From The Pastor: 

A Mercy More Powerful than an Exploding Meteor

A Mercy More Powerful Than An Exploding Meteor

December 22, 2018

The darkening that comes with the year’s shortest hours of daylight is like the lowering of the lights in a theatre as the play is about to begin. But in the “Drama of Salvation” by which the human race is offered the promise of restoration to its original glory, “all the world’s a stage,” and the acts and actors are...


Fr. George Rutler

(Pastor of St. Michael's Church)

View Articles Father Rutler was ordained to the diaconate in Rome by His Eminence William Cardinal Baum in 1980 and received priestly ordination in St. Patrick's...

From The Pastor: 

Happiness

Happiness

December 18, 2018

There could be no easier subject for comment than happiness. The best classical pagan philosophers, even if they did not believe a Creator intended that humans should share in his “delight” at what he had made, taught that we were meant to be happy. Some nineteenth-century “Utilitarians” like Jeremy Bentham, thought that this happiness meant a sense of pleasure without pain.  As...


Fr. George Rutler

(Pastor of St. Michael's Church)

View Articles Father Rutler was ordained to the diaconate in Rome by His Eminence William Cardinal Baum in 1980 and received priestly ordination in St. Patrick's...

LEGACY, ADVANCEMENT, KNOWLEDGE AND PRAYER

Legacy, Advancement, Knowledge And Prayer

December 13, 2018

It was heartwarming seeing people across America saying prayers, paying respects and giving tributes during the service at the National Cathedral to the character, friendliness and love of family of George H. W. Bush, 41st President of the United States. It caused me to recall my personal experience with 41 in April 1981 when he was Vice-President and I was...


Tim Von Dohlen

View Articles If you’ve met Tim, you know that his life was shaped by good values that were imparted to him by his parents and he...

Management That Makes A Difference: 

Corporate Envy

Corporate Envy

December 11, 2018

I recently came across a new book with a title that really caught my attention. Love Your Life, Not Theirs, written by a woman named Rachel Cruze. It addresses the idea that one of the primary reasons people take on so much debt in their lives is their tendency to compare themselves to others and strive to be something they're...


Patrick Lencioni

(President, The Table Group)

Patrick Lencioni is the founder and president of The Table Group, and a prolific author of best-selling books on business management, particularly in relation to team...

" Recognized as a true pioneer in leadership and business, Patrick Lencioni is a New York Times best-selling author. "

From The Pastor: 

Our Words Define Us

Our Words Define Us

December 11, 2018

All creation emanated from the voice of God uttering: “Let there be light.” There was nothing and no one yet to hear it, only God himself. As animate creatures came into being, they were able to make sounds, and some of them are beautiful, but only human beings have the gift of being able to consciously praise God by a...


Fr. George Rutler

(Pastor of St. Michael's Church)

View Articles Father Rutler was ordained to the diaconate in Rome by His Eminence William Cardinal Baum in 1980 and received priestly ordination in St. Patrick's...

From The Pastor: 

Hold fast to traditions that point to something greater than ourselves

Hold Fast To Traditions That Point To Something Greater Than Ourselves

December 5, 2018

A bishop condescendingly asked John Henry Newman, “Who are the laity?” To which the great saint, and, one hopes, future Doctor of the Church, replied that the Church would look foolish without them.  The same might be said of those who are consecrated in the Religious life. The difference is that most of the Church consists in laypeople, while monks,...


Fr. George Rutler

(Pastor of St. Michael's Church)

View Articles Father Rutler was ordained to the diaconate in Rome by His Eminence William Cardinal Baum in 1980 and received priestly ordination in St. Patrick's...

From The Pastor: 

Pope Saint Clement of Rome

Pope Saint Clement Of Rome

November 20, 2018

On the day after Thanksgiving, the Church rejoices in the intercessions of Pope Saint Clement of Rome. New Yorkers have a special reason to think of him, two millennia later. Clement probably was made a bishop by Saint Peter himself and became the fourth Bishop of Rome after Linus and Cletus. He was the first after Saint Peter to leave...


Fr. George Rutler

(Pastor of St. Michael's Church)

View Articles Father Rutler was ordained to the diaconate in Rome by His Eminence William Cardinal Baum in 1980 and received priestly ordination in St. Patrick's...

From The Pastor: 

It’s the little things, the choices we make today, the unexpected events, that can change the course of history

It’s The Little Things, The Choices We Make Today, The Unexpected Events, That Can Change The Course Of History

November 10, 2018

Pier 54 on the Hudson River is a short walk from our church. On display are pictures of the Titanic and the Lusitania, which is not encouraging for public relations. The Titanic was supposed to berth there, but instead the Carpathia arrived with surviving passengers. Seven years before, my grandmother had sailed on the Carpathia.  The sinking of the Lusitania by a German U-boat brought the United States...


Fr. George Rutler

(Pastor of St. Michael's Church)

View Articles Father Rutler was ordained to the diaconate in Rome by His Eminence William Cardinal Baum in 1980 and received priestly ordination in St. Patrick's...

From The Pastor: 

The Devil’s Greatest Trick

The Devil’s Greatest Trick

November 6, 2018

Nostalgia is a selective editing of the past. For instance, there are those who wish we had today some of the architects of thirteenth-century cathedrals, but who avoid mentioning thirteenth-century dentists. In recent times, the general conceit has been the opposite of nostalgia. The philosopher Owen Barfield spoke of "chronological snobbery," defined as the belief that "intellectually, humanity languished for...


Fr. George Rutler

(Pastor of St. Michael's Church)

View Articles Father Rutler was ordained to the diaconate in Rome by His Eminence William Cardinal Baum in 1980 and received priestly ordination in St. Patrick's...

From The Pastor: 

At the Balance of Your Destiny…

At The Balance Of Your Destiny…

October 28, 2018

Some classical composers whose melodramatic quirks would have made life with them difficult, such as Beethoven, Wagner, Berlioz and Satie, have their opposites in such genial geniuses as Hayden, Mozart and, I would argue, Edward Elgar.   Elgar was among the more modern, and had a gift for friendship. The “Enigma Variations” are musical sketches of friends who enjoyed his company....


Fr. George Rutler

(Pastor of St. Michael's Church)

View Articles Father Rutler was ordained to the diaconate in Rome by His Eminence William Cardinal Baum in 1980 and received priestly ordination in St. Patrick's...

Ceo Learnings: 

BOOK REVIEW: A One-Step Process to Break the Parent-Adult Child Cycle of Abuse and Pain

Book Review: A One-step Process To Break The Parent-adult Child Cycle Of Abuse And Pain

October 28, 2018

A review of Sam and Gifford Keen’s Prodigal Father Wayward Son: A Roadmap to Reconciliation —  Best-selling author, Sam Keen (Fire in the Belly: On Being a Man), and his son, Gifford (Gif), were estranged for many years. Sam’s story is the all too common account of a father working hard, gaining fame and then cashing it all in, leaving his...


Thomas M. Loarie

(CEO, Bryologyx)

View Articles Thomas M. Loarie is a popular host of The Mentors Radio Show, the founder and CEO of BryoLogyx Inc. (BryoLogyx.com), and a seasoned corporate...

" Thomas Loarie is CEO of Bryologyx, a radio host of The Mentors Radio Show, and the former, seasoned and pioneering CEO of life science... "

From The Pastor: 

Culture and Saints: What shapes us?

Culture And Saints: What Shapes Us?

October 20, 2018

There are those who would not let facts get in the way of theory, and such was the English philosopher Herbert Spencer who promoted the “survival of the fittest.” This “Social Darwinism” theorized that the weak and poor would gradually die out to make way for an inevitable social progress. He was idolized by Andrew Carnegie, even though that richest...


Fr. George Rutler

(Pastor of St. Michael's Church)

View Articles Father Rutler was ordained to the diaconate in Rome by His Eminence William Cardinal Baum in 1980 and received priestly ordination in St. Patrick's...

From The Pastor: 

Catholic Youth Synod syllabus falls short: Instead follow example of Catholic leaders throughout history

Catholic Youth Synod Syllabus Falls Short: Instead Follow Example Of Catholic Leaders Throughout History

October 16, 2018

Last Sunday was the anniversary of the Battle of Lepanto, a conflict that saved civilization on the seventh of October, 1571. The day after that anniversary marked the celebration of the life of Christopher Columbus, an observance that has become muted by polemicists who do not understand the significance of events. Were it not for the courage of the 41-year-old...


Fr. George Rutler

(Pastor of St. Michael's Church)

View Articles Father Rutler was ordained to the diaconate in Rome by His Eminence William Cardinal Baum in 1980 and received priestly ordination in St. Patrick's...

From The Pastor: 

The Church and Mainland China

The Church And Mainland China

October 6, 2018

The opening line of a children’s poem by Mary Howitt in 1828 is a caution for growing up in a duplicitous world: “‘Will you walk into my parlour?’ said the Spider to the Fly.” Christians must be “wise as serpents and innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16) because we are sent as sheep into a world of wolves. So there we...


Fr. George Rutler

(Pastor of St. Michael's Church)

View Articles Father Rutler was ordained to the diaconate in Rome by His Eminence William Cardinal Baum in 1980 and received priestly ordination in St. Patrick's...

Summer Sharing, Amazing Future and Proven Predictions

Summer Sharing, Amazing Future And Proven Predictions

October 3, 2018

It appears the long hot, really hot, Texas summer is over. Can’t believe we have had nearly two weeks of near continuous rain. Pat and I have done our best to establish a few traditions during our 12 years of marriage to each other. One of those is providing funds for summer camp to each of the 16 grandchildren instead...


Tim Von Dohlen

View Articles If you’ve met Tim, you know that his life was shaped by good values that were imparted to him by his parents and he...

From The Pastor: 

Perspective, History, and the Seductive Charm of Evil

Perspective, History, And The Seductive Charm Of Evil

September 29, 2018

Abraham Lincoln won the election of 1860 with only 39.8 percent of the popular vote and was so loathed that he had to take a night train secretly into Washington for his inauguration. The Salem Advocate in his own state of Illinois editorialized: “…he is no more capable of becoming a statesman, nay, even a moderate one, than the braying ass can...


Fr. George Rutler

(Pastor of St. Michael's Church)

View Articles Father Rutler was ordained to the diaconate in Rome by His Eminence William Cardinal Baum in 1980 and received priestly ordination in St. Patrick's...

From The Pastor: 

The Power of St Michael the Archangel in our life and especially in our time of crisis

The Power Of St Michael The Archangel In Our Life And Especially In Our Time Of Crisis

September 24, 2018

The selection of Saint Michael as our parish’s patron in 1857 certainly was inspired. Who could be a better champion in “Hell’s Kitchen” than that heavenly soldier wielding the sword, as the great statue in our church shows him? As angels are pure spirit and sublime intelligence, it is tempting for mortals of flesh and limited intelligence to pretend that...


Fr. George Rutler

(Pastor of St. Michael's Church)

View Articles Father Rutler was ordained to the diaconate in Rome by His Eminence William Cardinal Baum in 1980 and received priestly ordination in St. Patrick's...

Ceo Learnings: 

BOOK REVIEW: Lead Yourself First: Inspiring Leadership Through Solitude

Book Review: Lead Yourself First: Inspiring Leadership Through Solitude

September 16, 2018

Unstructured time is an under-appreciated and wasted gift in today’s modern industrialized world. We are driven by activity and fill moments of silence with busyness. We are conditioned to equate “work” with virtue and are uneasy with solitude. Authors Raymond Kethledge and Michael Erwin in “Lead Yourself First: Inspiring Leadership Through Solitude” challenge this modern conditioning to work. They draw...


Thomas M. Loarie

(CEO, Bryologyx)

View Articles Thomas M. Loarie is a popular host of The Mentors Radio Show, the founder and CEO of BryoLogyx Inc. (BryoLogyx.com), and a seasoned corporate...

" Thomas Loarie is CEO of Bryologyx, a radio host of The Mentors Radio Show, and the former, seasoned and pioneering CEO of life science... "

From The Pastor: 

Forget Not The Effect of the Blessed Sacrament in every Catholic parish tabernacle

Forget Not The Effect Of The Blessed Sacrament In Every Catholic Parish Tabernacle

September 16, 2018

On the ninth of October in 1845, Blessed John Henry Newman was received into the Catholic Church by the Passionist priest Blessed Dominica Barberi. On the 150th Anniversary of that meeting of saints, to the very hour, I had the privilege of offering Mass in the little room where it took place.       Newman’s decision was hard, as he...


Fr. George Rutler

(Pastor of St. Michael's Church)

View Articles Father Rutler was ordained to the diaconate in Rome by His Eminence William Cardinal Baum in 1980 and received priestly ordination in St. Patrick's...