April 22, 2018

As we continue on in this Easter Season, here are some thoughts to consider:

If Easter has touched your heart, accept the challenge to become what you receive. Consider strengthening your own faith life by attending one or more evenings of our Parish Mission, May 14, 15, and 16. If our faith is not strong, how can we share our faith with anyone? Accept the challenge to become what you receive.

Father William Garrott, O.P., will offer three evenings of reflection, song, and preaching. For those who wish, the rosary will be recited at 6:40 PM, and each evening will begin at 7:00 PM.

Monday evening’s preaching focuses on the unconditional love of the Father and concludes with an invitation to anyone, especially families (intact, broken, troubled, struggling, separated by distance, etc.) to receive a special blessing with the Oil of St. Joseph from the Oratory of St. Joseph in Montreal. Tuesday evening’s preaching focuses on the remedy the Father provides for us in His Son Jesus Who sets us free from sin, enables us to forgive and gives meaning to our suffering. The evening concludes with an invitation for those in need of healing (physical, emotional, spiritual) to adore our Eucharistic Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. Wednesday evening’s preaching focuses on the power of the Holy Spirit which enables us to live the Christian life and propels us to be witnesses of Jesus Christ in the world. The evening concludes with a sending forth blessing utilizing a first class relic of St. John Paul II taken from his blood-soaked sash from the day he was shot. All three evenings will be spiritual, uplifting, and worth your time. I hope you can join us on one or all three evenings. Put these in your calendar now.

March 25, 2018

This week begins the holiest week of the liturgical year. We hope many of you can join us for as many of the important events of this week as you can. Wednesday evening is the celebration of Tenebrae, a solemn and prayerful ending to our Lenten season. We gather in scripture, prayer, and song to mark the end of Lent, and usher in the Triduum, the sacred feast that forms the basis of our faith.

For those of you who are daily Mass persons, especially during Lent, there can be no morning Masses on Thursday, Friday and Saturday of Holy Week. We do offer the Liturgy of the Hours, led by our clergy, and prayed in unison with the whole Church. Liturgy of the Hours will be prayed Thursday, Friday and Saturday morning at 7:30 AM, at Saint Mary Church.

Even though it is three days, the Triduum is meant to be viewed as one celebration. At Precious Blood Parish, we will celebrate the Mass of the Lord’s Supper at Saint Mary Church on Thursday evening, The Celebration of the Lord’s Passion on Friday afternoon at Saint Agnes Church, and the Easter Vigil in the Holy Night at Saint Mary Church. Please check the times for all services in the bulletin.

As we are one parish now, with two church buildings, we celebrate all the parts of the Triduum together, as one people of faith. We hope your presence with us will help us to mark this solemn statement of faith, and encourage you to arrive early, as we anticipate that some services will be crowded. Remember, a full church is a great sign of hope!

May you be blessed with a peaceful and prayerful Holy Week, as we all anticipate the joy of Easter, where we celebrate that, “He is Risen.” 

February 11, 2018

As we approach this Lenten Season, beginning on Ash Wednesday, I share some thoughts for the penitential season that it is. The gospel reading for Ash Wednesday calls for us to pray, fast, and give alms.

Here are some suggestions for how to do this:

First, join us for one of the Ash Wednesday services, there are many choices at both churches. Join us for daily Mass during Lent, there are three each weekday, 7:00 AM and 12:05 PM at Saint Mary, and 9:00 AM at Saint Agnes. Avail yourself of the sacrament of Reconciliation, opportunities are available every Saturday and Monday during Lent. Make an effort to attend Stations of the Cross. Stations will be every Friday at 7:30 PM at Saint Agnes. All good ways to pray.

Fasting is required on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, and abstaining from meat on all Fridays in Lent. Maybe we can all fast from our other bad habits. Less time online, less time on our phones, more focus on the good people we are with. Just a suggestion.

There will be a collection Ash Wednesday, and the entire collection will go to the poor. Beth El Shelter, the John Rigley Food Pantry, and our parish shelter program will all share in the proceeds. Make almsgiving a regular part of your Lent, let your sacrifice help with your own path to forgiveness.

Try this Lent to be more prayerful, more self- sacrificing, more generous toward the poor. If we do, we will move confidently toward a great Easter celebration, knowing that the Risen Lord lives with us still! 

December 10, 2017

I hope all of you are immersed in the season of Advent, and allow yourselves time for prayer and worship. Isn’t it nice that Church can be an oasis from the clutter and rush of the holiday season? Our faith helps us to focus on our watchful, waiting attitude, affording us a perspective so we can appreciate the coming, once again, of the Christ child to our lives, and the ever-present Christ, with us in those we meet, especially the struggling and the marginalized.

Watchful and waiting is not easy, as I can attest. For a number of months now, my doctors and I have been waiting and watching a medical condition, which we now agree requires a surgical solution. I would prefer that God just take care of this, but I’ll let the surgeon cooperate with God to bring about the solution. I will be having surgery on December 12, and will be out for six or seven weeks.

If you need to be in touch with me, the best way is email. I would most appreciate your prayers, even though I am usually on the other end of the asking for prayers. Thank you for allowing me to minister to so many of you, it does more for me than you can imagine. God bless you all. 

November 19, 2017

Thanksgiving approaches this week, and all are invited to join us for the annual Milford Interfaith Service here at Saint Mary Church of Precious Blood Parish. It will be held on Tuesday, November 21, at 7:00 PM. This is a marvelous way to begin your Thanksgiving holiday, joining with your friends and neighbors of Milford to express thanks to God for all God has done for us.

Here at Precious Blood Parish we are thankful for our generous parishioners, supporting two churches and all their various ministries. We serve those who are hungry: those hungry for food are fed, those hungry for community are nourished, those hungry for God’s presence in their lives are sustained by all our Eucharistic celebrations. We serve those who are in need: those in material need are supported, those in need of connections are welcomed, those in need of comfort are sustained in their grief and loss.

We give thanks that God has blessed us with so many people of faith, who put their faith in action in worship and service. We give thanks that God has blessed us with priests, who give of themselves for the people they serve, and give of themselves for the God that they serve. We give thanks that we are a Christ-centered parish; and that the presence of Christ we celebrate in Eucharist is lived out in so many ways by so many of our parishioners.

Take time this week to be thankful for your many blessings— your blessings of family, friends, and faith. Take time this week to thank God above all; the God who loves us so much that He lives among us still. Let Jesus Christ, the Risen Lord, continue to touch your heart, heal your hurts, and lift your spirits so the truth of His enduring presence is evident among us each and every day.

May God Bless each of you with a holy, restful, and peace-filled Thanksgiving Day. 

October 22, 2017

Father Donahue is pleased to announce the following appointments to the Precious Blood Parish Finance Council:

Anthony Cacciabaudo
Noel Dubois Louis Elmo William Farrell
Jack Jansen
Kevin Kozek
Guiliana Santiago
Al Tonry

These members will meet and advise the pastor on financial matters, and provide an annual report to the parish both in writing and in person at all the Masses on a weekend in February. Please pray for these members who will help us insure we are good stewards of your generosity to us.

130 young people are being Confirmed this Sunday afternoon, October 22, at 1:30 PM by Archbishop Blair. Please keep them in your prayers, and find hope that we are a parish with so many who are willing to affirm their Catholic faith as adults.

All Souls Day is approaching, and as is the Church tradition, we will remember your loved ones all through November. Some of you may have an envelope for All Souls Day in your packet, but if you do not have an All Souls envelope, they are available at the doors of the Church. These envelopes, with the names of your loved ones, will be bundled in ribbon and kept on the altar for all Masses in November, as our parish prays for them together.

October 8, 2017

Here at Precious Blood Parish, we continue our service to families in grief. Dozens of families have lost a loved one these past months, and as a community we pray for them, we pray for the one who has died, and we pray that God will send his healing to these grieving families.

One of the traditional ways we remember our beloved dead is to offer Masses for them. Since we have merged, there are some daily and weekend Masses available for this year and for 2018. If you wish a Mass for a friend or loved one, simply call the rectory and we will make the arrangements for it.

In Eucharist, Jesus offers Himself again for us. His sacrifice of His total self affords us the opportunity for eternal life. Please consider taking advantage of the opportunity for a Mass offered for the intention of your loved one.

All religious education classes have begun, but it is not too late to register for this year. Go to the parish website, and click on Religious Education, and you will be led to what you need.

We ask everyone’s continued prayers for the residents of Puerto Rico as they piece their lives back together. Catholic Relief Services would be a good choice to direct any donations for these people in need. We will apprise you of plans for a parish collection.

Beginning with the week of October 14/15, you can now make your checks payable to Precious Blood Parish. If you have already done this, your check will be deposited now. Thank you for your patience.

September 24, 2017

We have all been mesmerized by the destruction of the flooding in Texas, and then the power of the storm called Irma passing through the Caribbean and then Florida and the Southeastern United States. We have been moved by the resolve of those who overcome obstacles, who weather the storm, who vow to rebuild their lives that have appeared to be shattered. We pray for them, we support them, we identify with them.

Many of us know people who live in the affected areas; many of us have been to the affected areas. In the midst of all this, I think of our sister parish in Haiti, Saint Therese in Marbial, where our efforts the past few years have been on helping to provide clean water. Not running water, not electricity, not even considering air conditioning. Power is spotty, if at all available. This is daily life for our sisters and brothers in Haiti.

Let us never forget when we note the loss of so much among us, there are those who live each day with nothing to lose. May our thoughts and prayers never be far from them, as well.

September 10, 2017

All of us have been moved by the devastating images that have come from the Southeastern Texas area these past few weeks. Centered in Houston, and the surrounding area, all of us share the hurt and pain of the families there, and our prayers are with them all. Many of us wish to do more, and our parish will do more by having a special second collection the weekend of September 16 and 17, 2107. We ask you to be generous, as parishes all over our diocese will join in this collection, and forward our proceeds to Catholic Charities in Texas, who will best know where to concentrate the aid.

We are mindful that there are many in need, and our collection for the Deacon John Rigley Food Pantry on September 9 and 10 (this weekend) will proceed as scheduled, assuring our continued efforts to feed Milford’s hungry families will be met. We know we are asking more of your generosity, but these extraordinary circumstances require this additional response. We thank you in advance for your continued prayers and your generous response.

We are still looking for volunteers to assist in our programs for grade 7 and 8 religious education, and grade 9 and 10 Confirmation Preparation. Grade 7 and 8 will meet monthly at Saint Agnes Church and hall on Tuesdays from 5-6:30 beginning October 3. Grades 9 and 10 will meet monthly at Saint Mary Church, beginning with 4:30 Sunday Mass through 6:45 PM. Grade 9 and 10 will begin October 1. We are scheduling programs so that all will experience both the Saint Agnes and Saint Mary worship sites, they are both sites of our one parish. We hope our fine young people can help lead the way to our parish becoming one.

Beginning Sunday, October 8, 2017, there will be the first of three parent/child experiences this year for our first grade students. This will be held at Saint Agnes Church and hall from 2:00 to 4:30. We hope to provide a beginning experience for the student and the parent, outlining for them what is important for their beginning faith formation, and how the parents can help their child in this process. All parents and first graders are welcome, regardless of where they go to school. Whether your child is in Catholic School, Public School, or private school, or home-schooled, all can benefit from this program.

Underlining all of our religious education: our emphasis that regular effort to worship with our parish community is the key to building a vibrant community of faith. This is why the Confirmation program begins with Mass each time, this is why special Masses will be held during the year for the 7th and 8th grade. This is why all religious education will include time in Church. Of course, parents are the key, in a world and community that makes so many other demands on theirs and their child’s time.

All of us need to be a part of this effort. Our parish needs to be a warm and welcoming place, where families can feel a part and participate. We all need to invite our neighbors and friends to join us more often; they are also part of who we are. This is not easy; this is difficult. If we are to be the Gospel people we are called to be, then we must rise to the challenge. Let the message of the Risen Lord Jesus resound all around our community: The new life He promised is real, this new life is celebrated here each week, and we all should long to be a part of it.

August 27, 2017

First of all, a reminder to every parish group that you need to send a representative to the calendar planning meeting to be held August 30, Wednesday, at 7:00 PM at Saint Agnes Church Hall. We want to plan a calendar for the year, trying to accommodate every group’s needs and wants for scheduling. We hope someone from your group can join us for this important event.

Tickets for the First Annual Precious Blood Parish Picnic will be on sale this week and next. Make an effort to attend, make a special effort to meet someone new. Both Churches are filled with wonderful people. Come and share a meal together.

The events of the past few weeks have made prominent the sin of racism that exists in our country, and all countries. In order for our nation to be healed of the sin of racism, each one of us needs to reflect on our need for healing. When we examine our consciences, let us do this humbly before Christ, who prayed to His Father, “so that they all may be one.....as You and I are one” John 17, 21. When answering the question, “Who do you say that I am?,” make sure our hearts are open to be healed by the Risen Lord Jesus.

As we commence a new school year, we are pleased that so many will be students with us at Saint Mary School. As we think of all who are returning or beginning school anywhere this year, you may want to pray this prayer of blessing for students and teachers. Or put it in your desk drawer, or stick it in someone’s backpack, or hang it on the refrigerator. Blessing for Students and Teachers

Gracious God, we ask your blessing on students and teachers as they begin a new school year. As we study and teach about the earth, remind us that all is a gift from you. As we study and teach about math and science, remind us that all order is your gift to us. As we study and teach literature and poetry and music, remind us that you are the source of all that is beautiful. Open the minds of all students, the hearts of all teachers, and lead them to have a blessed school year. AMEN.

August 13, 2017

Fr. William Garrott, O.P. of the Dominican Friars will visit Precious Blood Parish during all Masses at St. Mary Church on the weekend of August 19-20 as part of this year’s archdiocesan mission appeal. Fr. Garrott invites all parishioners to become spiritual partners with the Dominican friars who serve in the mission in East Africa. There, the Dominican Friars are engaged in the work of evangelization and faith development in a poor and underserved region where the Faith is very new. Their mission depends on the support of the faithful here at home. Your generosity is appreciated

As summer rolls along, here are some things to call to your attention, and some summer thoughts. This week we celebrate the Feast of the Assumption of The Blessed Virgin Mary on August 15. There will be two Masses at Saint Agnes on Tuesday, one at 9:00 AM and one at 12:10 PM. There will be four Masses at Saint Mary, one on Monday at 6:00 PM, the vigil of the Feast Day, and three on Tuesday; 7:00 and 9:00 AM and 12:00 noon. We hope you can take advantage of one of these times to worship with us on this Holy Day of obligation.

We will be looking to schedule a calendar meeting for all parish groups from both Churches during the last week in August. We need a representative from each parish group present at the meeting so a calendar of events for the year can be worked out, with as few conflicts as possible. We hope to be able to honor each group’s wishes and needs for their events. The meeting will be held Wednesday, August 30, at 7:00 PM, at Saint Agnes Church Hall, 400 Merwin Avenue. We will endeavor to contact each group individually so all are informed of the need to attend.

Just a note about the collection report that appears in the bulletin each week. The number reported is the total collection of the two Churches. The number appears at the bottom of the second column since that is where we have room for it in the bulletin, and reflects the total of the past weeks’ collection for the parish.

Here in Precious Blood Parish, as of this writing, we have had 26 funerals since July 1. It is heartening to see such support from you, our parishioners, for these families in their time of loss. We hope these grieving families continue to find comfort in our parish community, and we ask your prayers for all those affected by these recent deaths. Do not hesitate to contact any of the parish clergy if you need additional spiritual support or know someone who does.

As the summer winds down, and we all get in the last few beach days, my prayer for each of you is that God’s peace will find you; that His peace will touch your heart. May the warmth of the summer sun remind us all of the love of the Son for each of us.

July 23, 2017

As Pastoral Associate for Christian Formation, I would like to offer a summer reflection on the Faith Life of our parish, and how our Faith Life is modeled and taught. There are vibrant signs of a healthy Faith Life in our parish. Over 140 young people will be Confirmed here this Fall. Over 120 made their First Communion this past Spring. Our two Churches have witnessed the Baptisms of nearly 100 new members in the past year. All signs that our Faith Life is evident, vibrant, and visible for all to see.

So many of you worship each week at Saint Agnes and Saint Mary Churches, a reflection of faith expressed. Daily Mass has steady numbers in attendance, both at the 7:00 AM at Saint Mary Church, and the 9:00 AM at Saint Agnes. All of us benefit from the many Masses and prayers offered by our community. Dedication to so many parish groups, like Helping Hands for Hurting Hearts, which meets at Saint Agnes Church, and Legion of Mary, which meets at Saint Mary Church; show a faith in action that is gratifying to all. There are numerous others. Above all, faith is something modeled and caught, rather than something that is taught. Teaching the basics of our faith is important, and it is not neglected. Real faith is experienced, and modeling our faith is the most important way it is taught. Being with persons of faith strengthens our own faith, and leads us all to be better Catholics, better Christians.

In this summer season, with time for relaxation and reflection, I hope you take some time to think about how your own faith is expressed. What is it that you already do that shows your faith in action? Are there activities you need to add to your daily life that will better reflect your own faith? I invite you to look at our parish website, found at www.preciousbloodparishmilford.org and notice the many opportunities for service, for prayer, and for worship. We worship together because our faith calls us to do so, we serve together because our faith leads us to do so, we pray for each other, our community, and our world because our faith reminds us to do so. Ask yourself this summer season, “How do I model my faith? Can others look at me and my example and know me as a person of prayer? Can my friends and family look at me and see me worshipping with my parish community? Are there more ways I can be of service, putting my faith into action?

As Pastoral Associate for Christian Formation, my challenge is to find more ways to help to form hearts; hearts formed because we have let God in to work on our hearts. This begins in our families, where God first touches our hearts. From our families to our friends, our community, and out to the world. We are all invited to join together in worship, in prayer, and in service. If we are all doing this, Christian Formation happens all around us. Thanks to all who support me in my ministry, your support and prayers are always appreciated.

June 25, 2017

Summer is now upon us, and if you are like me, we look forward to time to relax and reflect. I have been given pause this week to reflect on Father Chacko’s example from his homily this past week, using the Sequoia Trees as a metaphor. To recap, you would think that the giant Sequoias would have very long and deep roots, lest the towering height cause them to topple easily in the Pacific winds. But in fact, their roots are shallow, but intertwine with the neighboring trees’ roots to make for a very sturdy tree. The tree is only sturdy because of the connection to its neighbors; it could not support itself alone.

Here in the eastern two thirds of Milford, Saint Agnes and Saint Mary parishes will become one this week, with Christ the Redeemer to follow when their pastor retires. In our new Precious Blood Parish, our Catholic roots are deep, and our personal roots need to grow and intertwine so that we can hold each other up, reaching for greater and greater heights. When I think of my own faith development, I think of the people and the personal connections that have brought me to where I am today. Now we all have a new opportunity to make new connections, and to have our roots make us even stronger than ever.

When you see someone who is new, make them feel welcome. When you see someone in need, rely on our community to be of help. We are a parish of the Risen Lord, and we are all saved by His Precious Blood. His saving action is ongoing, His redemption of us all is ever present, His Body and Blood strengthens us all to be His presence in the community where we live. God needs us to be a beacon of hope in a world that often lacks hope; God needs us to be a sign to all of Milford that He lives among us still.

Our two vibrant Churches will now be one parish. Our two welcoming communities will now be one welcoming presence. Join with all of us to make our Catholic faith alive, evident, and overflowing with good will. Be a part of the future of the Catholic Church in Milford. Help to be the roots that hold our faith so high, towering for all to see.