Dear Friends,

You are invited to join me and many others who will be making (or renewing) their consecration to Mary on December 8th, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. We will be using the book, 33 Days to Morning Glory, by Fr Michael Gaitley with the preparation beginning on Saturday, November 5th. In case you don’t have a copy of his book, we have the simplified version available to you at no cost. They can be found in the Church and at the offices.

Dear Friends,

If you are a parent of an elementary school-aged child (ren), and have wanted to send your children to Catholic school but found the cost beyond your range, there is some incredibly good news for you. On September 30, the State of Arizona put into effect the ESA (Empowerment Scholarship Account) program.

Dear Friends,

The month of October (like May) is dedicated to our Blessed Mother. Last Thursday we honored Mary on the occasion of the 105th anniversary of her apparitions at Fatima. After more than a century, Our Blessed Mother’s appearance in that small Portuguese town continues to deeply impact Catholics worldwide. Why is that?

In part, the universally acclaimed signs and wonders that took place still reverberate in the Catholic imagination. The miracle of the sun, which has been retold and dramatized countless times, was witnessed by over 70,000 people (many of whom were skeptics). But perhaps the most enduring aspect of Fatima are the messages our Blessed Mother related to the three visionaries: Francisco, Jacinta and Lucia.

Dear Friends,

Lila Rose, the founder and president of the national pro-life group Live Action, recently spoke in defense of the unborn to a national audience on Dr. Phil’s talk show. When pressed about when life begins, the talk-show host insisted that the scientific community is undecided on this issue. That is a standard defensive move by the pro-abortion folks, but it is patently false. Lila cited a recent study of 5,577 biologist from 1,058 academic institutions in which 96% of them confirmed that a human’s life begins at fertilization.

Dear Friends,

The priesthood is the means that our Lord instituted to assure that the Church would always be able to provide the Sacraments and consecrated leadership for the flock. It is a moment of great rejoicing when a young man responds to God’s calling and offers himself in service to the Church. The priesthood is much more than a career or profession; it is a total way of life for the entirety of his life.

This year Fr. Aaron reached the milestone of his 10th anniversary. Today—Sunday, October 2, Fr. Aaron will celebrate the 11:00am Mass in honor of his priesthood followed by a light reception in McCready Hall (south side) where you can give thanks with him and share a piece of cake.

Dear Friends,

On September 15 the Adoration Chapel team went before the Diocesan Building Committee to seek approval for our project. It is their responsibility to review all parish construction proposals. They offered a few helpful suggestions and then unanimously agreed we could move forward with the Chapel.

Dear Friends, 

Our parish Youth Ministry launched its opening events this week—Life Teen night for High Schoolers and Edge for the Junior High children. I want to honor our Youth Minister, Miguel Nuñez, who has done a very good job in organizing the program and forming a team.

Dear Friends,

This weekend we inaugurate our Teen Mass on Sunday night, followed by the Life Teen program. I am very grateful to all those who have (and are) helping to re-formulate our outreach to our Junior High and High School youth. We all know the profound challenges they face in our highly politicized, secular culture. But we trust in the superior power of the Gospel and the Love of God to change people’s hearts.

Dear Friends,

The Atlantic, a prestigious magazine based in Washington, D.C., recently published an article entitled “How Extremist Gun Culture is Trying to Co-opt the Rosary.” Written by Canadian Daniel Panneton, it was heavy on conspiracy theory and identitarian hysteria, and very light on facts (let alone theological accuracy).

Dear Friends,

One of the main issues dividing Christians from non-believers—and even Christians from other Christians—is abortion. Is it a human being? Or does the mother have the right to decide to end the child’s life?

Dear Friends,

One theme that is consistent among Bishops, Catholic commentators, authors and observers of the Church in the 21st century, is the need for all Catholics to be actively engaged in sharing our faith. Our efforts need to be directed to fallen away Catholics or to anyone who is seeking God.

Dear Friends,

As most of you know, Pope Francis has appointed Bishop John Dolan as the 5th Bishop of our 52-year-old Diocese. Before coming here, Bishop Dolan was the Auxiliary Bishop of San Diego and is a native of the San Diego area.

As with all major moments in our Catholic Church, the transfer of authority from Bishop Olmsted to Bishop Dolan, was a beautiful and tradition-laden event. It began the evening before his formal Installation (August 1st) with Solemn Vespers at the Cathedral. Priests, Deacons and their wives and all religious men and women were invited. At 5:30pm, when the church was silent, we heard 3 loud knocks on the main door. It was Bishop Dolan; he was following a long-standing tradition of rapping on the door as if to say, ‘let me in to take charge of my Cathedral’ (the bishop’s parish).