News - September 2018 RSS Feed

On Friday, September 21, 2018 we celebrated the Feast of Saint Matthew, the Apostle. Our archdiocesan cathedral is named for this great Apostle and Evangelist. I thought it might be good to present the history of our cathedral as presented on the cathedral website:

Labor Day has come and gone. School is back in session. This week we celebrate Catechetical Sunday. I am commissioning Catechists at all Masses this weekend. We also begin our Religious Education classes this week. For a parish to grow and flourish, parishioners need to contribute their time, talent, and treasure. I want to take the opportunity today to highlight some ways in which we can contribute our time and talent that will benefit all of us in the parish and also those to we reach out in love and service.

Last week I wrote about Saint Peter Damian, a Doctor of the Church who was a great reformer of the Church nearly 1,000 years ago. Today I want to write about another Doctor of the Church who was a great reformer in her era about three hundred years later. This is Saint Catherine of Siena (1347-80). Catherine was the twenty-fourth of twenty-five children. According to the Life of Catherine (hereafter Life) written by Fr. Raymond of Capua, her Dominican confessor, she made a vow of virginity at the age of seven after receiving a vision of Christ.

I first became acquainted with St. Peter Damian when I was in seventh grade. The date was February 23, 1962. Sister M. Damian, R.S.M., had returned to St. Paul School the previous September as the Principal. Sister M. Damian had previously taught fifth grade at St. Paul School in 1929-30. Two of her fifth grade students that year were my father and his brother, my uncle Charles.