Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus,

This Sunday, December 8, is the usual day we celebrate the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. However, in the Novus Ordo calendar, the celebration of the Immaculate Conception is transferred to Monday, December 9, for this year. It is not a Holy Day of Obligation this year. This teaching on the Blessed Virgin is one the most sublime of the doctrines of...

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus,

This weekend we celebrate the First Sunday of Advent. This week the readings point us to prepare for the coming of Jesus in a few ways: His imminent presence in the world through the Catholic Church and His final coming at the end of time. Our Catechism of the Catholic Church has an excellent teaching about what our Lord teaches us about these matters:

“"Christ died and lived again, th...

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus,

This weekend I offer a wonderful sermon by Servant of God, Fr. John Hardon, S.J. on Devotion to the Souls in Purgatory:

“Over the centuries the month of November has been dedicated to the Poor Souls. No doubt the reason is because November is the last month of the liturgical year, even as purgatory is the last stage of human existence before a soul reaches heaven. During this homily, I...

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus,

The whole month of November is dedicated to increasing devotion to aid the souls in purgatory. This past Thursday in the Liturgy of the Hours I read one of the sources from Sacred Scripture that gives evidence of Purgatory and the need to pray for the Faithful Departed. This is from 2 Maccabbees 12:32-46: “After the feast called Pentecost, Judas and his followers lost no time in march...

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus,

The whole month of November is dedicated to increasing devotion to aid the souls in purgatory. I came across a great article on this topic in National Catholic Register written by Joseph Pronechen and printed October 24, 2011. The article is an interview with author Susan Tassone. Here are excerpts from the article:

“What is the best devotion to help the souls in purgatory? The Holy Sa...

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus,

The month of October is dedicated to growing in devotion to the Holy Rosary. Let us all joyfully take up this beautiful devotion each day! Sometimes, however, it may be difficult for us to understand the importance and the need we have for praying the Holy Rosary. To help us understand, I include an excerpt from the book, The Secret of the Rosary by St. Louis Marie de Montfort:

“It wou...

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus,

I invite all our parishioners to attend our Tri-parish preached mission that will be held each evening of October 13, 14, 15, and 16 at 7pm at the Church of St. Paul, Zumbrota! The theme will be the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary! Our mission is open to all people, so you can invite others to attend!

This weekend I invite you to remember the events that took place October 13,...

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus,

During this month of October all Catholics are encouraged to grow in devotion to the Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary! For a time after the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) the practice of praying the Holy Rosary waned among many Catholics around the world. Such a falling away from praying the Holy Rosary was not part of the Second Vatican Council. Rather, it was part of a mis...

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus,

This time of year Holy Mother Church gives special emphasis to the loving activity of the Holy Angels in our midst. On September 29 we celebrate the Feast of the Archangels: Sts. Michael, Gabriel and Raphael. On October 2 we celebrate the Memorial of the Guardian Angels. Knowing about and being sensitive to the presence of Angels can be very beneficial for our spiritual growth. The go...