From Dan

• Baptism

  When infants are baptized into faith as Priest Prophet and King we talk about removing the stain of Original Sin,  but there is very little said about “actual sin” or the sins we commit. That is because babies are unable to commit actual sins. They can be cranky, colicky, and inconsolable at times but none of this can be attributed to intent or premeditation. Although our normal practice is to baptize infants, the theological norm [...]

• More on RCIA

  The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is the normal way in which adults become full, active, participating members of the Catholic Church. Special rites are celebrated during the Sunday liturgies at various times throughout the year. Adults involved in RCIA may be dismissed each week after the homily to go and reflect on the scriptures they have heard. RCIA involves the whole community – in prayer as the rites are celebrated, in hospitality as [...]

• Below are links to audio MP3 files of presentations given at mass regarding the New Roman Missal. The files contain the written notes of the presentation, in the “lyric” field of each file. 1. Introduction 2. What is the Roman Missal and the General Instruction on the Roman Missal(GIRM) 3. Overview of the Mass 4. Introductory Rites 5. Liturgy of the Word 6 Liturgy of the Eucharist I 7. Liturgy of the Eucharist II 8. [...]

• On Becoming Catholic- Part 2: Sponsors

  Last week I talked a little bit about the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). This week I want to talk about the role of the sponsor. We are probably more familiar with the role of Godparent at the baptism of infants and we may have been asked to be a sponsor for a high school student making their Confirmation. The role of sponsor in the RCIA has much in common with these two [...]

• On Becoming Catholic

  This is the first in a short series of articles on how adults who are not Catholic can become Catholic. One of the changes instituted by the Second Vatican Council was the revival of the Catechumenate which we know as the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults or RCIA for short. The Constitution of the Sacred Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium: explicitly stated: The catechumenate for adults, comprising several distinct steps, is to be restored and to [...]

• Baptism – A Parent’s Role

  Last week I talked about the role of Godparents and this week I would like to talk about the role of the parents. We get requests for baptisms all the time. People are often surprised that there is a preparation process and that the church has some expectations of them. Since the infant to be baptized has not yet reached the “age of discernment” (that is an age when they are mature enough to make [...]

• Catholic Godparents

  When couples come to us to have their children baptized it is often the first real contact that they have had with the church in a while. Sometimes they are surprised at what the church expects of them before their child can be baptized. One aspect of baptism that is poorly understood is the role of the godparent. Godparents play a very important role in a child’s spiritual life. They should serve as role models [...]

• Teachings on the New Roman Missal

  1. Introduction 2. What is the Roman Missal and the General Instruction on the Roman Missal (GIRM) 3. Overview of the Mass 4. Introductory Rites 5. Liturgy of the Word 6. Liturgy of the Eucharist I 7. Liturgy of the Eucharist II 8. Liturgy of the Eucharist III 9.  Concluding Rite 10. Postures of the Mass

• The Pareto Principle

  A number of years back I was enrolled in studies toward a Masters in Business Administration. During that time I came across a theory called The Pareto principle or more commonly known as the 80/20 rule. It was developed by Business consultant Joseph M. Juran, who suggested the principle and named it after Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto, he observed in 1906 that 80% of the land in Italy was owned by 20% of the population; [...]

• Feast of Epiphany

  Last week we buried Tien Nguyen. Tien and his family are members of our St. James parish family. He was an immigrant from Vietnam who made a life for his family here in the United States. Although Fr. Bernie, Kevin Bourassa and I were part of the funeral process, Fr. Kheit Ngyuen,  a Vietnamese priest, came all the way from Tulsa Oklahoma to preside at the funeral. It was a very moving experience. I must [...]