do you know how and when to use it?  I’m here to shine some light on this critical aspect of Sacramental Ministry at All Saints. First, … Continued

Deus Providebit! (God will provide!) Dear All Saints Family, Thank you so very much for the warm welcome last weekend! I am truly grateful for the opportunity to meet so many of you and learn a little about your backgrounds as well. It makes me so excited for everything that this upcoming year will offer. … Continued

Newness Abounds Dear All Saints Family, The Lord Jesus proclaims that He makes all things new (see Revelation 21:5), and He is working overtime here at our little slice of His Kingdom! Some great updates to share with you all: 1) Restore and Renew, 2) Blessed Carlo, 3) Our new Middle School Youth Minister, and … Continued

A Catholic Way to Celebrate Labor Day Growing up in New Jersey “back in the day,” Labor Day was always the last hurrah of summer break before school started again…a day thus marked with a certain amount of sadness, even as we were celebrating.  My family would go to the public pool one last time, … Continued

Dear All Saints Parish Family, After an amazing year serving here at All Saints it is with great sadness that I prepare to leave what has become my home. This past year has been an absolute gift from the Lord and I find myself marveling at all of the ways the Lord has shown his … Continued

Padre from Spain You may have noticed over the past week or so that this is a towering, Spanish-speaking priest with us here at All Saints. His name is Fr. Joaquín Hernandez from the Archdiocese of Madrid.  He is pastor of San Clemente de Roma in the southern part of the metropolis, a small parish … Continued

Sometimes Things Get Messy Though it was weeks ago, the National Eucharistic Congress is still bearing fruit… there’s a steady flame of fire in my heart, and I’m most grateful. A memory stirs that I think gives a beautiful spiritual insight beneficial to us all. So much of the Congress was impeccably planned and perfectly executed.  … Continued

Dear Friends in Christ, I really enjoy being able to share good news with you.  The Gospel, first and foremost, but also the good news of parish achievements and accomplishments.   During the month of June we announced an initiative to add sacred art in our church depicting the Saints.  After all, we are ALL SAINTS! … Continued

Dear All Saints Family, I am freshly back from the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis, where the whole parish was carried in my heart and prayer at adoration, at Masses, in the Procession, everywhere!  My soul is filled to the brim with the graces of that experience. You’ll be hearing all about those graces for … Continued

The Heart of Renewal Before we get down to business with this weekend’s article, a quick word of gratitude for all who made the return of Vacation Bible School such a massive success!  Over 50 children gathered each day this past week to learn about the Saints in a joy-filled, action-packed VBS.  From my heart, … Continued

Renew and Restore Dear All Saints Parish Family, As all of us are aware, many things around our campus are in great need of repair, deep cleaning, and restoration, and the Archbishop has given us the go-ahead to raise funds for these projects. So it is with excitement and joy that I share with you … Continued

Faith and Works: Partners in Our Journey of Faith As we journey together in our faith, it is essential to reflect on the profound relationship between faith and works, a cornerstone of our Catholic belief. This relationship is not merely a theological concept but a lived experience that shapes our daily lives and our eternal … Continued

Understanding the Four Marks of the Church: One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic If we want to dive deeper into our Catholic faith then we must first recognize and reflect on what the Catholic Church stands for. For us to do this it is essential to delve into what we mean when we profess our belief … Continued