News - May 2017 RSS Feed

At all the masses last weekend I announced that Father Jonathan (Jack) Berard has been assigned by Cardinal Wuerl to be the Parochial Vicar (formerly known as Assistant or Associate Pastor) for St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Derwood, MD. Fr. Berard will report here on July 12, 2017.

I am happy to tell you that Cardinal Wuerl has assigned Joseph Salser, a seminarian for the Archdiocese of Washington to our parish for eight weeks or pastoral training and service this summer. Joseph will arrive on Wednesday, May 17. As you know I announced at all the Masses last weekend that we will soon phase out the 1:00 p.m. Sunday Mass. I did this light of several things. The survey that was administered online and in church in March asked parishioners whether they preferred to keep the 8:00 a.m. or 1:00 p.m. Mass. 53% of respondents favored keeping the 8:00 a.m. Mass and 47% preferred retaining the 1:00 p.m. Mass.

Several weeks ago now I began what will be a series of columns on Being Catholic Today: Catholic Identity in an Age of Challenge, a Pastoral Letter that Cardinal Wuerl issued on May 24, 2015. The Cardinal identified five key themes of being a Catholic today. I want to devote this column to the fifth and final theme: Expressions of our Identity.

Several weeks ago now I began what will be a series of columns on Being Catholic Today: Catholic Identity in an Age of Challenge, a Pastoral Letter that Cardinal Wuerl issued on May 24, 2015. The Cardinal identified five key themes of being a Catholic today. I want to devote this column to the fourth theme: Religious Liberty.