RCIA…OCIA… what’s it all about? When I began this role of Director of Adult Faith Formation almost six months ago, I had little idea that one of the most rewarding parts of the role would be directing the parish OCIA program. It is a privilege to encounter so many people exploring the Catholic faith and walking with them on this part of their journey with Jesus Christ. I want to give you a few updates. The name of RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) has been changed to OCIA, the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults....READ MORE

‘Ordinary Time’ of Discipleship - Starting this week, we enter into this holy season that the Church calls “Ordinary Time,” which lasts until Lent beginning on March 5. The liturgies are a bit simpler than the Christmas Season, but living our discipleship is never ‘ordinary’ in the secular use of that word. The scriptures during this Season invite us to reflect more deeply on how we are truly disciples of Jesus in our ‘ordinary’ daily lives. Here’s a short list of ways you can fully embrace this “Ordinary Time” ...READ MORE

The Twelve Days of Christmas - While the song is popular for caroling, it is actually based on an ancient Catholic tradition of celebrating the Miracle of Christ’s Birth for 12 days – Christmas Day until Epiphany (January 6). These are truly holy days to remind us that Christmas actually just begins on December 25 and lasts for these two weeks. After all the festivities, gift giving, and traveling are over, take time during these 12 Days to sit quietly in front of your Manger scene or the one here at church...READ MORE

Christmas Octave Graces - This week, we move from Advent to Christmas to the Feast of the Holy Family, all within 7 days. Together, we celebrate these holy days around the Altar of the Eucharist and listen to powerful scriptures about the beautiful and surprising ways that God ‘intervenes’ in our lives with His grace and love. A special welcome this week to all visitors, family members from out of town, those returning to Mass after months or years away, and people from other Christian denominations ...READ MORE

“People of Light” Often times when I teach about the value of going to the Sacrament of Confession (Reconciliation), I use the image of LIGHT…to describe the Holy Spirit’s goal of cleansing out any ‘dark’ things in our life and filling us with God’s Light. We each have some ‘dark spots’ in our thoughts, heart, and soul that God wants to heal and remove in this powerful sacrament of healing. This Thursday evening at 7:00 PM, we will have 8 priests here to offer the Sacrament of Reconciliation…to help us be People of Light...READ MORE

The Season of Advent - This weekend we begin a new liturgical year with the First Sunday of Advent. We prepare in this season for the Solemnities of Christmas, in which the First Coming of the Son of God to humanity is remembered. At the same time, our minds and hearts are led to look forward to Christ’s Second Coming at the end of time. For these two reasons, the Church calls Advent “a period of devout and expectant delight.” The Roman Missal states, “In Advent, floral decoration and the use of the organ and other musical instruments should be marked by a moderation suited to the character of this time of ...READ MORE

Happy Thanksgiving! As a Catholic Church, today we celebrate the great feast of Christ the King, bringing a close to our liturgical year. Next Sunday we begin Advent, which for us is a ‘new year’. In our own nation, our feast of Thanksgiving on Thursday is a great time to truly expand our hearts in gratitude. We often count all the things that we don’t have, comparing our lives to those around us. As Christians and stewards of all that God has given to us, we take time this week to try to practice ...READ MORE

Good News to Share…The Holy Spirit continues to stir up great things in our parish of St. Clare. 1. Stewardship - in our recent invitation for parishioners to get involved in outreach, faith formation and education ministries, it is inspiring to have 182 cards turned in, representing 308 people who have said “yes” to giving of their time for the Church! If you have not turned in your card, it’s not too late. Please sign up online at stclarechurch.org/parish-ministries. *Note that the liturgical ministries READ MORE

Celebrating Parishioners’ Generosity…The wonderful success of Oktoberfest recently demonstrates the great generosity of our parishioners and the bountiful graces from God. Our beloved Poor Clare Nuns pray daily for us but especially for our Oktoberfest success and favorable weather…and once again we witnessed the power of their prayers…as they help connect us to God’s Grace! Their spiritual ‘boost’ and the hard work of so many parishioners came together beautifully! I was inspired to see so ...READ MORE

Thank You - I am so grateful for all of you who have done so much in the planning and implementation of our parish Oktoberfest this weekend. I will offer a more detailed “thank you” next week when the ‘party is over,’ but for now, know of my gratitude for how you helped. This upcoming week is our annual Diocesan Priest Convocation. From Monday through Thursday, we priests gather with our Bishop McGovern for prayer, study, and READ MORE

Oktoberfest Hospitality - As we gear up for our main parish fun/fund-raiser next weekend, make sure you invite your neighbors, family members, and workmates. Thanks so much to all of you who are going out of your way to help us sell raffle tickets, including sharing our online link stclarechurch.org to out-of-town friends and family members! We still have plenty of time slots open needing volunteers, so stop by the table after Mass or see the link we sent you online...READ MORE