Dear friends,

Recently, I had a brief but meaningful encounter at the bank with a young woman behind the counter, which I wished lasted longer. Seeing my clerical collar, she struck up a lively conversation with me and asked if I was a priest. When I confirmed I was a Roman Catholic priest, she shared a story I hear often: She had received all her Sacraments—Baptism, First Holy Communion, and Confirmation—but today, she only attends Mass occasionally to accompany her grandmother.

Dear Parishioners,

Three weeks from now, we celebrate the OLMC Festival. Come one, come all to share together as a community of faith, called, baptized, and sent to spread the good news by our lives. "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20).

Dear Parishioners,

I am currently chairing an ad hoc committee that Bishop Dolan has set on the presbyterial council to write a policy on retirement for diocesan priests in the diocese of Phoenix. Part of the initiative I took was to sit down recently and speak with some retired priests whose opinions I respect, so as to gather their experiences. Allow me to share one of the pieces of feedback I got, which moved me deeply. My retired priest friend said:

Dear Parishioners,

As your pastor, my goal, as I have repeatedly told you, is to help lead you to heaven, and our mission as a parish is to help everyone who walks through our doors to heaven. This continues to be a great blessing and joy for me to walk this journey of faith with you. I love you deeply, and I am grateful every day for your commitment to our parish, our school, and to one another. It is in this spirit of gratitude and love that I invite you to participate in our second Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish and School Endowment Drive.

Dear Friends,

We have just passed the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, and we will now enjoy a little more light each day. Christmas itself is a feast of lights, isn't it? Trees are brought into homes and made radiant with brilliant lights; yards and streets are also illuminated; stores are decorated with lights. The whole world is illuminated. In other ways, too, our lives are aglow with light. Families come together and are sometimes reunited after many years; kind wishes and gift-giving strengthen bonds of love and friendship, and memories are brought back to life while new memories are born. These events of grace truly light up our lives.

Happy New Year, Dear Friends,

We have just joyfully celebrated the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and I hope you all had a blessed and peaceful time with your families.

In a few days’ time, as we usher in the New Year 2026, our attention now turns to the Blessed Virgin Mary. On January 1st, we celebrate the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God. This is a profoundly significant celebration as we begin this new year under her special title.

Dear Friends,

As we conclude the Advent season and prepare to celebrate the joyous birth of our Lord in a few days’ time, I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. However, even as we enter this festive season, some of our dear ones will not be sharing that joy for various reasons. One of the reasons for some will be loneliness. This reality was brought home to me in a way that moved me to tears, through the sad story of a mother whom I came across online. I suspect some of you can relate to this story.

Dear Friends,

The tone of our celebration for the 3rd Sunday of Advent, also known as Gaudete, is one of rejoicing. The Entrance Antiphon resounds: "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice. Indeed, the Lord is near." The first reading this Sunday presents the Prophet exalting the people to rejoice and to be glad for their God is coming to them. On that day, “The eyes of the blind shall be opened, the ears of the deaf unsealed, then the lame shall leap like a deer and the tongues of the dumb sing for joy.”

Dear Friends,

Recently, a close friend of mine posed a highly insightful question to me. I had just described my ministry day, which began with the profound solemnity of hearing confessions, immediately followed by the grief and hope of a funeral Mass, transitioned into the joyful celebration of a wedding Mass, and concluded with the celebratory atmosphere of a school gala.