Stewardship Thanks! I continue to be inspired by the generosity of you, our parishioners. When I see you volunteering in ministries, caring for each other, doing behind the scenes clean up, praying at Adoration, or leading a ministry…I give thanks to my God for your witness of love, faith, and generosity. I am also inspired by the number of Stewardship Cards that have been returned in the past two weeks. So far, 116 households have turned theirs in – thank you! We have not done a request ...READ MORE

Your Tithing Provides Hope for Our Parish Family! By now you should have received in the mail a large white envelope with your Stewardship of Tithing Brochure and Commitment Card. Please consider increasing your tithe through your weekly offertory envelope or online giving. Your increase in giving helps us cover the rising costs of running this ‘household’ of St. Clare Parish. Our parish staff works diligently to be good stewards of our parish funds, and we appreciate your support of our operating budget....READ MORE

Stewardship - Like you, this week I received my “Stewardship of Tithing” brochure from the parish office asking for an increase in my tithing/monthly contribution. I hope you have made time to read it and see the great photographs of how your financial contributions are making an impact at St. Clare and the bigger Church. Given that the Universal Church has begun a “Jubilee of Hope” led by Pope Francis, we want you to see and know how your parish is inspiring hope through our many ministries for ...READ MORE

Celebrating Catholic Schools - Each year at the end of January, Catholic parishes around the country celebrate ‘Catholic Schools Week.’ We do this for several reasons: 1. To thank all our parishioners for their financial support of this important ministry in our parish. 2. To promote the value of Catholic schools to those who may not be familiar with this parish ministry that helps parents pass on the faith to their children. 3. To help our school children realize the uniqueness of their ...READ MORE

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