A Kiss and a Wave

A Kiss and a Wave

There are times when you observe things that simply take you aback; knock you for a loop. Actions or occurrences in our everyday lives that hit a nerve; sometimes for the good, like a gratuitous kindness, and sometimes for the bad, like palpable selfishness. These lived reminders are usually stark memorable and instructive – they…

St. Thomas More and California Proposition 1

St. Thomas More and California Proposition 1

I recently attended Orange County’s (OC) Red Mass sponsored by the OC St. Thomas More Society celebrating the County’s Bench and Bar and the start of a new Supreme Court term. Walking in from the parking lot I was gratified to see large “NO ON PROPOSITION 1” banners. Here’s why… Proposition 1 is a proposed…

James Schilling, a Fisher of Men

James Schilling, a Fisher of Men

I remember a glorious spring morning at the Mission San Juan Capistrano in southern California. I rose early that Monday morning because the historic Serra Chapel had been closed to morning Mass for more than six months due to renovation work. It reopened for seven o’clock Mass with most of the structural renovation work completed…

The Mugging of America

The Mugging of America

When viewing the events of recent weeks I think most Americans share the common heartbreak, anger and confusion of a mugging victim. We have been violently assaulted by some thugs and something precious has been wrenched from us. Our mugging was not a one-time crime on the streets of Chicago or New York during which…

COVID19, St. Damien and the Hierarchy

COVID19, St. Damien and the Hierarchy

So it’s been almost two months without the Sacraments.  In my parish, as ordered by our Bishop, there has been no Holy Mass, no anointing of the sick, no confession , no Eucharistic Adoration and little or no communication from the parish or the diocese except an email link to our parish bulletin and an…