The feast of Pentecost draws our attention to that moment when the Holy Spirit descended on those gathered in the upper room. When we think of Pentecost we think of the Sacrament of Confirmation and the gifts of the Holy Spirit which many of us memorized in case the bishop asked us about them on Confirmation day. In this column I want to focus on the fruits of the Holy Spirit because if we are truly caught up in the fire of Pentecost, we will know it. The fruits of the Spirit – as proclaimed in Saint Paul’s letter to

Monsignor William Scheyd passed from this life on Wednesday, May 28 with his family and Bishop Caggiano present. As pastor of Saint Aloysius for 15 years, Monsignor Scheyd was a joyful preacher of the Gospel, a generous servant, and a priest you could count on to walk with you through the most challenging of life’s moments. Father Scheyd (as he preferred to be called, and which was the greeting he used for years on his voicemail message), loved being a priest and a pastor and worked hard at both. From his nascent days in Bridgeport to his journey to the

It’s always a privilege to welcome one of our seminarians each summer. This year Herley Mendez will join the Saint Aloysius Parish Community until mid-July. Herley has been in the U.S. for five years and was born and raised in Colombia. He is finishing his theological studies at St. Joseph’s Seminary in Yonkers, New York, and he will be ordained a transitional deacon on December 6, 2025 at St. Augustine Cathedral in Bridgeport. Herley has already gotten involved in parish life and is spending time with staff to learn more about pastoral leadership. He has a truly joyful and generous

An Augustian. An American. A White Sox Fan. A Linguist. A Villanova Wildcat Fan. A Tennis Player. All true, but most importantly: The Vicar of Christ, The Successor of Saint Peter. The Pontiff. The Servant of the Servants of God. The Pope. The selection of Pope Leo XIV is the work of the Holy Spirit who was present in the Sistine Chapel when the ballots were written and the white smoke rose from the chimney and wafted into Vatican Square. How blest is the Church to have a shepherd again. But Pope Leo needs our prayers because he bears the

The month of May gives rise to thoughts of many things. We are happy to see signs of springtime in our gardens, our college students are making their way home for summer break, our mothers get their day today – and how deserving they are! But it is also a month where we celebrate ordinations and religious vows. As far as the signs of springtime go, I’m delighted to see everything in bloom. Spring speaks volumes to the renewal that is Easter. Each time I see what God is doing in the splendor of springtime colors, I’m reminded that God

There are four stories in this Sunday’s post-Resurrection Gospel: the appearance of Jesus to the disciples, the large catch of fish, the meal, and the commission of Peter. The sight of the Risen Lord to the weary and defeated fishermen-disciples should have had all the emotion of a reunion with loved ones, but only John (“the disciple whom Jesus loved”) recognized Jesus. Far from disappointed, Jesus does what Jesus does – he gives abundantly, and the disciples haul in “a net filled with 153 large fish.” The nighttime of emptiness becomes the dawn of fulfillment because of Jesus. We encounter

The world recently witnessed the consecration of the splendidly renovated Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris. It is a story of “rising-from-ashes” that spoke to the gift of hope in Christ. The earliest cathedrals were the worship spaces of monks who lived a life of seclusion and holy darkness. As the Holy Spirit moved in the hearts of those responsible for designing the new Gothic structures, darkness gave way to more and more light shining through grand stained-glass windows. The earliest example would be St. Denis and then Notre Dame where the recent renovation seems to welcome even more light.

In preparing for Holy Week I was drawn to some of the Church Fathers, that group of writers in the early Church. Many of their inspired musings have been collected, preserved, and made widely available. I was struck by St. Andrew of Crete’s words about Christ’s entry into Jerusalem which is the Gospel of Palm Sunday. St. Andrew provides a powerful meditation on the simplicity of Christ’s arrival as a challenge for us to approach Christ this Holy week with humility as we embrace Jesus who is meek and humble. I am sharing St. Andrew’s words with you in this

I’m turning this week’s column over to the Jesuit poet J. Janda because I believe that he speaks succinctly to the need for all of us who are sinners and who do a fair amount of judging of others to live a different way. “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” ~ John 8:7 The Light You cannot change others, no but you can see them with new eyes Christ eyes who sees all with respect and understanding J. Janda

Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found. The Parable of the Two Sons (aka “The Prodigal Son”) offers one of the most poignant stories about the mercy of God. Taking his inheritance early from his generous father, the young man leaves home, squanders his treasure, and compromises his virtue. Having run out of resources and fully shamefaced, he heads back home. What he experiences next is nothing short of surprising. Instead of criticizing his wayward boy, the father – who,

I don’t know too much about fig trees but the one in the Gospel this Sunday is troublesome because it’s not bearing fruit. Did you ever have an idea that doesn’t seem to come to fruition, or a dream that doesn’t quite come true, or a plan that keeps falling flat? Welcome to life. But in our life with Jesus who dies so that we may live forever, we can bloom right where we are planted. We often think that “if it isn’t happening, I have to move on!” But the mandate in the Gospel is to wait and give

Jesus took Peter, John, and James and went up the mountain to pray. While he was praying his face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white. ~Luke 9:28b-29 This Sunday’s Gospel brings us to the mountain where Jesus was transfigured before Peter, James, and John. For centuries, saints, scholars, bishops and bloggers have considered the meaning of this moment that is a preamble to Jesus’s suffering, dying, and rising. I’ve assembled below the thoughts of two Church leaders who have pondered this mountaintop event: Pope Francis and Bishop Frank Caggiano. See what you think. Pope Francis, Angelus Address,

From this Sunday’s Gospel (according to Luke): Filled with the Holy Spirit, Jesus returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days, to be tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when they were over he was hungry. So, if Jesus is God how could he have been tempted? We don’t think of Jesus being tempted – after all, he’s Jesus! But Jesus was human, and humans are tempted. Consider that scene described in the Gospel passage: The Son of God, poised to begin his earthly ministry is driven

So many things to say this week, so little space in my bulletin column to say them, but here’s a try: Our young adult ministry had their first gala last Saturday. It was a spectacular event that featured more than 100 guests, a beautiful tribute to Chris Otis, great food, a DJ that had everyone on the dance floor, fantastic silent auction items from generous donors, and an overall feeling of celebration of God blessing our inspiring young adults. We have been asked to help our brothers and sisters who rely on the New Covenant Center for food by donating

This Sunday’s Gospel challenges us to love our enemies. It’s a perfect example of Jesus asking us to take it up a notch and step outside our comfort zone in order to model His extravagant love. Even if we consider ourselves to be the nicest person on the planet, we all have “enemies” – people who try our patience, cut across the grain, push our buttons, etc. The life-giving love that flows from the heart of Jesus should be our inspiration to begin the process of forgiving and forgetting, smiling through the difficult conversations, and loving those we don’t like.

Jeremiah the prophet speaks of a way of living with the Lord in trust and hope: “Blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose hope is the LORD. He is like a tree planted beside the waters that stretches out its roots to the stream: it fears not the heat when it comes; its leaves stay green; in the year of drought it shows no distress, but still bears fruit.” One of the reasons for our restlessness, anxiety, and just feeling “blah” is that we do not fully commit to living a blessed life in Jesus. Because we

When I was a kid, one of my favorite summer vacation activities was going fishing with my dad. The early morning adventure began with searching for worms: no glittery store-bought bait for us! The best harvests took place after a good soaking rain because no digging was required! My mom would supply the empty deli container to store the wiggly creatures, and my dad would prepare a thermos of hot chocolate. After placing our fishing rods in the cavernous trunk of our ’62 Chevy Impala, we headed to the lake. On the short ride, I would dream of a bountiful

My column this week is written for young followers of Jesus, but I think everyone can find something helpful! Today we celebrate the Presentation of the Lord. This feast, which occurs 40 days after Christmas, reminds us what it means to trust God with our whole lives. Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the Temple, offering Him to God as the law required. They were humble and obedient, even though they knew Jesus was the Son of God. They didn’t need the law to tell them who He was, but they chose to follow God’s ways. This shows us how

As Ordinary Time unfolds, we hear once more WHO Jesus is. He is the one who was promised in the prophecy of Isaiah to take care of the poor, the oppressed, the physically and spiritually blind, and to proclaim a new kind of freedom: ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.’ Rolling up the scroll, he

How life-giving it was to have record numbers of people at all of the Christmas Masses this year! The church looked beautiful, the music inspired, and spirits were high as we welcomed the newborn King. As you can imagine, it takes a great number of hard-working and creative souls to make Christmas happen at Saint Aloysius. So, let me express my deepest gratitude to those who helped make this a truly special Christmas season for our parish family. Thanks to… Judy and Gregg Strba and the crew from Gregg’s Landscaping for the design and installation of the church decorations. Each