There are a great many warnings about the danger of meeting one’s heroes. So many, in fact, that I suspect I could fill this entire column with them without ever getting to the point I wish to make. But instead of ruminating on the time a friend of mine was brushed aside by Joe Buck in an elevator, or the immense amount of research I did to make sure Paul Simon was still worth seeing before going to his farewell tour, I’ll get right down to a lesson learned from a great man I had the pleasure of knowing at least briefly. Click on title for full column.

A message from the clergy of the Winton Wyoming Pastoral Region. In light of the deeply disturbing sexual abuse revelations of the last couple of months, our Pastoral Region will host a Day of Prayer for the Church and Victims of Abuse on Friday, September 13 at Our Lady of the Rosary. The day of prayer will begin with Mass at 8:30 am and includes Scripture readings, group prayer, intercessory prayer and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament throughout the day.    The Day of Prayer will conclude with Benediction and Reposition of the Blessed Sacrament at 7:30 pm.   We ask that you all prayerfully consider joining us at some point during this day as we pray for the healing of all victims of the grave sin of sexual abuse and for the Church.  Click on title for schedule of day of prayer

The WWPR Labor Day Mass is 9:00 am, Monday, September 2, at St. James of the Valley Click on title.

Just two weeks ago I sat here, writing an exhortation to my flock to not despair, and to always maintain faith in the Church even as her frail, weak, sometimes abominable human ministers and leaders offered us the gravest causes for scandal, seemingly week in and week out. Once again, here I sit, having to take a dose of my own medicine (one of my least favorite things to do, by the way), striving to sift through the gathering cloud of darkness that once again obscures the goodness of Christ’s bride, the Church. Click title for full column.

For our last summer series we will meet in the St. James Media Room at 7:00 pm on Thursday August 22 for a discussion on St.Therese of Lisieux.

Perhaps I am lying to myself so that I’m not consistently depressed at how absentminded I can be, but I think it is an almost universal experience to walk into a room, stare blankly into the distance for a moment, and then leave with no recollection whatsoever of what it was we were supposed to be doing in the first place. Along with actively searching for an item that I am currently holding in my hand, it is among the most frustrating failures of my brain. Click on title for full column.

My Dear Friends in Christ, The Catholic Church globally, including this Archdiocese locally, has consistently and outspokenly urged all nations to protect the lives and dignities of migrants and to establish orderly immigration systems. For too long now, the crisis of migrants having to flee dire poverty and appalling violence around the world has sadly not improved. Nor, it seems, has many nations’ ability to respond in a compassionate

There will be a prayer service starting at 6:00 pm (before the Assumption Mass) on Thursday, August 15 at Our Lady of the Rosary so that we can have prayer time for the victims of the recent violence and shootings that occurred in Texas, California and in Dayton, Ohio. - 6:00pm: opening the church and lighting candles. Time for a personal silent prayer. - 6:25pm: Opening song - 6:28pm: Divine Mercy Chaplets - Chanted followed with the Litany of the divine Mercy. - 6:50pm: Song for peace.

Vigil Mass: Wednesday, August 14 7:00 pm, St. James of the Valley Holy Day Masses: Thursday, August 15 12:10 pm, St. Matthias 7:00 pm, Our Lady of the Rosary

I have long been given to bold declarations; so much so that I don’t think people really take me seriously when I say that something is “the best” or “the absolute worst” in the world. But as news broke over the last week or so concerning priests being put on leave in the Archdiocese and the mistakes in handling the situations that took place, I thought of two “bests” that I often trumpet. Click on title for full column.

I have mentioned before that I have an unusually vivid memory for odd things. If I could remember theological and formational information the way I remember movie quotes and song lyrics, I would no doubt be a professor somewhere. But such is not the case, sadly. However, I was recently thinking back to a conversation I had when I was still in college, and what a fool it ultimately made me seem, given the way my life has panned out. Click on title for full column.