Category Archives: Pastor’s Notes

Book Review: Don’t Let the Culture Raise Your Kids

St. Mary’s parishioner Marcia Segelstein has written a book entitled Don’t Let the Culture Raise Your Kids. (The book is published by Our Sunday Visitor and will be available soon in the St. Mary’s Bookstore). Quoting the biography on the book’s cover, “Marcia Segelstein has covered family issues for more than twenty-five years as a…
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May Crowning

During the month of May many parishes continue the ancient tradition of crowning a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary, often referred to as a “May Crowning”. Both in the Eastern and in the Western parts of the Catholic Church the practice of depicting the Blessed Virgin Mary wearing a crown came into use in…
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Learn Your Faith/Aprenda Su Fe: Scripture and Tradition

What is the difference between a “Catholic Bible” and a “Protestant Bible”? We have discussed the fact that the English word “Bible” comes from the Greek word which means “book”. The Bible is actually a collection of a number of books, some written before the coming of Christ (the Old Testament), and some written after His death and Resurrection (the New Testament).
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Learn Your Faith/Aprenda Su Fe: The Sign of the Cross

As Catholics we begin all things with the Sign of the Cross. Our prayers usually begin and end with this sign as do the Mass and the sacraments of Confession/Penance/Reconciliation, Baptism, Confirmation, and the Anointing of the Sick, as well as the Sacrament of Holy Orders (Ordination) all include anointing with Holy Oil tracing the…
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Funerals at the Parish/Funerales en la Parroquia

The death of a loved one, even when it is expected, is always a traumatic event. The Church has understood this very well for two millennia and has provided for Her children the funeral rites. The funeral rites (rituals, or liturgies) consist of three parts. The wake service (or Vigil), the Funeral Mass, and the…
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