St Mary's Church, Swormville

It’s Labor Day weekend! Where has the time gone? As I write this column teachers are on campus for start of the year training, faith formation workshops are going strong, organiza...

Only those who are humble can receive the gifts of God. This is because either we are too proud to accept them or we do not know how to receive them without having to feel like i...

Only those who are humble can receive the gifts of God. This is because either we are too proud to accept them or we do not know how to receive them without having to feel like i...

Disciples are Different For these past few months in our homilies, organizations, outreach and more, we have been focusing on the fact that we are disciples of Jesus Christ...

According to The Roman Pontifical’s “Dedication of a Church and An Altar” (1989), “Every church to be dedicated must have a titular” and “This may be: The Blessed Trinity; our Lor...

After a couple of years because of Covid, it is good that Fr. Sleeva is back staying with us for the summer. We were talking of when he was first invited here by the-then-pastor ...

On a weekend in which Jesus enjoins us to be on guard against all greed, it is perhaps surprising that I begin this column by examining the 1987 movie Wall Street , in which Mich...

Welcome to all those who are joining us this weekend for our annual St. Mary’s Parish Picnic. Please know that you are always welcome here and that your support is greatly appreci...

Growing up, my family used to play a game on long car rides called, “I’m going on a picnic.” It was a guessing game of sorts in which, through a series of exchanges between the l...

In Sunday’s First Reading, we hear, “As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you.” My family recently celebrated my mother’s 75th birthday. My brother came in from ...

I recently went to St. Mary School eighth grade graduation dinner. It was an outstanding event with students, families, faculty and staff, and clergy. After dinner Mr. Riester, ...

Last week in Fr. Luke’s Consider this reflection, he wrote about the Universal Call to Holiness for all people. It is a reminder that by our baptism, we are all called to a holy l...

The Eucharist is the source and summit of our Catholic Christian livelihood. It is the source because the graces of God flow from this sacrament into every aspect of life. The E...

One of my favorite works of art is found in the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception Basilica in Washington DC which covers the entire wall at the entrance to that church....

In the Road to Renewal in the Diocese through the program of ALPHA, as well as among our staff and as a parish council, we have been talking a lot lately about the work of pre-ev...

I recently had a conversation with a parishioner who had to put his pet dog to sleep. This is a very difficult thing to do. Just as we grieve for our loved ones who have passed aw...

Consider this… We know the Ten Commandments were given by God to Moses. Today in the Gospel Jesus gives a new commandment : Love one another… As I have loved you, so you also...

The Month of May is a month for celebrating mothers. First and foremost is Mary, the mother of God and the mother of the Church, of us all. I was reading about how the month of ...

Easter is a 50 day season, in which we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection. Jesus’ resurrection is something we should all celebrate, because it is the hope of our faith. We hear in the...

The gift of the resurrection is unlike the gifts we receive at Christmas, packaged all nice and neat. It is not something that we simply grasp and then move on as if nothing happ...