Parish Blog

Dear Friends in Christ,

Jesus Christ is Our Lord! “To Him was given all power, honor and the Kingdom.” We believe that He is the incarnate Son of God in Jesus of Nazareth; He is a brother that has been glorified; He is the Word of God who has saved us; He is the One who died and rose from the dead. Christ has come to this world to be the “Witness of the Truth.” The Feast of Christ King is the golden clasp of the liturgical year, for it binds every Christian to fight to establish His Kingdom in our own heart, in society, and in the entire world.

Dear Friends in Christ,

This weekend we celebrate a huge milestone in the life of a priest, the Thirtieth Anniversary of the ordination of Father Orlando!

Father Orlando was ordained to share in the priesthood of Jesus Christ on November 24, 1994, at the Chapel of the Major Seminary of the Yarumal Missionaries in Medellin, Colombia by Archbishop Ignacio Gomez Aristizabal. Father Orlando was ordained with four other priests, but only two of them have persevered in the priesthood to the present day.

Dear Friends in Christ,

Today, the Gospel presents Jesus Christ as the Master, who speaks to us about the detachment which we must live by. In the first place, a detachment of our honor and recognition which, every so often, we are looking for: “Beware of (...) accepting greetings in the marketplaces, seats of honor in synagogues, and places of honor at banquets” (Mk 12:38-39). In this sense, Jesus prevents us from following the bad example of the scribes.

Dear Friends in Christ,

“And I am sure that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (Phil 1:6)

St. Paul’s letter to the Philippians was written in prison where he was in danger of death. In his letter, he rejoices in their continued progress in the Gospel. And he wants them to know that if they continue to be faithful, God will certainly be faithful to them and bring His work to completion at the end of their lives (or the day of Jesus Christ).

Dear Friends in Christ,

Yes, this is a challenging and contentious election season. And seems, at least from my perspective, that each succeeding election is even more challenging. Some people are so dismayed by the electoral process, the campaigning, the name calling, and TV commercials that they throw their hands in the air, bury their heads in the sand, and decide to skip the ballot box.

Dear Friends in Christ,

Well, for me, it has been quite a week. As I write this it’s Thursday, October 10th. Tomorrow I will drive to Augusta for my bypass surgery.

Dear Friends in Christ,

So, on Friday, October 6th, I was at the rectory eating my lunch. Still, without power, I had warmed some meatloaf, carrots, and potatoes in a pan (from a very generous and giving parishioner) along with some homemade bread and a tomato. Normally I do not eat meat on Fridays, but this was what I had, so I enjoyed it and did my penance later for eating meat on a Friday.

Dear Friends in Christ,

As I write this letter, we are still recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Helene. On Friday morning after the hurricane winds/mini tornadoes came through, I met a man who had spent all of his seventy-some years living in Aiken. He said that this was the worst he had seen in his lifetime. It certainly is the worst devastation that I have seen in my entire life. It is like the aftermath of a horrific battle but without the huge loss of life.

Dear Friends in Christ,

From Monday through Friday, September 16th-20th, I visited my brother Warren and his wife Marilyn in Mount Horeb, WI. Warren, as I have mentioned, has prostate cancer. Praise God, he is recovering quite well. He really has no symptoms at all, except from his medication. The cancer has regressed, and his physicians now say that when he dies, it will not be the cancer that causes his death. I am most thankful for all your prayers!

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

I ask for all the faithful of our diocese to pray for the families affected by Hurricane Helene. It made landfall in Florida as a Category 4 and has destroyed many homes and taken lives, including in our own state. We should also pray for all first responders, who dedicate themselves to serving those most in need during crises, and the linemen who work diligently to restore power.

Dear Friends in Christ,

We have often heard it quoted that “the Eucharist is the ‘source and summit’ of the Christian life.” (CCC, 1324) And so it is! But we receive the Eucharist from the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Therefore, it is incumbent upon all of us to grow in our love and respect for the Mass. Accordingly, it is important that I offer a few reminders concerning our actions at the Mass.

Dear Friends in Christ,

When Christ asks the disciples "Who do people say that I am?" Peter answers on behalf of them: “You are the Messiah” and lets us see his saintly tendency. But only a few minutes later, when Christ lets him see that to reach redemption, he must follow the path of the cross, he awakens in him the demonic tendency that he also carries; Christ points to him and says: “Get behind me, Satan. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” A saint or a devil always lies inside us.

Dear Friends in Christ,

Today, the liturgy asks us to contemplate the healing of a “deaf man who had a speech impediment.” (Mk 7:32) As in other cases (the Bethsaida and Jerusalem blind men, etc.), the Lord surrounds the miracle with a series of outward motions. “He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue.” (Mk 7:33) In such miracles, the Fathers of the Church see a dramatic demonstration of the humanity of Christ.

Dear Friends in Christ,

As you read this our students at St. Mary Help of Christians Catholic School will be entering into their fourth week of school. Time is flying by! We had an Open House on Friday, August 9th and many parents came by with their children to show them their classrooms and meet their teachers. It was a day filled with excitement and anticipation.

The first day of school was Monday, August 12th and the schoolyard was filled with proud parents and enthusiastic students. It was uplifting to see the joy and spirit of our students. And…our enrollment this year is at 236, up twenty from last year!