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4th Sunday of Lent Homily

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 20:04:40 GMT

4th Sunday of Lent Homily- Fr. John Sullivan

This is Academy Awards Weekend. Sunday evening the movie industry will honor the accomplishments of the best of this year’s movies. During the week I’ve read headlines and half paid attention to reports about this year’s nominees and some retrospectives on past award winners. Somewhere along the line a report brought up the 1970 film “A Love Story”. The movie was an excessively sentimental romance but a box office hit and earned several Oscar nominations.

I was still a mere boy at the time, but I remember the movie trailer and its slogan, “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.” The insinuation was when people love each other, they can tell when their partner feels remorse for hurting them. Lovers it claimed can read each other’s body language and voice patterns and realize their partner feels sorrow and there is no need to put it into words.

What a fallacy! To repair a hurt and bring healing we must express our sorrow. While yes, we can sense a loved one’s unspoken regret, but unless they tell us point blank, they are sorry a little wound always remains on our heart. An admission of remorse is necessary for real and lasting healing. A little gift as an offering of reparation for the incident doesn’t hurt either.

I hear a similar claim when people talk about sin and the Sacrament of Reconciliation. People will say they don’t need to go to confession because they work things out with God on their own. They act similar to that Love Story trailer and claim God knows their contrition for sin and they don’t have to make any type of public gesture or offer any reparation for their failures.

While we are only required to confess to a priest in Confession our grave or mortal sins and our smaller venial sins are forgiven whenever we prayerful recite the Penitential Rite before Mass or include an Act of Contrition as part of our night prayers, venial sins can add up. We can fall into patterns of sin that, while they are individually minor, when compounded can become a serious sin. Added up over time they become patterns of life that seriously damage or even destroy our relationship with God, our brothers and sisters, and ourselves. Consistently confessing venial sins in the Sacrament of Reconciliation is offering God reparation for all our sins big and small. It should be done on a regular basis. Celebrating the sacrament at least every few months helps us control our tendency to sin even if they are small ones. Regular celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation helps fill us with God’s grace to resist temptation and fall into sin.

Lent is a season of reconciliation with God. Our Lenten homilies have concentrated on reflecting on our need for mending our relationship with God, others and ourselves. Our Lenten messages have used the theme, From Hiding to Healing. We tend to try to hide our sinfulness from God, others, and ourselves. If we want to find healing we must step out of the underbrush and shadows and confront our sins. Faithfully confronting sin will naturally cause us to set out on a journey from sin to receiving God’s healing. A journey is always an exercise that can be challenging. We will need to stop and be refreshed at times. We are refreshed when we recognize that God knows all our sinfulness. It can’t be hidden from God, yet God still wants to bring us healing.

Today we hear that if we want to be healed of sin, we need spiritual sight. In today’s gospel we are told of a man born blind, someone who never had any light in his life. Jesus cures his blindness and, in the process, gives him spiritual sight. While the blind man gains sight the Religious Authorities and Pharisees lose their spiritual sight.

When the Apostles notice the blind man and ask Jesus the cause of his affliction. Jesus won’t blame sin, but says its purpose is to bring glory to God. While Jesus brings glory to God through the gradual healing of the Blind man’s physical sight, God’s glory is shown most through Jesus giving him his spiritual sight. That spiritual sight grows as the blindman explains his healing. He first calls Jesus the man who prepared mud for his eyes, he moves to calling Jesus a prophet, he rejects the Pharisees accusation that Jesus could possibly be a sinner, and says he knows Jesus is from God. Finally, with fully restored spiritual sight the blindman states his belief Jesus is the Son of Man.

Meanwhile, the Pharisees slowly lose their spiritual sight. Jesus isn’t living up to their expectations for the Messiah. He is a common laborer from Galilee and not a member of the religious elites. They refuse to believe he comes from God because he has healed on the Sabbath. The Pharisees human expectations blind them from recognizing Jesus as the Messiah.

Sin is the cause of the Pharisees losing their sight. Slowly it narrowed their vision and caused the spiritual blindness that led them to nail Jesus to the cross. If we ignore sin, it will cause us spiritual blindness. Sin gradually dims our sight and causes us to justify small compromises with sin. Spiritual blindness creeps in when we normalize our impatience with others, excuse our resentments, and defend our habits that distance ourselves from Jesus’ example of love.

We must ask ourselves honestly: Where have I adjusted to the darkness? Where have I stopped questioning patterns in my life that diminish me? Where have I preferred control over clarity in my life?

The Sacrament of Reconciliation is a spiritual sight examination that allows God to touch us and heal us from slipping into spiritual blindness. Frequent visits to Reconciliation moves us from denial to clarity. It shouldn’t make us feel exposed because of our sin but illuminates them so they can be healed. Reconciliation asks us if we want to see and improves our spiritual sight. It helps our faith to grow and we see more clearly who Jesus is in our lives. Confession isn’t intended to leave us feeling crushed but free and restored.

This Lent I’ve been spending more time in the Reconciliation Room. In addition to my normal presence on Saturday afternoons from 3-3:45 pm. I’ve been setting aside Friday afternoons from 3:30-4:30, just before Stations of the Cross, for Confessions. I’m planning other times during Holy Week.

Earlier in Lent we celebrated a Lenten Reconciliation Service using the form of the Sacrament called the Rite of Reconciliation of Several Penitents with General Absolution. This rite is designed to forgive only venial sins that don’t necessarily need individual confessions with a priest. My intention was to encourage parishioners who may have been away from Reconciliation for a while, to come to what might be a less threatening service and reflect on sin and their sinfulness. I was encouraged by the turn out. We had 60-65 parishioners in attendance. Hopefully, some attendees and all parishioners have been contemplating their need for God’s forgiveness in an individual confession with a priest so they can improve their spiritual sight.

Next Sunday, March 22 @ 3 pm, we’ll have another Lenten Reconciliation Service. It will be very similar to our first one with the exception of my being joined by at least two other priests to hear individual confessions at the end of the service.

As the Letter to the Ephesians proclaimed today through our baptism and faithfulness to Jesus, we were reborn to be children of the light. We were empowered with a spiritual sight to recognize sin and to resist it. Our spiritual sight is to be shared with our neighbors so everyone can experience healing from the wounds of sin and help others to find healing too.

Today we stand at the mid-point of Lent. We have been called to step out of hiding, begin a journey to healing now that we have recovered our spiritual sight. We have come to realize that if we claim to love God and our neighbor we can’t miss out by not say, “I’m sorry.”

From the Pastor March 21/22

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 20:03:01 GMT

From the Pastor March 21/22

Lent Approaches Its Climax

The days of Lent are few but it’s culmination, the Sacred Triduum is approaching. Lent ends on Holy Thursday evening and the Triduum begins extending until the evening of Easter Sunday. Triduum is the Latin word for three days. We reckon the days of the Triduum the Jewish way with the day extending from sundown to sundown.

Last week I started a series of articles offering parishioners some insights into the various holy days celebrated as Easter approaches. I hope that with a better understanding of the importance of these days more parishioners will be anxious to participate. The Triduum is really one liturgy celebrated over three days. Attending it all can be exhausting but paradoxically, energizing and exquisitely beautiful, each in its own way. While Catholics aren’t under an obligation to attend these services, they are so central to the Christian faith it’s hard to believe a faithful person wouldn’t want to participate.

The Church’s Triduum celebrations date back to at least the Third Century. We begin on Holy Thursday evening with the Mass of the Lord’s Supper. This mass grounds our Lenten practices in the sacrament of service. That night we celebrate Jesus’ institution of the Eucharist and his establishing the priesthood. The most striking part of this Mass is the Mandatum when the priest imitates Jesus washing the feet of the Apostles. It reminds us that our Christian faith is one of service. After the Mass we set aside several hours for Eucharistic Adoration to signify our call to pray with Jesus as he did in the Garden of Gethsemani.

The Triduum continues with Good Friday. As we commemorate the day Jesus died on the cross, we should, as far as possible make it a day for quit prayer and reflection. Remember it is a day of fast and abstinence. I’m sad to hear the Monomoy Schools aren’t closed that day. Make plans to stop by church for quiet prayer on Good Friday.

On Good Friday afternoon the Triduum liturgy continues with the Service of the Passion of the Lord. The solemn liturgy of Good Friday grounds us in the sacrament of compassion and contrition. It usually begins at 3 pm, the traditional hour of Jesus’ death on the cross. The liturgy begins in silence as the Celebrant and Deacon prostrate themselves in prayer before the altar. The story of Jesus’ Passion according to St. John is read. There is a short homily followed by praying the Intercessions. Then comes the Veneration of the Cross and distribution of Communion. The Passion Service ends as it began, in somber silence.

In the evening of Good Friday, we will recite the Stations of the Cross. This is not part of the official Liturgy of the Triduum but a devotion usually held especially for those unable to attend the afternoon service. The Stations of the Cross follow Jesus’ way from his trial before Pontus Pilate, through the streets of Jerusalem to the Mount of Calvary, his Crucifixion, and burial. During the recital of the Stations of the Cross a reflection based on the incident is read and prayers recited. Like the Triduum liturgy, the origins of the Station of the Cross date back centuries. They were developed to help people unable to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land to reflect on the Passion and Death of Jesus.

The Sacred Triduum continues through Holy Saturday. While not required, a holy custom is to continue the fast and abstinence practiced on Good Friday throughout the Holy Saturday thus honoring Jesus who lays dead in the tomb. Holy Saturday doesn’t have any liturgy of its own, emphasis that day is on preparing for the Easter Vigil, the most important liturgy of the year on Holy Saturday evening. I’ll be writing about the Easter Vigil next week.

Lenten Devotions

Throughout Lent the Stations of the Cross and Evening Prayer will be celebrated Friday afternoons at 4:30 PM. A simple soup supper will follow in the Parish Center. This Lent come and join us for this time of prayer and fellowship.

Lenten Folders

Have you been filling your Lenten Folder? At the beginning of Lent every parish household was sent a Lenten Folder to use to encourage almsgiving, one of the Lenten disciplines along with prayer and fasting. We asked you to put aside 25₵ every day for a total of $10 for the season. Proceeds from the folders go to a local charity, The Cape Cod Foster Closet. The Closet supplies necessary clothing and supplies for local foster families providing a temporary home for a foster child. Please fill your folder and support this important charity. We’ll start collecting the folders on Palm Sunday, March 29.

Lenten Reconciliation Service

Holy Redeemer hold a Lenten Reconciliation Service on Sunday, March 22 at 3 pm. We will begin with a short prayer service lasting about twenty-five minutes to help us reflect on our sins. At the end of the service Fr. Sullivan and three other priests from our neighboring parishes will be available for individual confessions. Take this opportunity to insure your soul is in the state of grace before Easter.

During Lent Fr. Sullivan is also scheduling extra time to hear Confessions in the Reconciliation Room at the back of the church. In addition to his regular availability on Saturday afternoons from 3-3:45 pm, he is there Friday afternoons from 3:30-4:30 pm.

Novena of Prayer for Priests

The Chrism Mass is one of the most significant of Holy Week. At this Mass, the Holy Oils used in the Sacraments are blessed and priests renew the promises of their ordination. In the Diocese of Fall River, we celebrate it on the Tuesday afternoon of that week. To celebrate the day the Diocese of Fall River's Office of Clergy Support invites you to join a nine-day Novena for Priests leading up to the Chrism Mass. This time of prayer is a meaningful way to support our priests as they prepare to renew their priestly promises. The Novena begins on Monday, March 23, and continues through the nine days leading up to the Chrism Mass taking place on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, at 4:00 PM at Saint Mary’s Cathedral in Fall River. To participate in the Chrism Mass Novena for Priests, contact Matt Robinson, Director of Clergy Support, at mrobinson@dioc-fr.org or 508-492-0995. The Chrism Mass is open to the public, so feel free to attend. I’d like to see some familiar faces.

3rd Sunday of Lent Homily- From Hiding to Healing

Sat, 14 Mar 2026 10:41:29 GMT

3rd Sunday of Lent- Deacon Arthur LaChance

"From Hiding to Healing"

My friend and fellow deacon Dennis once asked me to accompany him on a late afternoon visit with an elderly man who lived alone.

Dennis had originally met the man through St. Vincent dePaul — and had discovered that the two of them shared much in common - a love for accounting, a deep love of music, and absolutely no skill what-so-ever with tools.

The man’s house was tidy but worn — and in the kitchen, the faucet over the stainless-steel sink dripped steadily. Dennis thought I might be able to fix it. I offered to, but he waved me off. “It’s been like that for years,” he said. “I’ve gotten used to the sound.” Then he added, almost as an afterthought, “You can get used to almost anything if you live with it long enough.”

“But,” I replied, “you don’t have to.”

And that seemed to open a flood gate.

As we sat at the table, he began telling us about his life — about mistakes he had never spoken aloud — about relationships that had quietly dried up — about a loneliness he wore like a coat he could not take off. “I suppose God knows all that anyway,” he said. “But I wouldn’t know where to begin.”

I wonder how often do we live with the drip of unresolved sin, regret, and longing — convincing ourselves that it’s just the way things are.

This is the third week in our homily series, “From Hiding to Healing.” The first week we stood with Adam and Eve in the garden and with Jesus in the desert. We talked about temptation and the subtle way sin begins—not always with rebellion, but with mistrust. When things begin to break inside us, our first instinct is to hide. And we named something essential for Lent: the first step toward mercy is honesty.

Last week we learned that trust must lead to movement. We cannot be transformed if we refuse to move. Confession does not trap us in who we have been; it reveals who we are called to be. It is not about being stuck in guilt; it is about being set in motion by grace.

Today we make a visit — not to a home, but to a well in Samaria. We go — not with St. Vincent de Paul — but with Jesus. We go at noon — in the heat of the day — and we meet a woman who has grown used to the drip.

She comes at noon because noon is when no one else is there. The other women come in the cool of the morning. She comes when the sun is high and unforgiving. She carries not just a water jar, but a history. Five husbands. The man she is with now is not her husband.

In her village she is defined by her past. She has learned to manage her shame by choosing isolation. It is easier to come alone than to endure the biting remarks, sideways glances.

And Jesus meets her exactly there. Not in the synagogue. Not after she has cleaned up her life. Not once she had found the right words. He meets her where she is, not where she pretends to be.

That is always how Christ works. He asks her for a drink. It is such a simple request, but it opens everything. He begins not with accusation but with relationship. He allows Himself to be vulnerable before He ever speaks of her sin.

He speaks of living water, of a gift that will become a spring within her. And then, gently, He says, “Go, call your husband.” He already knows. The text makes that clear. He names her story without contempt, without sarcasm, without raising His voice. “You are right in saying, ‘I do not have a husband.’”

There is no humiliation here. There is truth, and there is mercy. She is known fully — and loved still.

That is the heart of Reconciliation.

Confession is not a courtroom where we stand before a distant judge trying to minimize our sentence. It is a well where Christ sits beside us and asks for a drink. It is a personal encounter. Jesus already knows each of our stories — confession lets Him heal it.

So many of us avoid the sacrament because we imagine we must surprise God with our honesty. Or we fear that if we speak our sins aloud, we will be diminished by them. But listen to this Gospel.

When Jesus names the woman’s sin, she does not shrink; she stands taller. She becomes bold enough to speak of the Messiah. She runs back to the village she had been avoiding and says, “Come see a man who told me everything I have done.” Notice what she does not say. She does not say, “He told me everything I have done — and condemned me.”

She says it with wonder. Being fully known did not destroy her. It set her free.

Reconciliation is not humiliation but liberation.

Humiliation pushes us further into hiding. Liberation sends us running into the light. The Israelites in the desert thirsted and doubted whether God was really among them. The Samaritan woman thirsted and doubted whether anyone could see her as more than her failures.

We thirst too. We thirst for love that does not shift with our performance — for acceptance that is not fragile — for meaning that does not evaporate by noon.

And too often we try to quench that thirst at broken wells — success, distraction, resentment, secrecy. We lower the bucket again and again, and the water never satisfies.

Christ quenches our deepest thirst when we stop drinking from broken wells.

The woman leaves her jar behind. It is a small detail, but it matters. The jar represented her daily routine, her isolation, her attempt to manage her thirst on her own.

She leaves it because she has found something more. She has encountered Someone who knows her completely and does not turn away.

As we continue this journey “From Hiding to Healing,” the invitation is clear. Step out from behind the tree in the garden. Step out from the desert of mistrust.

Come to the well at noon if you must — but come.

Let Him speak your story back to you. Let Him name what is broken, not to shame you, but to restore you. The One who died for us while we were still sinners is not waiting for a better version of you.

He is waiting for you.

You can get used to almost anything if you live with it long enough — even the drip of regret. But you do not have to live that way.

Jesus already knows your story — confession lets Him heal it.

From the Pastor March 14/15

Sat, 14 Mar 2026 10:38:30 GMT

From the Pastor March 14/15

The Most Prayerful Week of the Year

Holy Week is the culmination of the Lenten Season as Christians enter Jerusalem with Jesus, follow him to stand at the foot of the cross on Good Friday, and rejoice in the Resurrection at Easter. It is the most important week on the Christian Liturgical Calendar, full of religious services commemorating the events surrounding the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus. Attendance at them isn’t obligatory but that doesn’t mean we don’t want to attend them. I’d like to see more Holy Redeemer parishioners attending Holy Week services, so over the next three weeks, this column will be devoted to explaining the various Holy Week activities.

The week starts on Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord. That day sets the tone for the week. Mass begins differently that day as we commemorate Jesus’ triumphant entrance into Jerusalem. At the 10 am Mass we will gather in the Parish Hall to join in hearing the gospel’s recounting of that event, then join in a short procession along the side of the church and through the main doors into church. At the 4 pm and 8 am Masses there won’t be a procession.

While the Mass begins with a joyous procession it soon becomes more somber. The scripture readings hint of Messiah’s death on the cross. The gospel passage known as the Passion Narrative is read and helps intensify the sense of foreboding to prepare us for Jesus suffering and death.

Here are a few activities that can help us celebrate Holy Week.

Church will be open daily from 7 am-5 pm. Come and spend even a short time in prayer. Bring the family if you can.
As a reminder of the events of the week hang your crucifix on the door you use going and coming from home.
During the week turn off your car radio, earbuds, and cellphone to give yourself sometime of quiet.

The Chrism Mass, the Mass where the Diocesan Bishop gathers the priest of the diocese to bless the holy oils used in the sacraments in the coming year and hear them renew their ordination promises is traditionally held on Tuesday of Holy Week here in our diocese. To celebrate the day the Diocese of Fall River's Office of Clergy Support invites you to join a nine-day Novena for Priests leading up to the Chrism Mass. This time of prayer is a meaningful way to support our priests as they prepare to renew their priestly promises. The Novena begins on Monday, March 23, and continues through the nine days leading up to the Chrism Mass taking place on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, at 4:00 PM at Saint Mary’s Cathedral in Fall River. To participate in the Chrism Mass Novena for Priests, contact Matt Robinson, Director of Clergy Support, at mrobinson@dioc-fr.org or 508-492-0995. The Chrism Mass is open to the public, so feel free to attend. I’d like to see some familiar faces.

Getting back to the parish, we will celebrate Tenebrae on Wednesday evening, April 1, at 7 pm. The word Tenebrae is Latin for darkness. If you have never experienced Tenebrae, it is a prayer service that includes the singing of psalms and reading lessons from the Liturgy of the Hours reflecting on the upcoming passion of Jesus. During the service candles are extinguished and slowly the lights in the church are put out symbolizing the creeping darkness of Jesus’ death. There is a little surprise at the end. Make plans to enter into a devote celebration of Holy Week 2026.

Holy Hour for Peace

In response to the outbreak of war with Iran, serious partisanship and conflict in our country, and the need for peace in so many souls, Bishop DaCunha and all the Catholic bishops have asked parishes to conduct a Holy Hour for Peace. Holy Redeemer will conduct our Holy Hour next Saturday, March 21, at 11 am. Join your fellow parishioners to pray together for peace.

Calling All Medical Professionals

Your Options Medical (YOM) pregnancy resource center in Hyannis is looking to grow its medical team. If you are an OB/GYN, NP, RN, or radiologist, please prayerfully consider volunteering your time and talent to help us serve women facing unexpected pregnancies. You can make a difference in a world that believes life is disposable. Please reach out to Nancy Jamgochian, of YOM at nancy@awcprc.org .

Catholic Relief Services Collection

This weekend there will be a second collection to support Catholic Relief Services. CRS is principal foreign charity agency of the American Catholic Church. A year ago, DOGE, the short lived government agency whose head took a “chainsaw” to the Federal Budget, cut many foreign aid agencies. It is still the obligation of rich countries like ours to aid the people of poorer ones. Churches can’t possibly replace all the assistance the government cancelled but we need to try our best. Please be generous to the second collection for CRS this weekend.

Lenten Devotions

Lenten Folders

2nd Sunday of Lent Homily

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 22:44:38 GMT

2nd Sunday of Lent Homily- Fr. John Sullivan

As we began the Season of Lent, last Sunday, we started a new homily series we’re calling “From Hiding to Healing.” Lent is a season for seeking reconciliation with God. God wants to show us compassion and mercy but we block the way. This series is about removing those barriers so we can accept God’s healing.

Last week we saw hiding is one of the ways we block God. We try to hide our sin. That was Adam and Eve’s first reaction after eating the forbidden fruit. Immediately, they hid from each other by covering their nakedness. When God come into the garden, they hide among the trees. If we are going to let God heal us, we have to stop hiding our sin from God’s love.

This week we’ll discuss the need to move away from sin and along the path to embrace God’s healing. I’ve spoken to you about the decline in Catholics’ participation in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It is our Church’s special sacrament to encourage us to face our faults and failures, resolve to put them in our past, and accept God’s healing love. Sadly, Catholics aren’t taking advantage of the opportunity. I’ve found that is regrettably the case here at Holy Redeemer also.

This Lent I want to move our parish along the path towards a greater understanding of the Sacrament of Reconciliation so we can embrace it’s grace in our lives. To help start that movement, on Sunday afternoon at 3 pm, we’ll be celebrating a Lenten Reconciliation Service. We’ll be conducting that service using The Order of Reconciling Several Penitents with General Confession and Absolution. This service is part of the Church’s new Order of Penance.

This Order of General Confession and Absolution does not include individual confessions with a priest. It is designed to forgive penitents of their venial sins and only those venial or lesser sins. Those we most often commit. The service will last about a half hour. It will include several passages of scripture, a homily, time for an examination of conscience, and then the offering of general absolution of venial sins. If during the service a person becomes aware of committing grave or mortal sin they will need to receive forgiveness from it in an individual confession.

I’m available for that sort of Confession Saturday afternoons from 3-3:45 pm. During Lent I’m also in the Reconciliation Room, at the back of the church, Friday afternoons from 3:30-4:30 pm, before our recitation of the Stations of the Cross. Later in Lent we’ll have a second Reconciliation Service with the opportunity for individual confessions. Other priests will also be available for confessions then.

Many Catholics express confusion about what exactly is considered sin today. They have been out of practice and forget the format for the sacrament’s celebration. They are ashamed how long since their last confession of their sin. They fear admitting they have failed. Everyone has plenty of excuses. My hope is those who use these reasons to avoid confession will find Sunday’s service none threatening and take advantage of it. They will come, chose to reflect on their sinful tendencies, seek God’s forgiveness, and move along the path to embrace God’s healing mercy.

I’m expecting a good response. Several people have told me they are looking forward to it and felt disappointed when we had to cancel it in Advent because of snow. I’m looking forward to seeing you this afternoon at the Reconciliation Service.

The first part of the Book of Genesis relates how sin and division entered the world. We read stories about Cain and Abel, Noah and the Great Flood, and the Tower of Babel. All stories regarding the harmful effects of sin. Beginning with today’s first reading things take a turn as we hear how God will begin to implement a plan to overcome sin and redeem the world.

It starts with the call of Abram. God calls Abram to begin the movement away from sin towards a relationship with God. Abram is to leave the safety and comfort of place and family and embark on a movement to a new, unspecified land where God will make of Abram a new nation, give him a great name, bless him, and give him an advantage over his enemies.

This Lent God calls us to move away from our sinfulness. God calls us to go forth leaving behind patterns of sin that feel normal to us, harmful habits that numb us, and the excuses we use to polish our grudges. It is easy to resist God’s call to move to a new place in life. Fear keeps us stuck in patterns of sin. We excuse our sin with responses like “It is just how I am,” I’ve always struggled with that,” “It’s my personality.”

We have so many fears like, “If I forgive, who will I become? “If I let go of my resentments, how will I protect myself, “If I surrender my addiction, how will I cope?” “If I give up my sin, who am I?” that block our movement towards God. We are less afraid of sin than we are of change and moving towards God. “Do not be afraid” is God’s most common words of encouragement to our citing fear as impeding our moving to embrace God’s grace. Like Abram we need to follow God’s call to us to set out to discover the new person God calls us to be.

Today’s Gospel story of Jesus’ Transfiguration shows us where God’s plan to move us from sin to grace will end up. It will end with the glorification of Jesus. Today’s gospel tells us Jesus took his closest apostles, Peter, James, and John up the mountain to witness Jesus’ true identity. They get a preview of how God will complete God’s plan to heal us from our sins. It is Jesus going obediently to the cross and being raised to glory at Easter.

For the three apostles to fully understand God’s plan they have to come down from the mountain and follow Jesus on the last leg of the journey. They must follow their Lord to Jerusalem and His death on the cross. They need to move along the path to receive God’s healing by taking up the cross themselves.

That movement is our call this Lent. For some of us it will mean taking concrete actions. We will see the need to make a good confession after being away from the Sacrament of Reconciliation for years. It could be realizing the need to end a relationship that pulls us away from God. We will act to make daily prayer a habit, seek help for a hidden struggle, or offer forgiveness for a hurt we have withheld for a long time. For others of us it will be interior, letting go of self-hatred, surrendering control of our lives, and trusting God’s mercy.

Abram didn’t know where God was leading him. The disciples didn’t clearly comprehend what they saw on the mountain or what it meant to go to Jerusalem. They trusted and moved anyway. Opening ourselves to reconciliation and moving towards healing is an act of faith. It is saying to ourselves, “Lord, I trust you with who I can become.” It is saying not just, “Lord forgive me for what I have done,” but asking, “Lord, lead me to what you mean me to be.”

Lent is so much more than just a season for spiritual self-improvement. It goes deeper to being a season of holy relocation. It is listening to God, trusting God and following God’s voice out of our complacency, fear, and patterns of that no longer serve us for salvation.

As we progress through Lent it is our call to ask ourselves several questions. Where in my live is God calling us to “go forth?” What lands do we need to leave so God can settle us in a place where we can flourish? What comfortable compromises have we made with sin that we need to surrender? What fears do we need to place in God’s hands?

God has shown us the end of our journey. It is to share in the glory Jesus revealed on the Mount of the Transfiguration. It is claiming our share in the glory of Jesus. To get there we need to evaluate our souls, listen to God, and start moving towards God’s healing. We can not be transformed into truly faithful disciples if we refuse to move from hiding to healing. Today, take Jesus invitation to “Rise, do not be afraid and follow to embrace God’s healing love and mercy.

From the Pastor March 7/8

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 22:43:28 GMT

From the Pastor March 7/8

From the Pastor

Reconciliation Service a Success

Last Sunday afternoon the parish held a Lenten Reconciliation Service. We used The Order of Reconciling Several Penitents with General Confession and Absolution. This type of Reconciliation Service is a new addition to the Order of Penance undated in 2023. It does not include individual confessions. During the service penitents ask God for absolution from venial sins. About 60 parishioners attended. That is about double what would have attended in the past. While many are what we might jokingly call “the usual suspects,” parishioners I can count on to attend most every parish function, many were not.

While this type of Reconciliation Service is new, going directly to God to ask forgiveness of venial sins isn’t. Whenever we prayerfully recite the Penitential Act at the beginning of Mass or say an Act of Contrition, we are asking God to forgive our venial sins.

I wanted to hold the service because Catholics haven’t been utilizing the Sacrament of Reconciliation as much as they should. Every Saturday I sit in the Reconciliation Room at the back of the church. I get a few penitents but sometimes no one comes. I’m sure there are some who should.

People have many excuses for not coming. They claim they are old and don’t have occasions of sin. Some say they haven’t been to confession in so long they feel embarrassed. Others claim they feel strange confessing to a priest who might recognize them. There are many misconceptions about what is sinful.

My objective in celebrating the Reconciliation Service was to try to help people overcome those excuses. I hope that the result will be those people who don’t think they sin will, after an examine of conscience, recognize their sins. My objective was to try to get parishioners to start thinking about Reconciliation and consider making celebrating it as a more important part of their spiritual life.

I’m in the Reconciliation Room from 3-3:45 pm every Saturday throughout the year. I’m also available by appointment. This Lent I’m adding Reconciliation time every Friday afternoon from 3:30-4:30 pm. Later in Lent we’ll have another Reconciliation Service. There will be individual confessions at the end of that one and there will be other priests here to assist me to hear them. I pray that these efforts will be rewarded with a more faithful celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation by Holy Redeemer parishioners.

Catholic Relief Services Collection

Next Weekend there will be a second collection to support Catholic Relief Services. CRS is principal foreign charity agency of the American Catholic Church. A year ago, DOGE the short lived government agency whose head took a “chainsaw” to the Federal Budget cut many foreign aid agencies. It is still the obligation of rich countries like ours to aid the people of poorer ones. Churches can’t possibly replace all the assistance the government cancelled but we need to try our best. Please be generous to the second collection for CRS next weekend.

St. Patrick’s Day Dinner

Last year’s St. Patrick’s Day Dinner at Holy Redeemer was such a big hit, we decided we would do it again. This year’s Dinner will be held in the Church Hall on Saturday, March 14th, following the 4 pm mass. The dinner will again be catered by the Chatham Filling Station and will feature corned beef and cabbage and all the trimmings, plus appetizers and dessert.

Tickets are $30/person, and children under 12 are admitted for free. Wine and beer will also be available for purchase. Now where can you get a better deal than that? Plus, you have the pleasure of dining with all your friends at Holy Redeemer. Of if you prefer, invite your neighbors.

Tickets will go on sale before and after mass beginning the weekend of February 28th/March 1st. Obtain your tickets as soon as possible since we only have seating for 90 people.

Lenten Devotions

Lenten Folders

1st Sunday of Lent Homily

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 22:41:37 GMT

1st Sunday of Lent Homily- Fr. John Sullivan

I grew up in an over two hundred year old center chimney colonial home. Like most old houses it had some quirks. One was how two doors came together to form a three foot square dead corner in the dining room. This space couldn’t really be used for much. We used it as a sort of closet. It was where we stored the extra leaves for the dining room table. Occasionally, my mother would tell us to go hide something she wanted out of sight between the doors in the dining room.

On a winter day when we would play hide and go seek inside the house it would be the first place we tried to hide. It was the best hiding place in the whole house. It was also the best place to hide it you were in trouble. When I felt the hammer was about to fall that was where I would run and get out of sight.

To hide from trouble is an easy and common reaction. After Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden tree in today’s First Reading, their first reaction was to hide from God.

When they heard the sound of the LORD God

walking about in the garden at the breezy time of the day,

the man and his wife hid themselves from the LORD God

among the trees of the garden.

Lent is the season we are summoned out of hiding. The first thing God wants from us this Lent isn’t drastic changes in our habits. Before any major behavior adjustments, God asks us to come out of hiding. God wants us to abandon the shadows and confront who we are as individuals, where we are in relationship to Jesus Christ the Son of God, and what sin we are carrying in our souls that hampers us from becoming the disciples Jesus call us to be.

Throughout this Lent we’ll listen to scripture reading at Masses that draw from some of the most basic of human instincts, temptation, sin, and our inclination to try to hide from God. We’re calling our Lenten homily series, From Hiding to Healing. The readings this Lent help us see that God doesn’t want us to hide in shame but to step into the light of God’s mercy. God wants to be reconciled with each of us.

Reconciliation through the Sacrament of Penance will be the focus of our homilies this Lent. The rate of Catholics participating in Confession has seriously declined in recent decades. It is happening throughout the Church, but I’ve noticed it to be particularly serious in this parish.

Anticipating this series of homilies, several weeks ago, I sent out an email asking parishioners why they thought the use of Reconciliation was so low. A few dozen people responded. Some told me they weren’t regular participants because of the anxiety of confessing sins, especially ones they struggle with. Many admitted to being lazy and afraid to face up to their sinfulness. Some admitted to an imperfect understanding of sin. A few related bad experiences with a priest in Confession earlier in life. For that I want to apologize and ask them to consider giving the Sacrament another chance.

Several related to me they had been away from Confession but have come back. They feel a tremendous relief, healing and fresh feelings of grace in life. Returning to Penance has brought them spiritual growth. I got a few suggestions about helping parishioners to better understand the sacrament. I plan to adopt some of them this Lent. I’ll try to encourage everyone to come out of hiding and celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Today’s reading from Genisis is very familiar to many. It is the story of the creation of Adam and Eve and their fall from grace. In it the serpent sows doubt in the minds of Adam and Eve about God’s faithfulness. He makes them wonder if God is truly on their side. The serpent makes them wonder if God is holding back on them and if God can be trusted. He causes them to doubt God is concerned about their happiness and wellbeing. The serpent encourages them to take matters into their own hands.

Adam and Eve disobey God and then try to hide among the trees of the garden. Our first reaction to sin isn’t usually fear of punishment but regret and we try to hide. Adam and Eve try to hide after they sin. First, they try to hide from each other. Sin makes them recognize their nakedness. In their guilt they sow loincloths to hide from each other. They try to cover themselves up physically and emotionally. Adam and Eve try to blame each other for their sin.

Sin always promises freedom but ends up delivering division and distance. Sin claims we will become more in control, fulfilled, and alive but actually causes us to become more guarded, isolated, and afraid. We want to hide.

Like our first parents, sin sends us into hiding rather than seeking God’s mercy. We claim we are too busy; our sins are only small or too big for God’s mercy. Rather than celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation we hide behind excuses like we aren’t prepared and will go when things are less messy or more under control. Sin thrives in hiding while mercy requires truth and an openness to God.

In today’s gospel, before Jesus begins his public ministry, the Holy Spirit drives Jesus into the desert. Jesus goes there not to hide or out of shame but in obedience. Jesus is both fully divine and fully human and God leads him there to test him with temptations. Jesus proves faithful but the Evil One won’t let go. Evil tries to tempt Jesus to save his own life, take control, to prove himself by trying to rely on himself.

In the desert Jesus proves he is the opposite of Adam. Adam grasps but Jesus trusts, Adam hides, Jesus is firm, Adam doubts God but Jesus clings to the Father. Jesus’s forty days in the desert proves he is with us to support us as we face temptation not to shame us but prove temptation doesn’t have the final word. Reconciliation comes about when truth calls us out of hiding. To confess our sins isn’t to admit defeat but to proclaim, “Lord, I can not save myself, I need you.”

The tragedy of sin isn’t that we fail but that we hide and try to stay hidden. We believe in a merciful God in theory but struggle with it because we aren’t merciful, we are judgmental, we fail to show compassion.

Reconciliation isn’t a sacrament of punishment but healing. God isn’t out to shame us but restore us. God already knows our sin so we have nothing to hide. The priest that hears our confession has experienced the temptation to hide from sin himself. He has heard your sin before.

Back in Advent, I told you the new Order of Penance allows for a Service of Reconciling Several Penitents with General Confession and Absolution. It is not General Absolution like might be given to soldiers entering battle. It is meant to absolve only VENIAL sins, the smaller sins we commit. If you are aware of grave or mortal sin or become aware of them, those still can only be forgiven through individual confession with a priest.

Next Sunday, March 1, at 3 pm (I’m sorry about the mix up in the bulletin where I say it is this Sunday) we’ll be holding such a Reconciliation Service. My hope is that parishioners who might have been away from the Sacrament of Reconciliation for a while will come out of hiding and have some of their anxieties overcome by participating in this service. Later in Lent we’ll have another Reconciliation Service with a couple of other priests for individual confessions.

Throughout Lent I will be setting aside some additional time for Reconciliation. In addition to the usual time for Confessions on Saturday afternoons from 3-3:45 pm, I’ll be in the Reconciliation Room at the back of the church on Friday afternoons from 3:30-4:30 before the Stations of the Cross at 4:30 pm.

After they had fallen into sin, God called out to Adam and Eve, “Where are you?” God calls the same message to us this Lent. He calls to us not because he can’t find us but because he want us to reflect and answer Him. This Lent don’t settle for just giving something up. Instead step out of hiding and let God help us become the people God wants us to be. Stop carrying sinfulness on your own. Jesus wants to help.

Over the next few weeks this series of homilies will help us along a journey to God’s deeper mercy. They will call us to become closer to Jesus who knows our story, wants to give us new sight, help us out of our bondage and raises us to new life. If you know people who you feel would benefit from this series be sure to invite them with you to Mass this Lent.

Our season of Lent doesn’t begin when we have everything figured out. It begins when we step out of hiding and let God find us and forgive us.

From the Pastor Feb 28/March 1

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 22:40:00 GMT

From the Pastor February 28/March 1

Today’s first reading at Mass relates God’s call to Abraham, who is considered a Patriarch by the three great monotheistic religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Bible commentators point out that Abram wasn’t an exceptional character before he was chosen by God. In fact, even after God called him, he did some untrustworthy things. Abram was really not very different from you and me, yet God called him for a special role. This week I’ve been reflecting on that fact because lately I’ve been hearing and witnessing stories of God’s call to so many ordinary people.

Last Sunday, I accompanied our catechumen, Leah Brown, her sponsor, EveMarie McNeil, and her catechists, John and Marlene Ciborowski to St. Mary’s Cathedral to witness Leah’s participation in the Rite of Election of Catechumens and Candidates for Continuing Conversion celebrated by Bishop Da Cunha. Despite the concern about the impending blizzard the cathedral was filled with anticipation as well over 100 people of all ages and backgrounds were admitted into final preparation to receive the sacraments and initiation into the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil. It was a great sign of hope for the future of the Church.

Over the last few months, I have read about and witnessed signs of hope that Jesus’ promise, “And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.” Is still holding true. Throughout the world the Catholic Church is showing signs of growth. Some are antidotes but others have statistical proof. France has seen growth in people seeking instructions in the faith. It is being referred to as the Notre Dame Effect because some attribute it to interest in Catholicism after the fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

There are reported upticks in interest in the Church in several other European countries such as The Netherlands and Great Britian. It is anticipated that by 2035, the majority of church attending Britons will be Catholics. You can add to that increased interest in Catholicism in Africa, and many Asian countries. That includes signs of growth in interest in Catholicism here in our country. That interest is especially evident among young men. I read where the University of Kansas is preparing to receive 128 students into the Catholic Church this Easter. About as many as our diocese. Our Church still has problems but there are many signs of hope.

I witnessed signs of that when I was on vacation at Hilton Head, SC a few weeks ago. On Sunday, the Mass I attended was concelebrated by the priest who is Vocations Director for the Diocese of Charleston and chaplain at the University of South Carolina. The Diocese of Charleston encompasses the entire state of South Carolina and has about 206,000 Catholics or 4% of the population. Our Diocese of Fall River has a Catholic population of 275,000 or 33% of the population. Culturally, we are much more Catholic than that. He spoke on vocations in the diocese which has 30 seminarians and hopes to grow to possibly 40 this year. He also put in a plug for donations to help build a new Catholic Center at the university. The need comes about because their present facility is woefully inadequate for the number of students it services. Great signs of hope for the Church.

Holy Redeemer might not have many youth but it has grandparents very interested in encouraging their grandchildren to be attracted in the Catholic Church and growing their faith. Parishioners in that category can have a great influence on young adults. Don’t be shy about discussing you faith with them. Most of all foster their discipleship by being a good disciple yourself.

Lenten Reconciliation Service

A Lenten Reconciliation Service will be celebrated Sunday, March 1, at 3 pm. We will use the Order for Reconciling Several Penitents with General Confession and Absolution. That means we will not be hearing individual confessions at this service. This service is for forgiveness of Venial Sins like selfishness, impassions, white lies. If you are aware of more grave or mortal sins, they still must be confessed at an individual confession with a priest. During Lent Fr. Sullivan will be in the Reconciliation Room at the back of the church on Friday afternoon from 3:30-4:30 pm and the usual Saturday afternoon from 3-3:45 pm. Hopefully, parishioners who have been away from Confession will find the General Absolution and Absolution Service a little less threatening and help them to understand the Sacrament of Reconciliation better.

Exciting News from The Anchor

The Anchor , the long-standing newspaper of Diocese of Fall River, is transitioning in

February from a paid monthly print edition to a free weekly electronic newsletter. Signing

up is simple. Visit www.bit.ly//Anchornewsletter.org or the diocesan website,

fallriverdiocese.org, and provide your name and e-mail address, or click the provided QR

code. Stay informed and stay connected with all the news and events in the Diocese plus the

latest developments in the Catholic Church across the country and around the world. Look

for the first Anchor newsletter in late February along with a new and enhanced Anchor

website.

St. Patrick’s Day Dinner

Tickets will go on sale before and after mass beginning the weekend of February 28th/March 1st. Obtain your tickets as soon as possible since we only have seating for 90 people.

Lenten Devotions

As part of our Lent the Small Faith Sharing Groups are sponsoring, Redemption: What Does it Look Like? featuring Amanda Braga-Tipton in the Parish Center on Saturday, March 7, beginning at 9 am. Lunch and fellowship will follow. Sign-up sheets are at the doors of the church.

From the Pastor Feb 21/22

Sat, 21 Feb 2026 12:26:49 GMT

From the Pastor February 21/22

A Season Of Reconciliation

Lent is our Christian season to get back on track, to make an accounting of our relationship with God. In these days, we reflect on what we have done or failed to do to show love for God, our brothers and sisters, and all God has created. Holy Redeemer is a great parish, but I feel it has one serious fault. That is poor participation in the use of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. I’m in the Reconciliation Room every Saturday afternoon from 3-3:45 pm and many times I have no one come to receive the Sacrament.

This Lent our need for reconciliation with God and others will be the topic of a series of Sunday homilies. We’ve named the series, From Hiding to Healing. We’ll examine how we need to name sin honestly, trust God to help us leave sin behind, and rise to new life. Hopefully, you will be in church every weekend of Lent to hear how God is calling you to experience love and be strengthened to overcome sin. If you know people beside yourself who would benefit from hearing this series invite them to come to church with you.

Back during Advent a planned Reconciliation Service got snowed out. I’m going to try again this Lent. The new Order of Penance instituted in 2023 allows for the Reconciliation of Several Penitents with General Confession and Absolution. That means the parish can have a Reconciliation Service where parishioners can come and confess Venial Sins and receive the priest absolution from them without going to individual confession. This is not general absolution for all sins, only venial ones . If a penitent becomes aware of committing grave or mortal sin, they still must seek absolution for them in a confession made directly to a priest.

We’ll be doing this in a hope to reach out people who have not celebrated the Sacrament for years. I hope by coming and examining their conscience they might recognize where they have fallen into sin, overcome any fears they have about confronting their sins, and receive a sense of being unburdened of any guilt they feel.

The Reconciliation Service will be held Sunday, February 22, at 3 pm. The service should last about a half hour. Come and be open to receiving God’s mercy and compassion. I’m making plans for a second Reconciliation Service that will include individual confessions on Sunday, March 15, at 3 pm. Besides me, there will be a couple of other priests available to hear confessions. On Fridays during Lent, I’ll make myself available for extra time in the Reconciliation Room from 3:30 to 4:15 pm before Stations of the Cross.

To help encourage the Lenten practices of fast, almsgiving and prayer the parish is offering a number of programs. Parishioners were sent Lenten Folders. You are asked to put aside 25c each Lenten Day for a total of $10. At the end of Lent proceeds will be sent to Cape Cod Foster Closet, a local group that helps support foster parents with extraordinary expenses. Please be generous.

Add to your prayer time during Lent by joining us for Daily Mass every day at 8 am. On Friday afternoons at 4:30 pm we will recite the Stations of the Cross and Evening Prayer. A simple Soup Supper will be held in the Parish Center immediately after. It will be low on calories but overflowing with fellowship with parishioners.

Expanding membership in Small Faith Sharing Groups is one of our initiatives for Lent. We now numbers over a hundred parishioners participating in groups. There is no bad time to join a group. If you would like to begin as a member call Deacon Art at the Parish Office 508-945-0677 and will sign you up.

The season’s high light will be on Saturday morning, March 7. That is the day for a morning with Amanda Braga-Tipton to hear about the topic of Redemption. This gathering is not about having the right answers or presenting polished faith stories. It is about making space to reflect honestly on our journey, space to listen to one another, and notice where God may already be at work in you in ways that might be over looked. Through personal reflection, shared faith, and open conversation, we will explore how redemption is something God invites us to recognize and participate in. It sounds like a great program. One that will help us grow in our love of God so, make plans to attend.

Baby Bottle Boomerang

This is last call to return your baby bottle from the Baby Bottle Boomerang. January was Sanctity of Life Month and Holy Redeemer conducted a Baby Bottle Boomerang as a fundraiser for Your Options Medical Centers. Your Options is an agency that offers pregnant women services such as free ultrasound tests and counseling to help women considering abortion to know all their options before deciding.

Next weekend will be the last opportunity to return your bottles filled with the loose change you collected during January. Please return them to the baskets by the Welcome Desks at the doors of the church.

Capital Campaign Update

Thank you to parishioners who have contributed towards the Unless the Lord Build It Capital Campaign. The goal for the campaign is $750,000 to be raised over the next two years. Campaign proceeds will pay for renovations to our parish facilities. We have contributions and pledges of $536,143.86. If you have not contributed, please give prayerful consideration to joining your fellow parishioners who have done so.

Over the winter we have made progress towards three of the most significant projects. They are new siding for Holy Redeemer Church, new windows for the Rectory, and improvements to the parking lot. We are in the final stage of the state granting a permit for a new curb cut for a parking lot entrance directly off of Old Harbor Road. We have a contractor’s quote for the work and it is slightly under the expected cost!

That is the same for the new Rectory windows. The price for those is about $1,500 under what we expected. Once the weather gets a little warmer, they will start installing them. The siding work is also expected to begin in the spring. Hopefully, parishioners will be as satisfied with the results as they say they are with the church renovations. We’re still getting complements on them. Last Sunday a seasonal resident, who usually attends Mass during the summer at Our Lady of Grace, was here for Mass and complement the improvements.

Those Snowy Sundays

Why does it seem a disproportionate number of snowy days occur on the weekend? We’ve been hit with a number of weekends when there has been just enough snow to make it difficult to get out. The snow has impacted Mass attendance and therefore our Offertory Collections. If you miss Mass because of the weather please try to “make-up” your missed donations.

Even better consider signing up for Electronic Giving. It is easy and you will never miss a donation. To sign up go to our website www.holyredeemerchatham.org . On the right of the Homepage is a tab labeled “Donate”. Click there and a drop down menu will appear click on the appropriate donation you want to make, set it, and forget it. If you have a problem call the Parish Office (508)-945-0677 and we’ll be happy to help. We’re building a strong parish here at Holy Redeemer and look forward to your financial support.

From the Pastor February 7/8

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 12:17:02 GMT

From the Pastor February 7/8

It’s a cliché but it’s one because it is so true. When we feel as if darkness has descended around us, whether it be our country, the Church, or our personal lives, we don’t have to look far to see a bright spot. I felt that way after reading several recent articles about current conditions in the Church.

The discouragement came from a study of the condition of the Church in Latin America. The very reputable Pew Research Center reported some alarming statistics concerning the drop in the number of Latin Americans identifying as Catholic. For centuries Latin America has been the most Catholic area of the world, but that is changing. In the last ten years the number of people identifying as Catholic has dropped by 10-20 % in the various countries.

The statistics don’t point to an increase in people claiming Protestant or other religious affiliation, but an increase in those professing no religious connection. The Pew survey found the secularization of Latin America is very different from Europe or North America. Belief in God, daily prayer, and the claim faith is important to them, still rank high among the unaffiliated, so things aren’t all bleak. Good evangelization could bring them back to Catholicism.

There is also a glimmer of hope for the Church in Western Europe and the United States. The New Evangelization Pope John Paul II initiated might be beginning to bear fruit. France, Great Britian, Ireland, and the United States show signs of increased interest in the Catholic Church especially among young adults.

France is experiencing a significant increase in adults seeking baptism. This renewed interest in the Catholic faith in one of the world’s most secular countries, has been called the Notre Dame effect, and results from the fire that seriously damage the Paris landmark several years ago. Since its reopening not only Notre Dame, but many other Cathedrals and religious landmarks, have experienced increased numbers of visitors. The architecture and artwork of these great monuments seems to be stimulating religious enquiry just as they were designed to do in medieval days.

After several decades of scandal, the Catholic Church in Ireland is witnessing a resurgence. Phenomenally, affiliation with the Catholic Church in Britian has surpasses that of the Anglican Church among young adults, GenZ. That is also the case here in the United States. Since its founding, our country has been considered a Protestant country. Recent surveys report that, like England, a slightly larger number of GenZers affiliate with the Catholic Church. That isn’t so much an increase in Catholic affiliation as a smaller slippage among Catholics of this generation than among Protestants. This upswing in Catholic affiliation is being found especially among GenZ young men looking for stability in a fast changing world.

As a final point, Pope Leo has declared the coming year as a Holy Year to mark the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi. St. Francis, the founder of the Franciscan Order, is famous for a conversion from a life of worldliness to one of service. His conversion was rooted in a call from God to renew His Church. Francis heard it while praying in a dilapidated chapel near Assisi called San Damiano. Francis at first thought it was a call to renovate that chapel. Later he recognized it as a call to renew the spiritual church. May the increase in GenZ’s interest in Catholicism be that longed for spot of sunshine in a dark world. Pray for young people on every continent to imitate St. Francis and to hear and respond to God’s call to renew the Church.

Parish Photographer Needed

The saying is “a picture is worth a thousand words.” Do you enjoy photography? The parish is seeking a volunteer to take photos at various parish events and liturgies. If you have talents and skills in this area, please give the Parish Office a call at 508-945-0677, and offer you skills to the parish.

Baby Bottle Boomerang

January was Sanctity of Life Month. Holy Redeemer conducted a Baby Bottle Boomerang as a fundraiser for Your Options Medical Centers. Your Options is an agency that offers pregnant women services such as free ultrasound tests and counseling to help women considering abortion to know all their options before deciding.

Parishioners participating in the Boomerang should now return their bottles filled with the loose change they receive during January. Baskets are available by the Welcome Desks at the doors of the church.

World Day of the Sick

Wednesday, February 11, was the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. It commemorates the apparition of Our Lady to St. Bernadette. As the result of her appearance a miraculous healing spring came forth and made Lourdes a place of healing. It is also World Day of Prayer for the Sick. This weekend the parish will celebrate the Sacrament of the Sick. This is a sacrament of healing and not The Last Rites.

Who should receive the sacrament?

People of advanced age.
Those suffering from a chronic illness.
Those anticipating an operation or medical procedure in the need future.

Parishioners fitting those criteria will be invited to come to the front of the sanctuary after the homily at all Masses.

Palms For Ashes

Bring last year’s palms to church. We are collecting them to burn to make this year’s Ash Wednesday supply. Collection baskets are available in both lobbies.

Fr. Sullivan on Vacation

Fr. Sullivan will be on vacation this weekend. Fr. Rich Furlong, a retired priest of the diocese, will be subbing for him. Please welcome Fr. Furlong.

Catholic Appeal Honors

Earlier in January the parish was notified we received a $3,000, award as part of the Catholic Appeal Parish Incentive Program for the 2025 Catholic Appeal. Every May the Diocese of Fall River conducts its Catholic Appeal that helps support the ministries and charities of the diocese. Holy Redeemer won the award for having the second highest participation rate in the Cape and Island Deanery. Our rate was 14.1% of our parishioners contributing to the Appeal. Thank you to all those parishioners who contributed to the Appeal. Let’s shoot for #1 in 2026.

3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time Homily

Fri, 30 Jan 2026 22:02:19 GMT

3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time Homily- Fr. John Sullivan

Many people like to hold on to their stuff. To prove the point, I was wondering how many self-storage complexes, you know those long buildings that look like a bunch of garages, there are here on the Lower Cape. I went online and found there are ten between here and S. Yarmouth and up to Orleans. That means there are thousands of cubicles where people who have run out of space in their garages, attics, and basements can store their extra stuff.

These last few weeks we have been preaching a series of homilies called Simplicity. It is about decluttering our lives. Clutter is those things we hang on to in life. They pile up out of habit, oversight, neglect, and insecurity. They are untidy, cause distractions, and get in the way of us enjoying access to what we really need in life.

There comes a time when we must take the bull by the horns and declutter life. We make the effort to remove what is useless and reorganize and reorder what is necessary so we can live in comfort, cleanliness and a more aesthetic environment so life can be more successful and enjoyable.

When we declutter, we are forced to make value judgments. We decide what is important and keep them handy and accessible. Useful things to keep we store away for the time being, and what is impeding us from enjoying life we eliminate.

Just as we declutter our physical space it is important to declutter other aspects of our lives. Last week we talked about decluttering our souls. We used St. Paul as an example of a disciple with an uncluttered soul trying to share his experience with the Corinthians. Paul told them to unclutter their souls and focus on their relationship with God. We spoke about how our prayer life can become cluttered and actually stand in the way of responding to God.

This week we’ll discuss decluttering our relationships. Humans are social by nature. The Book of Genesis tells us God recognized that at Creation.

The LORD God said: It is not good for the man to be alone.

I will make a helper suited to him.

It is good to be quiet and alone at times, but we need to interact with others if we really want to enjoy life. Social Scientists are telling us we are in an interpersonal relationship crisis. Loneliness and lack of interaction with others is a growing problem that existed even before the pandemic and the rise of social media.

Good personal interaction is about more than just being around people or having them around us. We need people with whom we can have positive relationships. People are God’s fuel for our growth and physical and spiritual health. In our early childhood we had little choice in our relationships. They were mostly our family. As we went to school and then grew into adulthood, most of our relationships developed out of chance. They were co-workers, neighbors, and fellow soccer parents.

Those relationships are often good but we need real intentional ones. The right people are good but some of our relationships are with the wrong people who can lead us down the wrong path, get us into trouble, and drain our joy for life. We need to sort through our relationships, invest in the good ones, and back away from the bad.

Every museum has staff called curators. Their job is to insure the valuable items of the collection are protected and dispose of items that no longer fit the collection’s purposes. We need to do the same with our relationships. We need to invest in the right people and unencumber ourselves from the wrong ones.

To fully enjoy life, we need a network of people. It isn’t good to put too much emphasis on only one person, even if they are our spouse and love of our life. When we depend too much on one person to meet all our emotional needs, they just can’t do it.

As a Lenten initiative Holy Redeemer is promoting our Small Faith Sharing Groups. We encourage you to take the plunge, fill out one of the sign-up cards in the pew, and commit to a small group for the weeks of Lent. We aren’t asking you to commit for life, but only the season of Lent. We feel once you experience a small group you will want to continue even after Easter.

A healthy relationship is one where we share grace and truth. We get grace when we have people who support us with kindness, care, and compassion. We grow in truth when we have people in our lives who give us a reality check. They will speak the truth to us, motivate us to action, support our actions, help us grow through difficulties, and find solutions to problems. No one relationship can do all that. That is where a small group of people of with similar values helps.

Today’s gospel tells us of how when Jesus started his public ministry. He first sorted through his relationships. Matthew tells us Jesus moved from his hometown of Nazareth to the larger town of Capernaum. He put the relationship with his family on a back burner for a while. He cut contacts with people in Nazareth who wouldn’t accept a familiar figure like him as the Messiah. Jesus went to Capernaum, a larger town. It was a crossroads for much activity and offered the opportunity for more relationships.

Jesus went out and immediately began establishing them.

As he was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers,

Simon who is called Peter, and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea;

they were fishermen.

He said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

At once they left their nets and followed him.

He walked along from there and saw two other brothers,

James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.

They were in a boat, with their father Zebedee, mending their nets.

He called them,

and immediately they left their boat and their father and followed him.

This was an unusual thing for a rabbi like Jesus to do at that time. Usually, perspective disciples chose the rabbi they wanted to follow, rather than a rabbi choosing his disciples. Jesus called these men not because they had amazing intellects, but because he saw they were so ordinary. He recognized their work ethic and that they were willing to make developing a relationship with Jesus their top priority. They were decisive and willing to give a relationship with Jesus preference even over their responsibilities to their father. They were willing to sacrifice for a life changing relationship with Jesus.

Imitate Jesus and start working to declutter your relationships. Move away from the place that might be comfortable for now, to one where you can establish new life-giving friendships. Start by prioritizing the relationships where you receive what you need and can give what others deserve. Those that offer us grace and truth. Put some serious energy into strengthening those friendships. Recognize that some of our relationships are in transition. Like James and John’s with their father, they are entering a new season and stage of life. They aren’t ones we want to abandon but need to step back from for a while. After a little growth they will likely become important to us again.

Some relationships need to end. They are toxic to us. They are relationships that offer no exchange of grace or truth. There is a commercial on television, I’m not even sure what they are trying to sell, but it features Teddy Bridgewater, an NFL backup quarterback. A young woman is trying to get support from a friend who is completely distracted by her cellphone. In frustration she calls on Teddy to come in to be her back-up friend. Bridgwater is attentive and gives the young woman the feedback she needs from a good friend. That is how we need to declutter our relationships.

Right after this homily, a member of one of our small groups will witness to you how participating in a group helped them form relationships of grace and truth with other small group members. I hope you will fill out one of the sign-up cards at the end of the pew and become a member of a small group. Remember you are only pledging this for Lent.

This week, take stock of your relationships. Evaluate them and determine those that give you grace and truth. Prioritize making them stronger and more lifegiving. Settle on the relationships that you need to step back from for a while. They are good ones but one we can’t concentrate on right now. Bring the relationships that only cause you anxiety and sap your energy to an end. Use your energy to foster relationships that are full of grace and truth.

From the Pastor January 31/Feb 1

Fri, 30 Jan 2026 21:59:03 GMT

From the Pastor January 31/Feb 1

Leaving a Great Legacy

Last week the American Church was saddened to hear the news of the death in Rome of prominent and distinguished Vatican journalist John L. Allen, Jr. Allen died at age 62 after a lengthy case of cancer. Born and raised in rural Kansas, Allen became the dean of English language Vatican correspondents.

A tribute printed by Zenit News referred to his career as, “one in which deep institutional knowledge, intellectual rigor, and narrative clarity combined to make the inner workings of the Holy See intelligible to a global audience.”

Allen became prominent in Catholic media circles during a decades long career as the Vatican correspondent for the National Catholic Reporter. NCR is considered a progressive publication, but the Zenit profile commented, “Allen’s authority did not stem from ideological alignment. On the contrary, he was trusted across the ecclesial spectrum precisely because he resisted easy categorization. Progressives, conservatives, and institutional insider alike recognized that his first loyalty was to accuracy and context.” The Zenit article observed, “The Holy See operates simultaneously as a sovereign entity, a spiritual authority, and a centuries-old court culture. Allen mastered this terrain.

Sebastian Gomes an editor for America Media pointed out that Allen was a must read because of three things. He said Allen’s writing was accessible. He said it wasn’t shallow or a dumbing down of topics. “John would write and speak to ordinary people interested in the goings-on at the Vatican with clarity and precision.”

Nuance, Gomes claimed, was another great quality of Allen’s. Gomes pointed out that Vatican journalists can become obsessed with drama that leads to sensationalism or become too cozy with the institutional Church. He wrote, “After reading John, you wouldn’t know exactly where he stood on the question-a testament to his capacity for nuance and understanding of the proper role of a Catholic reporter.

Gomes said Allen was passionate. “As a Catholic, he didn’t feel the need to downplay or avoid challenging questions.” “He always had something insightful and trustworthy to say, without hesitation or defensiveness.”

Besides being a correspondent, John Allen was the author of many books on Church topics. He was very knowledgeable about Pope Benedict XVI of whom he wrote biographies. His book, All the Pope’s Men, described the inner workings of the Curia, Opus Dei took an intense expose of that controversial movement, and The Future Church predicted many of the issues the Church is dealing with today. I strongly recommend any of John Allen’s writings to every Catholic wishing to learn about the Church.

One final tribute paid John Allen is his willingness to work with other Vatican journalist and to mentor young and upcoming ones. Hopefully, Allen’s impact and legacy as a Vatican journalist will live on through them for many years.

Parish Photographer Needed

Baby Bottle Boomerang

January is Sanctity of Life Month. Holy Redeemer has been conducting a Baby Bottle Boomerang as a fundraiser for Your Options Medical Centers. Your Options is an agency that offers pregnant women services such as free ultrasound tests and counseling to help women considering abortion to know all their options before deciding.

Parishioners participating in the Boomerang should now begin to return their bottles filled with the loose change they receive during January. Baskets are available by the Welcome Desks at the doors of the church.

World Day of the Sick

Wednesday, February 11, is the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. It commemorates the apparition of Our Lady to St. Bernadette. As the result of her appearance a miraculous healing spring came forth and made Lourdes a place of healing. It is also World Day of Prayer for the Sick. On the weekend of February 14/15, the parish will celebrate the Sacrament of the Sick. This is a sacrament of healing and not The Last Rites.

Who should receive the sacrament?

People of advanced age.
Those suffering from a chronic illness.
Those anticipating an operation or medical procedure in the need future.

Parishioners fitting those criteria will be invited to come to the front of the sanctuary after the homily at all Masses.

Candlemas Day & Feast of St. Blasé

Monday, February 2, is the Feast of the Presentation. It is forty days since Christmas and the day recalls the presentation of Jesus and Mary at the Temple to fulfill the Mosaic Law’s requirement for first born sons to be redeemed. It is one of the occasions in Jesus’ young life when he was revealed as the Messiah and the light of the world. Traditionally, it is the day to bless candles. This weekend we will bless a limited supply of candles and distribute them after Mass.

Palms For Ashes

Beginning next weekend and for the next couple, bring last year’s palms to church. We are collecting them to burn to make this year’s Ash Wednesday supply. Collection baskets will be available in both lobbies.

Fr. Sullivan on Vacation

Fr. Sullivan will be on vacation this week. Fr. Rich Furlong, a retired priest of the diocese, will be subbing for him. Please welcome Fr. Furlong.

Catholic Appeal Honors

Earlier in January the parish was notified we received a $3,000 award as part of the Catholic Appeal Parish Incentive Program for the 2025 Catholic Appeal. Every May the Diocese of Fall River conducts its Catholic Appeal that helps support the ministries and charities of the diocese. Holy Redeemer won the award for having the second highest participation rate in the Cape and Island Deanery. Our rate was 14.1% of our parishioners contributing to the Appeal. Thank you to all those parishioners who contributed to the Appeal. Let’s shoot for #1 in 2026.

From the Pastor January 24/25

Sun, 25 Jan 2026 13:06:11 GMT

From the Pastor January 24/25

An Apolitical Church

Should the Church be apolitical? Was Jesus apolitical? That is one of the greatest conflicts of Christian history. An amusing thing is that people’s response to this question often depends on whether they feel the Church is on their side of a particular issue. If Christian beliefs support their position, great. The Church needs to speak out on the issue. If not, the Church needs to stay sealed away in its buildings and limit itself to spiritual issues. Liberals can complain when they feel the Church is too concerned about abortion, while Conservatives get upset when the seamless garment doctrine is applied to the death penalty. Throughout history when the Church has applied Gospel principles to an important issue it has been accused of meddling in politics. We can think of examples, like St. Thomas Becket, Good King St. Wenceslaus, or St Thomas More, who gave their lives because they spoke truth to power in political situations. Truthfully, there have been times though when the Church has become too involved with worldly issues. The challenge is to determine when are the right circumstances.

The issue came to my mind recently while reading a Boston Globe article last week. The article interviewed Catholics, the weekend of January 10/11, about Pope Leo’s January 9, annual address to diplomats credited to the Holy See. Early every year the pope has a reception for foreign ambassadors to the Vatican. Traditionally, the pope’s uses the occasion for his major foreign policy address. Since the address was only delivered a day or two before the article it wasn’t realistic to believe parishioners, coming and going to Mass, would know much about its content. Instead, churchgoers were asked about the issue of Church involvement in politics. Understandably, there was a wide spectrum of responses. Some people just seemed drained by the onslaught of issue in recent weeks.

Pope Leo’s address, like previous pope’s statements was not explicitly critical of any country or national leader but it did offer important warnings. Nonetheless, since Leo is an American, his remarks were applied to the current upheaval in our country. In his address, Leo lamented that war seems to be back in vogue and zeal for war spreading. As an Augustinian, Leo referenced St. Augustine and in particular Augustine’s famous work, The City of God , which contrast the earthly city with the city of God.

Even a quick survey of the gospel reveals that while Jesus avoided partisan and temporal power, His mission had profound political implications. Matthew’s gospel reveals Jesus’ birth had political consequences. When the magi visit Jerusalem looking for the new born King of the Jews it sets off Herod’s slaughter of the innocents. Jesus had followers from the complete spectrum of political views, one apostle was Judas the Zealot, a Jewish Nationalist, there was also Matthew a Roman tax collector. While Jesus distanced himself from political power for himself, he retreated to the mountains when the crowd tried to proclaim him King, his preaching caused political conflict.

Jesus’ teachings and actions were deeply political. They challenged the existing power structures of the Roman Empire and the Temple authorities. His proclamation of a Kingdom of God that would favor the poor and oppressed called for a radically reordered social and political landscape. It directly challenged Rome’s rule and predicted Rome’s power would come to an end. This treat was the explicit cause of Jesus death on the cross.

Yes, Jesus and the Church must be political at times in order to be faithful to the gospel. It must read the signs of the times and always defend the poor and oppressed. While the Church must be political, it needs to avoid partisanship. Our American bishops encourage Catholics to be active in the political life of our nation and community but strives to prevent any official endorsement of particular candidates. We see how often when religious leaders endorse specific political leaders it backfires. Yes, the Church needs to be involved in all aspect of politics, Greek for “life of the community” but resist being tied to the political fortunes of any partisan figures.

Parish Photographer Needed

Baby Bottle Boomerang

January is Sanctity of Life Month. Again, this year Holy Redeemer is conducting a Baby Bottle Boomerang as a fundraiser for Your Options Medical Centers. Your Options is an agency that offers pregnant women services such as free ultrasound tests and counseling to help women considering abortion to know all their options before deciding. Pro-Life people need to be ready to help women with problem pregnancies with prayer and financial resources. We need to meet our words with action.

Parishioners participating in the Boomerang should fill their bottle with the loose change they receive during the month and return it in early February.

Capital Campaign Update

Holy Redeemer’s Capital Campaign, “Unless the Lord Builds It” continues to grow towards our goal. God has been blessing our work. We have raised $533,123.58, towards our goal of $750,000, with donations from 135 parish households. Two of our larger campaign projects, new siding for the church and new windows for the rectory will be carried out in the spring. Additional planned projects are working on our parking lot here at Holy Redeemer, interior paint and new carpet at Our Lady of Grace Chapel, painting and replacement of carpet in the rectory.

If you have not yet donated to the Capital Campaign, please prayerfully consider making a sacrificial gift. If you have donated and now have circumstances where you can make an additional gift, please consider doing so. Together lets join the work of God making Holy Redeemer an attractive worship space for years to come.

From the Pastor January 17/18

Sat, 17 Jan 2026 13:41:24 GMT

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Not Extraordinary Anymore

The news has been overwhelming lately. The arrest of Venezuelan President Maduro in an early morning raid, an ICE killing in Minneapolis, threats to invade Greenland. It’s excusable if we haven’t been attentive to events at the Vatican where, Pope Leo has unveiled his new style of Papal governance.

On Monday, January 5, Pope Leo convened an extraordinary Consistory of the College of Cardinals. This meeting of all the world’s Cardinals was announced back in November. Vatican watchers consider it the real beginning of Leo’s pontificate. Since his election as successor to Pope Francis in May, Leo has been focused on finishing the agenda Pope Francis established. 2025 was a Holy Year, so Leo spent much time and effort fulfilling the Holy Year schedule and finishing Francis’ other projects. Leo’s first major teaching document the apostolic exhortation “ Dilexi Te” I Have Loved You” was based on a document begun by Pope Francis. Now Leo will be able to begin his own agenda.

One of his top priorities has been setting up the mechanism for closer cooperation with the College of Cardinals. One of the concerns expressed by the Cardinals while they prepared to elect a new pope last spring was that they didn’t know each other well and therefore didn’t have the insights they felt they needed on possible candidates to elect a new pope.

A legacy of Pope Francis was his concern for the peripheries of the Church. Francis created Cardinals who served communities throughout the world. Bishops from diverse places with even small Catholic populations became members of the College. While this diversity was good for the Church, many members of the College didn’t have the opportunity to get to know other members with whom they had little contact. When the Cardinals assembled to elect Pope Leo, they suggested more frequent meetings. Pope Leo’s responded with a plan to host an extraordinary consistory or meeting of the College of Cardinals each year.

What is the difference between an ordinary and an extraordinary consistory? According to Canon Law, which governs the Church, an ordinary consistory is one that assembles to elect a new pope, confirm the creation of new Cardinals, or the canonization of new saints. Only Cardinals living in Rome are required to attend these consistories. An extraordinary consistory is a meeting of all Cardinals and is meant to advise the pope on topics of urgency to the whole Church. In the past they have been rare. Pope John Paul II called only six in his twenty-eight years as pope. Pope Benedict none, and Pope Francis three. Pope Leo plans to call one every year.

In preparation for this month’s consistory to set priorities for the Church over the next two years. Leo had suggested four topics. First, reflection on Pope Francis’ letters Evangelic Gaudium which addressed plans for Christian evangelization, Praedicate Evangelic which was Francis’ plan to reorganize the Roman Curia, then synodality, and finally the liturgy. When the meeting began Leo suggested scaling things back to only two topics, Evangelic Gaudium, and its call to work to help make the Church more missionary and responsive to the needs of the ordinary faithful, and Praedicate Evangelic the organization of the Roman Curia to carry out more effectively its missionary emphasis. While synodality wasn’t addressed directly by the consistory, it was the impulse for the meeting. Leo announced a second, three to four day session of the Consistory for late June. It look as if these extraordinary meeting will become the new norm for Pope Leo’s efforts to consult with, not only Cardinals, but also the wider Church.

Healing Mass for Separated and Divorced

The Divorced and Separated Ministry of the Diocese of Fall River is sponsoring a Mass of Healing at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption, 327 Second Street, Fall River on Sunday, January 25, 2026 @ 10 :30 a.m. Very Rev. Jeffrey Cabral, JCL, Judicial Vicar for the diocese will be celebrant. The failure of a marriage can inflict feelings of abandon and hurt on many spouses. For more information, contact Deborah LeDoux, Family and Respect Life Director, at 508-658-2956.

Baby Bottle Boomerang

Parishioners participating in the Boomerang should fill their bottle with the loose change they receive during the month and return it in early February.

Capital Campaign Update

Holy Redeemer’s Capital Campaign, “Unless the Lord Builds It” continues to grow towards our goal. The theme for the campaign comes from Psalm 127:1. The full text is:

“Unless the LORD builds a house,

the work of the builders is wasted.

Unless the LORD protects a city,

guarding it with sentries will do no good.”

The passage points out that unless a project is placed in God’s hands it cannot hope for success. All our efforts are useless without God’s blessings on our project. We need to pray for God’s guidance and grace to make our campaign successful.

God has been blessing our work. The goal we set for this campaign is $750,000. As of this week we are more than half way there. We have raised $533,123.58, with donations from 135 parish households. Those donations will fund two of our larger campaign projects, new siding for the church and new windows for the rectory. Our project manager, the same one who implemented our wonderful phase one church renovations, estimates the cost of siding for the church to be $350,000. Our hope is to begin that renovation first thing in the spring.

A generous parishioner saw the Rectory window replacement on our list of projects and decided to fund it. This week we signed the contract for this project costing just under $50,000. The Rectory windows on the original section of the house date from 1909, while those on the addition to 1953, so that should help tighten up the drafts and save energy costs. We plan to start that project in the early spring. The additional projects are working on our parking lot here at Holy Redeemer, interior paint and new carpet at Our Lady of Grace Chapel, painting and replacement of carpet in the rectory.

Feast of the Epiphany Homily

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 22:06:20 GMT

Feast of the Epiphany Homily- Fr. John Sullivan

I have a priest friend who prides himself on, whenever he is moved to a new assignment, he can pack all his belongings, books, clothing, and other possessions into one car load. By the way he drives a Subaru Impreza and not a Cadillac Escalade. I marvel at that. I have a library of books, a wardrobe of cloths, and mementoes I acquired over the years. I’m glad my brother always had a pickup truck I could borrow when I have had to move.

I don’t feel like I am a packrat, but I accumulate my share of stuff. Earlier in my priesthood I was a hospital chaplain. My co-chaplain was a religious sister. At times she would give me articles or books she felt I might be interested in reading. I’d often tell her I planned to put it on my nightstand and read it as I wound down for the evening. One day, she handed me another article and that was the response I gave her. She said, John, you better be careful that stack on your night stand is getting so high it is libel to fall over and crush you while you sleep.

The buildup of clutter can be a real problem around church. Church can be a clutter magnet. Many times, I’ve come to the door of the church and found boxes and bags of used religious items left there. They include old crucifixes, prayers books published in 1948, and a tattered statue of the Infant of Prague. My conclusion is that an older Catholic’s house has been cleaned out. Their children, nieces and nephews, or whoever has that task, has come across these religious items and they are afraid to throw them out so, they dump them on our front steps.

Could you do me a favor? Add a codicil to your will telling your heirs I told you it’s okay for them to throw old palms, devotional books, and all those mission calendars you’ve been saving, in the trash and not leave them at church.

It’s important for the church to keep uncluttered both literally and figuratively. The Acts of the Apostle tells us the disciples of Jesus were first known as followers of the Way. They were people on the move. The Church is meant to be a movement. We can’t be inhibited from responding to change because there is too much clutter in the way. It is so much harder to move quickly and respond effectively when we are saddled with too much stuff.

The beginning of a new year is a good time to reflect and consider working to declutter our lives. As we start a fresh year, we have an opportunity to bring order and organization to our lives. If we remove clutter by getting rid of things we no longer need and store away what we aren’t using, we will lower our stress. Decluttering our lives helps us reduce our choices, removes distractions and ends confusion.

Experts tell us to declutter our lives we need to take six steps. To begin, decide on a timeframe and set a goal. Is it a closet, a room, or the whole house that needs decluttering? Get some help. Enlist the help of a family member or friend to help you keep on track. Have someone who will ask you, “Have you used that this year?” will keep you on track. Chose a good time to start the process. These winter months at the beginning of the new year are a good opportunity.

A seminary friend spent a couple of years at the Benedictine Monastery at St. Anselm’s College. Once a year every monk was required to lay out all their possessions. The abbot and prior would visit each monk’s room. If they felt he had too many things, for instance three sweaters when they felt two was sufficient, the monk was required to give one away to another member of the community. As you declutter, discern what you really need. If you have duplicates give one away.

Organizational experts say as you declutter, establish a place for everything and everything in its place. Label it so you can find it when you want it. They say we should create new habits. When you start a task finish it. So much clutter happens when projects are left unfinished.

Just as our physical life can get cluttered, so can our spiritual life. Over the next six weeks, from now until Lent begins, we’ll be preaching a series of homilies guiding us in ways to simplify our spiritual lives. We’ll guide you on how to end “Soul Clutter.” We’ll look into some simple prayer practices we can begin to help us unclutter our souls.

Our spiritual lives can face “Relational Clutter.” Our relationships naturally move and change over time. Some need to be reinforced, other’s put on a back burner, and toxic ones need to end. We’ll share some strategies for making your relationships less cluttered.

The growth of the internet has caused many people’s minds to become cluttered with useless content. We’ll reflect on ways to keep distractions such as worry from getting in the way of thoughtful reflection. Being overextended financially and living beyond our means can clutter our thoughts. During one of the next six weeks, we’ll help you learn to control financial distractions.

Having a very active, cluttered lifestyle with things to do, people to see, and places to go, can overwhelm our souls and prevent us from reflecting on the spiritual life. On a future week we’ll see how we can declutter our lifestyle so we make the time to listen to God. Finally, many of us suffer from “Emotional Clutter” so, we’ll look at how to weed out anger, resentments, and regrets that keep us from living the fullness of life.

Today we celebrate the Epiphany. It is a great story of two different responses to spiritual clutter. On one hand we have the Magi. They were probably members of a class of religious wise men from the east who seriously studied the sky looking for signs. To do that they needed to be focused. They needed to avoid distractions that would draw them away from the study of their surroundings. As a result of their focus, they noticed the new star. It may have been an unusual convergence of the obits of two planets, maybe a super nova exploding, whatever the phenomena they noticed it while so many others overlooked it. Since they didn’t allow clutter in their lives to distract them, they were prepared to respond to the event and journey to learn more about the star. They were prepared to respond quickly and seek out the new king whose birth it proclaimed.

In contrast we have King Herod and the Jerusalem religious authorities. Historical resources independent of the Bible report Herod was an extremely paranoid individual. He was a notoriously brutal ruler who was distracted by any rumor of disloyalty. He allowed his mind to be cluttered by lust for power, threats of intrigue, worry, and revenge. Herod had two of is own sons and a wife put to death because he suspected them of plotting to overthrow him.

This climate of fear and intrigue also cluttered the minds of the priests and scribes, the Jewish religious authorities. They were so distracted by Herod’s palace plotting they were unable to recognize the signs for the birth of the Messiah even when the Magi brought the news to them in Jerusalem. Their worries and concerns weight on them so heavily they didn’t take the time and effort to leave the city and go the short distance to Bethlehem and witness to Jesus.

Hopefully, this new series of homilies we’re calling “Simplicity” will help you clear out the clutter in your life that prevents you from enjoying the fullness of life and bring you joy. We intend for it to help you worship God in new and refreshing ways.

If you know people who inundated with spiritual clutter in their lives and are unchurched or have fallen away from the practice of their faith, invite them to join us here at church or on our Livestream. Encourage them to come to church with you and hear how decluttering their lives will help open them to a relationship with God and a fuller life.

When we read passages of scripture like today’s gospel, often a particular word, or verse sticks in out minds. For me it is the last verse, Matthew 2:12. There we read of the Magi:

And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod,

they departed for their country by another way.

Matthew says, since the Magi lived uncluttered lives, they were changed by their encounter with Jesus. It helped them to look at life in new ways. Their lives were transformed in such a way they returned home converted and with a new understanding of their lives.

As this new year begins, look for ways to unclutter your life so you can become open to a new and more authentic relationship with Jesus Christ. A new relationship that transforms and changes us. A relationship that sends us home another way.

From the Pastor January 10/11

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 22:04:17 GMT

From the Pastor January 10/11

Add a Little Nuance

No sooner had I preached last week’s homily, when I encouraged parishioners with unused religious items such as old palms, devotional prayerbooks, and statutes of saints with one hand broken off, that it was alright to throw them in the trash rather than leave them on the church steps, when I came across a story from Our Sunday Visitor that caused me to think I should add a few stipulations to my comments.

The story was about a Wisconsin man who regularly drove truckloads of scrap metal from an industrial plant near his home to a recycling facility outside St. Paul, MN. Evidently, while waiting to unload his cargo he would poke around the items left at the scrap yard. While doing that one day, a shiny object caught his eye. He realized it was a bishop’s crosier. He recognized it from his days as an altar boy when he was assigned the duty of holding, this symbol of the office of bishop, which resembles a shepherd’s crook, during Masses his local bishop celebrated in his parish.

The truck driver took it to one of the yard workers. He explained he thought it was a religious item and asked if he could buy it. The employee told him they would have to check with the supervisor. On the truck drivers next visit, he met the supervisor who gave it to him free of charge. The truck driver contacted the police to make sure the item hadn’t been stolen or reported missing. The authorities said they had no reports of anything like it being lost.

The truck driver had the crosier refurbished and took it the Chancery of the Minneapolis-St. Paul Archdiocese. No one at the archdiocese recognized it as belonging to any of the former Archbishops or Auxiliary Bishops of the diocese. The truck driver offered it to the archdiocese and the man presented it as a gift to Archbishop Bernard Hebda.

As I mentioned the bishop’s crosier resembles a shepherd’s crook, the staff with a hooked top a shepherd uses to coxes sheep out of tight spots and back to the herd. Well, that is exactly what this crosier did. The truck driver was brought up Catholic but fell away from the faith decades ago. He explained that a childhood friend was a victim of clergy sexual abuse and had committed suicide. But the man explained his experience of returning the crosier to a place of respect and usefulness had caused him to reconsider the Catholic Church. He has returned to faithful participation at Mass. The crosier literally found a lost sheep and returned him to the flock.

Now to add a few qualifications to my homily comments about throwing away old religious articles. I didn’t mean crosier, chalices, or other items used in the celebration of the sacraments. If you have such items they should be brought to church. We know how they can be respectfully cared for.

After Mass, a parishioner came to me and spoke about how the Sisters at her grade school had taught her to either burn or bury damaged or old religious items. The rule is, items used in the celebration of the sacraments should be disposed of that way. If your sensibilities urge you to dispose of non-sacramental items by burning or burying them by all means do so. Items such as old crucifixes, you might want to break up the corpus so it is not misused. Other religious items that we referred to as sacramentals, items that point us toward the Sacraments but aren’t used in sacramental celebrations can be disposed of in the trash.

If you have your mother’s old prayerbook, a sick call kit that has been in the family for a couple of generations, or other religious items, consider passing them on to the next generation. Even if you question the next generations appreciation for them. You never know, they might be like that crosier. They might hook a lost sheep back to the fold.

Healing Mass for Separated and Divorced

Annual Wedding Anniversary Celebration

The Fall River Diocese’s annual Wedding Anniversary Celebration will be held at a Mass of Thanksgiving on Sunday, February 8, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. Married couples celebrating significant wedding anniversaries, (including first year) are invited to renew your wedding vows with Bishop Da Chuna at the Mass celebrated at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Fall River. Please call the Parish Office (508)-945-0677 as soon as possible to register for an invitation. The registration deadline is January 16, 2026.

Baby Bottle Boomerang

Parishioners participating in the Boomerang should fill their bottle with the loose change they receive during the month and return it in early February.

From the Pastor January 3/4

Sat, 03 Jan 2026 20:27:03 GMT

F rom the Pastor January 3/4

A Dark Story

This weekend we celebrate the Epiphany. This is the last Sunday we will read an excerpt from one of the Nativity stories during the Liturgy of the Word. Over the last month we have seen and heard much of the story of Jesus’ birth. We have received Christmas cards with beautiful scenes of a beaming Mary and Joseph holding the baby Jesus in their hands. Maybe we had the pleasure of attending a school Christmas concert that included small children reenacting the story of Jesus birth. All these depictions can cloud the fact that while the birth of any baby is a joyful story, Jesus’ had a very dark side.

It started out with the Annunciation to Mary of her being chosen by God for a special role. That was a heavy burden to place on a girl not much past her mid-teens. Joseph was to find the birth of this child disruptive to his life too. The shame and sense of betrayal he had to endure when he first learned of Mary’s pregnancy was very deep.

Being forced to make a long journey to Bethlehem, on the orders of foreign rulers, at a time so close to birth, put Mary and the unborn baby at great risk of developing complications during the Jesus’ delivery. The darkness of the story intensifies when in an unfamiliar town, among total strangers, the holy couple could only find shelter in a cave with farm animals.

A group of shepherds coming to be part of the scene, in the hours immediately after the delivery, must have caused Joseph and Mary fear. Shepherds didn’t have a good reputation. They were considered very disreputable characters. Add to that their story of angels proclaiming Jesus’ birth was terrifying. Angels would have been a most fearful sight for shepherds and the young couple. The darkness of Jesus’ birth didn’t end with the child’s delivery but continued with the flight into Egypt to avoid the murderous wrath of King Herod. Frightening too were the prophecies of Simeon and Anna when Joseph and Mary brought their first born son to the Temple for purification.

With all this darkness it is hard to remember that Jesus’ birth ultimately brought light into the world. Jesus was God made man who came to our world to bring compassion, mercy, reconciliation, and new life to it. The world can seem very dark and violent at times but the scriptures remind us that Jesus has power over darkness and despair. He came to offer light to our world and the joy that, when open to God’s grace, we can also offer the fulness of light in our world.

Healing Mass for Separated and Divorced

Annual Wedding Anniversary Celebration

Baby Bottle Boomerang

January is Sanctity of Life Month. Again, this year Holy Redeemer will be conducting a Baby Bottle Boomerang as a fundraiser for Your Options Medical Centers. Your Options is an agency that offers pregnant women services such as free ultrasound tests and counseling to help women considering abortion to know all their options before deciding. Pro-Life people need to be ready to help women with problem pregnancies with prayer and financial resources. We need to meet our words with action.

Parishioners participate in the Boomerang by taking a baby bottle, filling it with the loose change they receive during the month, and returning it in early February. Take a baby bottle as you leave Mass today and help support Holy Redeemer’s effort to support pregnant women.

Another good pro-life activity for January is 9 Days for Life, an annual novena for the protection of human life. This year the novena will be prayed from January 16-24. Each day’s intention is accompanied by a short reflection and suggested actions to help build a culture of life. To learn more about the 9 Days for Life Novena and to sign up to participate, go to https://www.respectlife.org/9-days-signup . Let’s bombard heaven with prayers for a deeper appreciation in our world for the sanctity of life from the cradle to the grave.

Christmas Thank-You

Thank you to the Music Ministry, led by Music Director Teresa Lim, the Hospitality Ministry, who made everyone feel welcome, and our decorators, who helped make our church beautiful for Christmas. Many complements were expressed; we all deserve to be proud. Thank you to those parishioners who sent the parish staff a Christmas Card or shared a holiday baked good. May everyone receive God’s blessings in 2026.

Simplify

Perhaps, as a New Year’s resolution, you are considering uncluttering your life? Modern living can be filled with things that clutter our lives. Many of them are material things but even more of a hinderance are unnecessary commitments, distractions, and mental and emotional clutter. Some of them are the baggage we carry from broken relationships or past hurts. Cleaning out that clutter can provide space to breathe, to focus on what’s important; building better relationships and connecting with God.

Beginning today and continuing through mid-February we will preach a series of Sunday homilies on the topic “Simplify”. Through this series we’ll offer uplifting insights from Scripture and many practical steps to take to simplify your life. Plan to join us for each of these homilies at weekend Mass, Saturday at 4 pm and Sunday mornings at 8 & 10 am. Invite someone you know who needs to simplify their lives to join you.

Happy New Year!

From the Pastor- New Year's Day

Sat, 27 Dec 2025 13:28:56 GMT

From the Pastor- New Year's Day

As parishioners heard me say in our Advent homily series, hope isn’t wishful thinking. It is a desire for something very possible to come about if we are willing to work and pray for it. 2025 has been a year of hope. As it draws to a close, I look back to see many signs of Holy Redeemer parish bringing hope into our world, Church, and community. Little by little we are helping God’s Kingdom draw closer.

Every quarter century the Catholic Church celebrates a Holy Year. Modeled after the jubilee years called for in Jewish tradition, Pope Francis proclaimed the theme of the Holy Year 2025 to be “Pilgrims of Hope”. Sadly, Pope Francis died shortly after Easter on April 21, 2025, and the world was surprised by the election of an American as pope. Pope Leo, formally Cardinal Robert Prevost is actually a citizen of the world. He spent his early priesthood as a missionary in Peru. Then, for more than a decade, he was Superior General of his Augustinian religious order. In that capacity he traveled to over one hundred and fifty counties, gaining an understanding of the condition of the Church throughout the world. Pope Francis later made Leo a bishop in Peru where he gained Peruvian citizenship. Later Pope Francis called Leo to Rome as head of the Dicastery for Bishops and elevated him to the College of Cardinals. Pope Leo is settling into his role as pope and is a sign of hope for the Church and world.

Hope is flourishing here at Holy Redeemer. This year we celebrated the first anniversary of our organizing small faith sharing groups. Presently, we have nine groups with over eighty parishioners participating. Small groups make a tremendous impact on parish life. Members are deepening their faith and growing in loyalty to the parish. To celebrate their first anniversary in February, group members held a Day of Reflection with approximately sixty-five attending. In July, the highlight of the parish year was a visit from Bishop of Fall River, Most Rev. Edgar Da Cunha. Bishop Da Cunha gave a reflection on the Holy Year of Hope and blessed our new organ at an organ recital and prayer service. The over one hundred and fifty in attendance also got an introduction to the small group process. Our hope is to continue to grow small groups in 2026.

More parishioners are getting active in the parish community. New ministries and parish organizations are being established and existing ones are growing. A new gardening group planted shrubs and flowers to enhance the beauty of our grounds. This fall a very successful Ministry Fair enlisted over fifty new members in our parish organizations.

In July, as a sign of hope for the future of Holy Redeemer Church, we launched our Capital Campaign, “ Unless the Lord Builds the House.” The campaign goal is to raise $750,000 to help pay for capital improvements to all parish properties. We have raised $500,000, enough to pay for two of our largest projects, new siding for Holy Redeemer Church and replacement windows for the rectory. If you haven’t donated to the Capital Campaign yet, consider doing so today. More information is on our website www.holyredeemerchatham.org .

Holy Redeemer is a sign of hope for the wider Chatham community. Our St. Vincent de Paul Society actively works with the poor and disadvantaged in Chatham to provide material and spiritual support. Parishioners work in the community on many events such as the Chatham Conservation Foundation’s spring roadside clean-up. For the second year in a row Holy Redeemer parishioners made up the largest group of volunteers.

If you are new in Chatham or an established resident looking for a hope filled faith community, I invite you to become active here at Holy Redeemer. If you have questions about our church you can stop by the Welcome Desks at the doors of the church today or on your next visit. Merry Christmas and blessing throughout 2026.

Simplify

Perhaps as a New Year’s resolution you are considering uncluttering your life? Modern living can be filled with things cluttering it. Many of them are material things but even more of a hinderance are unnecessary commitments, distractions, and mental and emotional clutter. Some of them are the baggage we carry from broken relationships or past hurts. Cleaning out that clutter can provide space to breathe, to focus on what’s important; building better relationships and connecting with God.

Beginning on Epiphany, January 4 and continuing through mid-February we will preach a series of Sunday homilies on the topic “Simplify”. Through this series we’ll offer uplifting insights from Scripture and many practical steps to take to simplify your life. Plan to join us for each of these homilies at weekend Mass, Saturday at 4 pm and Sunday mornings at 8 & 10 am. Invite someone you know who needs to simplify their lives to join you.

Happy New Year!

From the Pastor December 27/28

Wed, 24 Dec 2025 13:23:28 GMT

From the Pastor December 27/28

We’re Just getting Started

Christmas music has faded from the airways and backgrounds of supermarkets and other stores but is just getting started here at church. Since Catholics follow a Liturgical Calendar, we begin singing Christmas music Christmas Eve and continue until the end of the Christmas season, the Solemnity of the Baptism of the Lord, Sunday, January 11.

The last few years, America Media, has released podcasts explaining the background of popular Christmas Carols. Each one takes a deep dive into a hymn’s background. Listeners benefit if they are musicologists, the talk can get technical at times, but the history and tradition of the song’s origins interest everyone. I thought I’d share some of the insights from the most popular carols.

The first one technically isn’t a Christmas Carol, but arguably the most popular Advent song, Oh Come, Oh Come Emmanual. The podcast said it is many people’s favorite song to ring in the Advent Season. It is haunting and expresses our time of vulnerability before God. It expresses our longing to make right with God in anticipation of Christmas. Therese Lim, this year picked an Advent Mass Setting using the tune of this song for the Mass parts. I really like it.

Oh Come, Oh Come, Emmanuel, dates back to the chant of monks in monasteries beginning in the 9th Century. Each verse is based on one of what is called the O Antiphons. One of these antiphons are sung to bracket the Magnificent of Mary at Evening Prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours each of the seven days before Christmas. Each explains one of the titles given the Messiah in the Hebrew scriptures. It expresses the spirit of Advent so well.

Hardly ever have I experienced the beginning of a Christmas Mass without singing Adeste Fideles, O Come All Ye Faithful. The podcast reported that this quintessential Christmas Carol is kind of a controversial song. Its roots are in the Jacobite raising led by the Catholic Bonnie Prince Charles, the son of the Stuart Pretender to the English throne in the 18th Century. Like the Carol, The Twelve Days of Christmas, it was used to clandestinely teach the faith to Catholic children in England. It is alleged that you could tell Catholics from Protestants in parts of Great Britian by whether they sang this song in Latin or English.

Even people who say they don’t sing like to sing, sing Christmas songs because the best of them are simple and easy. That explains the popularity of the First Noel. It is very beginner friendly and often the first Christmas song taught to instrumentalists and vocalists just starting out. While Oh Come, Oh Come, Emmanuel is really an Advent song, the First Noel is for the Epiphany, when we celebrate the visit of the Wise Men. The song’s origins are believed to have been in French monasteries. Allusions to it are made in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.

While Adeste Fideles is so popular at the beginning of Christmas Mass, Joy to the World is popular as its recessional carol. You have to be a very hard shelled person not to feel joyful after singing this hymn. The song expresses great delight at the Messiah’s Incarnation and hope for his return at the end of time. It was written by the famously prolific English musician Issac Watt. His contemporary, George Frideric Handel, of Hallelujah Chorus fame also contributed to the melody.

Yes, here at church, we have several more weeks of Christmas Carols ahead of us. So, knowing a bit more about their origins, sing them with enthusiasm, and a full throat. Continue to glory in their message of the coming of the Lord.

Healing Mass for Separated and Divorced

The Divorced and Separated Ministry of the Diocese of Fall River is sponsoring the Mass of Healing at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption, 327 Second Street, Fall River on Sunday, January 25, 2026 @ 10 :30 a.m. Very Rev. Jeffrey Cabral, JCL, Judicial Vicar for the diocese will be celebrant. The failure of a marriage can inflict feelings of abandon and hurt on many spouses. For more information, contact Deborah LeDoux, Family and Respect Life Director, at 508-658-2956.

Annual Wedding Anniversary Celebration

The Annual Fall River Diocese wedding Anniversary Celebration will be held at a Mass of Thanksgiving for couples celebrating significant wedding anniversaries, (including first year). Renew your wedding vows with Bishop Da Chuna at the Mass celebrated at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Fall River on Sunday, February 8, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. Please call the Parish Office as soon as possible to register for an invitation. The registration deadline is January 16, 2026.

Baby Bottle Boomerang

January is Sanctity of Life Month. Again, this year Holy Redeemer will be conducting a Baby Bottle Boomerang as a fundraiser for Your Options Medical Centers. Your Options is an agency that offers pregnant women services such as free ultrasound tests and counseling to help women considering abortion know all their options. Pro-Life people need to be ready to help women with problem pregnancies with prayer and financial resources. We need to meet our words with action.

Another good pro-life activity for January is the 9 Days for Life, an annual novena for the protection of human life. This year the novena will be prayed from January 16-24. Each day’s intention is accompanied by a short reflection and suggested actions to help build a culture of life. To learn more about the 9 Days for Life Novena and to sign up to participate go to https://www.respectlife.org/9-days-signup . Let’s bombard heaven for a deeper appreciation in our world for the sanctity of life from the cradle to the grave.

Christmas Thank-You

2nd Sunday of Advent Homily

Wed, 17 Dec 2025 22:57:14 GMT

2nd Sunday of Advent Homily- Fr. John Sullivan

Last week I announced we would begin signing up volunteers for our Christmas hospitality ministry. We want to be as welcoming a community as possible this Christmas. We’ll have many visitors who are unfamiliar with our church. We want to make them feel at ease. So, we want you to sign up to help them. Sign-up sheets for parking lot helper, who will help maximize our parking lot’s capacity, greeters to open the doors and wish everyone Merry Christmas, and hosts to help people find seats are at the Welcome Desks. Fifteen volunteers for each of our three Masses will make a full complement. Why not get the whole family together to volunteer?

Another thing. I’ve told you I believe we are growing a great parish here at Holy Redeemer. I feel one disappointment though. This parish has the poorest participation in the Sacrament of Reconciliation of any parish I have ever served. Every week I’m available in the Reconciliation Room from 3-3:45 pm and few people come to participate.

I’d like to try something new this Advent. The Order of Penance promulgated a year or so ago allows for an Order for Reconciling Several Penitents with General Confession and Absolution. It allows penitents with venial sins to come to a prayers service especially designed to forgive this class of less serious sins. Participants will reflect on scripture, listen to a short homily, contemplate an Examine of Conscience, kneel to receive absolution from venial sin, and go away rejoicing in God’s mercy. There will not be individual confessions celebrated after the service.

I want to make clear this service is not General Absolution like soldier might receive before battle. Penitents who come to the service aware of having committing grave or mortal sin or become aware of serious sin on their souls as a result of their reflection during the service must return later to receive individual absolution. In addition to our regular Confessions on Saturday afternoons, I plan extra hours for Confessions before Christmas.

My hope is for this service to help parishioners who haven’t participated in Reconciliation for many years or taken the time for serious examination of their sinfulness, to overcome their fears in as non-threatening a setting as possible. Plan to attend next Sunday, December 14, at 3 pm.

Now for what I really want to talk about.

“I just wish Christmas was over and done with!” Admit it you probably spoke those words to yourself at least three times this week. You may have said it while you were searching in vain for sales help in the store, or when the item you wanted to order online was out of stock. You said it to yourself as you circled the store parking lot for the third time looking for an open space. Even though we are just beginning the time of preparation for Christmas you are already feeling a “let’s just get it over with,” attitude towards Christmas.

It was so different when we were children. As children we couldn’t wait for Christmas. Every decoration, every Christmas song gave us joy and made us more anxious for Christmas to come. We were so full of hope.

Advent and Christmas are seasons of hope and that is what is so missing in our lives as adults. Hope is, along with faith and love, one of the three most important virtues of our life of grace. Hope is one of the three legs of the stool of Christianity. Like the other two virtues hope is a gift from a generous God.

Hope is quite different from wishful thinking. Wishful thinking is when we say, “Oh, I hope we get snow for Christmas” or “I hope the Patriots win the Super Bowl.” Those are things that might happen, but we don’t have any power over them.

Christian hope is something different. It is the desire for a good that, while difficult, is possible to obtain. To have hope we need confidence, so hope engages the mind. It is based on our past experiences. While hope comes from our mind it also engages our hearts. It causes us to have an urging that comes from deep within our being. It has to be something that really excites us. Hope also calls for action on our part. It requires real commitment. It requires us to sacrifice some of our own time and energy.

Christianity is a religion of hope. Christians are called to live as pilgrims. We live as people on a journey. We are on our way, but not quite there yet. As Christians we desire more from our world. We desire for it to become more and more like the Kingdom of God every day. We believe if we open ourselves to God and put our mind to it, the kingdom will come

That is what Isaiah said in today’s first reading. Isaiah sees a peaceable kingdom. He sees a world where even the primal beasts all get along and there is complete harmony. John the Baptist sounds a lot harsher, but he too is hoping for a world transformed into a Kingdom where all people live in harmony because they live faithfully with God. As Christians we are called to never be satisfied with our world, but to always work to make it a better place.

Hope has its enemies and obstacles. One of those is despair, it is the opposite of hope. It sees only gloom and doom, only misery ahead. It is destructive of relationships. It can lead to addictions and even suicide. Depression, while it has many causes, can lead to a loss of hope and the fall into cynicism and sarcasm.

On the opposite end is presumption. While hope says, “I’m not there yet, but I’ll get there.” And despair says, “I’ll never get there.” Presumption says, “There is no there there.” This is as good as it gets. There is no use trying for improvement.” Both despair and presumption have the same effect. They kill desire and confidence. They keep us from moving forward to the fullness of life that God intends for all of us.

This week I ask you to focus on the one thing we probably all want for Christmas. No matter who we are, regardless of age or state of life, the one thing we probably all want the most is for everyone to just get along this Christmas.

If you are parents, you want your children, no matter if they are young or old, to all get along. So often we say just getting together to enjoy each other’s company is the best gift we can receive at Christmas.
If we are employers, we want our staff to work in harmony with each other. If everyone can work together without drama, it makes our work life so much more enjoyable.
We don’t want to have to live in tension and conflict.
We want our country to put aside partisanship, and for everyone to enjoy the promise of life and hope our country promises.

Unfortunately, many of our environments, at home, work, or school feel like war zones. The coming holidays only seem to exacerbate those feelings and make us just want to get Christmas over and done with. They make us set low expectations for Christmas because we are certain conflict will arise.

We know that eventually we will get into a fight with our parents.
Our siblings will open old wounds.
Our boss will be overly demanding and expect too much from us,
At some point our friends will disappoint us.

Luckily, you’re here in church today because we are going to look to see what we can do about all this. We can’t solve all your relationship problems here today but we can share some practical action steps.

To do that we are going to look to today’s second reading, which like last week comes from Paul’s letter to the Romans. As we learned last week Paul wrote this letter to a community of Christians, he had not yet visited but was planning to. Paul heard there was conflict in the community and he wants to try to ease it before he gets there.

Earlier in the Letter to the Romans, Paul gives advice on how to live together in harmony. He suggests those who are strong should bear the failings of the weak. Rather than get annoyed with each other’s faults and failures we should bear with them.

Paul is not talking about sin here. Paul isn’t saying that we should just suffer in silence the hurtful behaviors of others. Paul is speaking about the little things our spouses, co-workers, and friends do that drive us crazy and aggravate us no end. Paul is saying we shouldn’t expect everyone to do things our way. Paul says we should allow people to be who they are and let them do things their way at times.

If they want to change a holiday tradition, let them do it.
If they want to put tinsel instead of garland on the tree this year, let them.
If they don’t want to exchange gifts this Christmas, that’s okay.

Paul says the way to harmony is realizing we don’t always have to get our own way. If we look for opportunities to accommodate others, we are building them up. When we allow others to get what they want, do what they want to do, have the conversations they want to have, then we help to build others up.

Paul tells the Romans that is what Jesus did during his ministry on earth. Even though Jesus was God he didn’t always try to please himself. Paul encourages the Romans to accept one another as Christ had accepted them.

When we respond to others with acceptance, it yields the reward of hope. Perseverance and endurance brings hope! It really does! Acceptance causes hope to grow. We hunger especially for unconditional acceptance. When we feel accepted by another or a community we become attracted to them and in turn want to accept them.

Whoever you are, whatever you do or have done, God accepts you in Christ. Time and time again Jesus proclaimed he had come to save the sinner not the righteous. Jesus came to establish a relationship of love and acceptance with each one of us.

You don’t have to change or jump through any hoops to enjoy a loving relationship with God. You are already accepted by God. God want to give you the hope you need to move like a pilgrim along the way to a deeper and more meaningful relationship with Him.

We all desire to experience a happy and loving Christmas. To accomplish that this year we need to work on being more accepting of everyone in our lives. If we are accepting, then we will offer them hope for the future and we will grow in hope too. Strengthened by the Eucharist we celebrate, may we all strive to be more accepting this Advent season so everyone can all grow in hope.

From the Pastor December 20/21

Wed, 17 Dec 2025 22:54:31 GMT

From the Pastor December 20/21

From the Pastor

Planning a Wonderful Christmas

I want to wish everyone a merry and joyful Christmas. That is my hope and dream for you, your family, and all those you love, but it is something you will need to work on. Christmas can be a stressful and challenging time of year because we want it to be the best one ever! A few weeks ago, in my homily, I told you that to make Christmas a happy experience we will need to let go of some of our wants and desires. If family and friends want to do things a little differently this Christmas, let them.

A few years ago, Matthew Kelly from Dynamic Catholic published a book with twenty-eight different practical suggestions for making this Christmas the best ever. Here are a few I’m trying this year.

Plan to fail on purpose. Kelly suggested neglecting things that don’t matter. We can’t possibly do everything we would like to do for a perfect Christmas. Kelly suggested choosing three things that are important for you and work to bring them about. Maybe plan to put special effort into Christmas Dinner or another gathering. Put your energy into making it a happy occasion. Perhaps choose to make coming to Christmas Mass a spiritual occasion and not just an obligation to get out of the way. I really enjoy the quiet of the Christmas morning Mass the most because by then all the hubbub of the excitement of Christmas Eve has dissipated. How about concentrating on making Christmas wonderful for someone else? Has a family member or friend had a very tough year? Maybe make them your center of attention. How about adopting a family in need? Do something for them to make for a memorable Christmas.
How about rediscovering childhood? Children live in the moment. They don’t worry about a schedule when they are enjoying life. They make everything a game and allow themselves to dream. Be willing to veer off script and give yourself time to enjoy the moment.
Be present to the moment and not preoccupied. There is so much to distract us on the best of days but it is an even greater temptation during the holidays. We claim we want to enjoy the company of family and friends this time of year but when we get together our thoughts and actions drift off. Really focus on others when you meet. Everything good begins with people being present to each other.
Lower Your Expectations. Do you have reasonable expectations for Christmas and the holiday season? Maybe it is time to reset your expectations. Maybe it is time for others to adjust their expectations of you. When there is an expectation gap it leads to disappointment, resentment, anger, frustration, and a loss of trust. Be clear about expectations for yourself and others.
Listen to music. Music permeates our days. It is used as background noise in supermarkets, restaurants, and on elevators. This type of music can be soulless, and unheard most of the time. The Christmas Season is associated with some of our culture’s greatest music but do we really listen? Make a point of going to a music concert this Christmas. Take the time to really listen to it and let it lift your spirits. Make plans to come to Christmas Mass early. The Music Ministry is planning special concerts before them, so come and let your soul be lifted by beautiful music.

Christmas can be a joyful and happy time if we commit ourselves to making it that way. Plan your holiday schedule to be as relaxed as possible so it can be filled with happy memories.

Welcome to New Deacon

Please keep in your prayers the newest transitional Deacon in the Diocese of Fall River, Rev. Mr. Kaique Duarte Santos who was ordained last Saturday, December 13, by Bishop Edgar Da Cunha. Deacon Santos is a native of Brazil and has been studying for the priesthood for our diocese for the last several years. If it be God’s holy will, Deacon Santos will be ordained a priest in June.

Diocesan Communications Go Digital

Early this month Bishop Da Cunha announced The Anchor , the Diocesan Monthly Newspaper would transition from a printed publication to a fully digital format after the February 6, 2026, edition. On Ash Wednesday, February 18, The Anchor will become a mobile-friendly website and a new weekly electronic newsletter will become available by email.

In a letter Bishop DaCunha explained that the newsletter will include diocesan news and happenings and be supplemented with content from OSV News, (Our Sunday Visitor). The partnership with OSV will offer access to more in depth material from the national, international, and Vatican news. Bishop DaCunha explained “all of this will be available to everyone, free of charge, through the new platform and an enhanced use of The Anchor’s social media channels. Information regarding signing up for The Anchor Newsletter will be provided in upcoming issues and on the diocesan website, www.fallriverdiocese.org.

“Unless the Lord Builds” 2025 Capital Campaign

The 2025 Capital Campaign has so far received donations and pledges of $XXXX. Our goal is to raise $750,000. As the calendar year closes many people make end of the year donations from IRA and other retirement plan distributions. If you are in such a situation or making plans for end of year donations please consider a gift to the campaign.

Various capital improvements to the parish facilities will be paid for by the campaign. Replacement windows for the Rectory is one of the projects on list. A parish couple has chosen to pay the $50,000 cost of this project and we have entered into a contract for the project. With luck the windows will be installed soon.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s approval for the design for a curb cut from Old Harbor Road directly into the parking lot is progressing slowly. It isn’t the state’s fault but that of the engineering firm. The next stage in the process is supposed to be finished by the end of the month.

Please prayerfully reflect on your making a truly sacrificial gift to the 2025 “Unless God Builds the House” Capital Campaign.

From the Pastor December 13/14

Sat, 13 Dec 2025 15:43:34 GMT

From the Pastor December 13/14

Nicaea: Still Relevant

D oes a Church meeting held centuries ago still influence us today? Yes, is the resounding answer! Over our Thanksgiving weekend Pope Leo was on his first overseas trip since being elected Pope. He traveled to Turkey and then Lebanon. In Turkey, he joined leaders of other Christian denominations at a meeting and prayer service hosted by Bartholow, Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople, to commemorate the 1700th Anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea. This council was the first Ecumenical Council held in the Christian Church and probably the most impactful one.

The best known result of the Council was the formulation of the Nicaean Creed. It is the long prayer Catholics say right after the homily and is a basic statement of Christian beliefs. If someone doesn’t agree with something stated in the creed, well they can’t claim to be a Christian.

The council fathers developed the creed in response to a number of issues and heresies confronting the Church. The year 325AD was a decisive one. After centuries or persecution, the Emperor Constantine had just legalized Christianity. While by then most persecution was over, there were significant divisions in the Church. The Council of Nicaea addressed those conflicts, set a uniform date for Easter, and set norms for reconciling sinners in the Church

.One of the several issues the council addressed was the heresy of Arianism. Arianism rejected the belief that Jesus was co-equal with God and that Jesus had existed for all eternity. It argued that Jesus was a created being and subordinate to God the Father. While the council condemned Arianism it would still be a prevalent heresy for years to come and almost dominated among believers for several centuries before finally being stamped out. Even today people who deny the divinity of Jesus Christ are really Arians.

A second heresy the council tackled was called Monarchianism. This one tried to collapse the three persons of the Trinity into one. They might say that God the Father creates; God the Son redeems; God the Holy Spirit sanctifies. They denied the three persons of the Trinity and claimed its all God; Monarchians claim we just see different aspects of God and give God different names when we observe God acting in different ways.

Two other controversies addressed by the First Council of Nicaea were the settling of the date for Easter and the question of the status of Christians who had fallen into public sin. When Nicaea met persecution was still a fresh memory for Christians. During the persecution, some Christians had apostatized or gone back to worshipping pagan gods to prevent punishment. Could they and others who had committed public sin be allowed to return? The council determined they could after public penance. It determined that even grave sin can be forgiven by God and through God’s Church. This decision played an important role in the development of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

The great contribution of Nicaea was toward the unity of Christians. Despite it taking time to completely unify all Christians, the council set the process in motion. Today unfortunately, Christianity is divided, but hopefully, last week’s meeting will spur more dialogue that addresses the issues that divide the churches. Pope Francis had hoped this meeting would facilitate an agreement between the churches of east and west to again set a unified date for Easter. The Orthodox churches declined and have said since the original date was set at an Ecumenical Council in 325, the issue has to be addressed by a Council again. Maybe that will come about before 2033, the two thousandth anniversary of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The Financial Time

There is some good news to report regarding parish financial matters. The 2025 Capital Campaign has surpassed the 2/3 mark towards our goal of $750,000. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the campaign. Its purpose is to fund capital improvements to parish facilities. A parish couple has chosen to pay the $50,000 cost of replacement windows for the Rectory. With luck the windows will be installed before winter gets too entrenched. We have also raised enough for the biggest ticket item on our wish list, replacing the siding on Holy Redeemer Church. Hopefully, that project will begin in the spring.

sAs we enter the final weeks of the year many people must take distributions from IRAs and other accounts or are looking to make year-end charitable contributions. Please prayerfully reflect on making a truly sacrificial gift to the 2025 “Unless God Builds the House” Capital Campaign.

A couple of weekends ago we conducted Stewardship Weekend. Parishioners were asked to prayerfully reflect on their budget contribution to the parish. We have a wonderful parish and want to reach out and see it continue to grow. Fr. Sullivan asked parishioners to consider contributing a percentage of income as their gift to the parish. What would a gift of even 1% of your income be?

It’s only an antidote, but a parishioner called Deacon Art because they were having a problem adjusting their automatic gift using WeShare on our website. Deacon Art was happy to help and the parishioner doubled their current weekly gift to the parish. Hopefully, there are more stories like that in the parish. Why not consider making your weekly offertory to the parish automatic? You can just set it and forget it! To begin making your automatic gift to the parish go to our website www.holyredeemerchatham.org . Click on the “Donate” button on the right at the middle of the page and follow the instructions.

Finally, two last smaller, but no less important, money matters. November’s All Souls Envelopes raised $1,600. This money was donated to the Chatham Children’s Fund for their Christmas gift projects. We also had a collection for the family of one of the housekeepers who clean the Rectory and Church who are lost their home in the recent hurricane in Jamacia. That collection raised $4,000. Thank you to all who contributed to either collection.

Advent Reconciliatio

Holy Redeemer is a great parish but I feel it has one serious fault. It has poor participation of the use of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. I’m in the Reconciliation Room every Saturday afternoon from 3-3:45 pm and many times I have no one come to receive the Sacrament. We’ve had seasonal Reconciliation Services and few people attend.

nI’m going to try something different this Advent. The new Order of Penance instituted in 2023 allows for the Reconciliation of Several Penitents with General Confession and Absolution. That means the parish can have a Reconciliation Service where parishioners come, confess Venial Sins and receive the priest absolution from them without going to individual confession. This is not general absolution for all sins, only venial ones . If a penitent becomes aware of committing grave or mortal sin, they still must seek absolution for that sin in a confession made directly to a priest.

We’ll be doing this in a hope to reach out to people who have not celebrated the Sacrament for years. I hope that by coming and examining their conscience they might recognize where they have fallen into sin, overcome any fears they have about confronting their sins, and receive a sense of being unburdened of any guilt they feel

.The Reconciliation Service will be held next Sunday, December 14, at 3 pm. The service should last about a half hour. Come and be open to receiving God’s mercy and compassion.

1st Sunday of Advent Homily

Fri, 05 Dec 2025 22:42:34 GMT

1st Sunday of Advent- Fr. John Sullivan

Thanksgiving was only Thursday but here we are at the First Sunday of Advent. That means Christmas is just around the corner. There is so much to do to prepare for Christmas. Especially here at church, so, we need to get started. Next week we’re going to ask parishioners to sign up to help for our hospitality team. We have so many visitors who come for Christmas and we want to welcome them and make them feel like coming back.

That means we’ll need host parishioners in our parking lot welcoming people and maximize the number of cars we can fit in the lot. We’ll need greeters to open the church doors, wishing everyone Merry Christmas. More hosts to help people find seats and the bathrooms will be needed. We plan to have extra seating in the Parish Center for an overflow crowd, especially at the 4 PM Mass, where they can watch our Livestream rather than stand on the church steps.

I know some of you will be thinking, “But I don’t know where I’m going for Christmas.” Well let’s settle that. You’re going to be here at Holy Redeemer. Plan to sign up next week and help make this Christmas a memorable experience for all who come and worship.

Earlier this week, I was looking over the guidelines for celebrating the holidays sent out from the diocese each year. One of the suggestions was to try to encourage parishioners to not all come to the 4pm Christmas Eve Mass. They suggested families with children might find it more spiritually rewarding if they came to a Christmas morning Mass. That way the excitement of Santa Claus’ arrival and gift opening would be over and families could more easily experience the sacredness of the day.

My skeptical reaction was fat chance! The truth is the 4pm Christmas Eve Mass is my least favorite of the year. It can be such a zoo. That is why you need to help out with hospitality. Our church supposedly seats 400 and at the 4pm Mass we probably have 500 trying to cram in here. In the past people have lined the back and along the walls of church. Before Mass I have to go up here in the ambo, pleading with people to slide towards the middle of the pews so hosts can help parishioners find a seat. We have to remind them it isn’t very Christian to save seats for late coming family or friends and deprive someone who has come to Mass on time a seat.

Once Mass is started it doesn’t get any easier. I begin to worry that I might not have enough hosts and wine prepared. A couple of years ago an older parishioner fainted in the middle of my homily. The ambulance had to be called and you can imagine the disruption that caused.

Then as soon as Communion begins, I hear the church doors slamming as people leave early. It is hard to believe people will have got dressed up, fought through traffic, and then leave before the end of Mass on such a holy day. They will miss one of our most beautiful parish traditions, the singing of Silent Night by candlelight.

Of course, some people do that every week. It is as if they were invited to Thanksgiving Dinner and when the hosts went to the kitchen after clearing the table for dessert leaving without saying thank you or even goodbye. It is so disappointing to see people rush off after so much effort has been put into planning and preparations.

I was talking about this predicament with some clergy friends and they admitted to having the same problem. Sadly, for so many people they just want to get Christmas Mass over so that they can be on their way. Rather than a celebration of the gift of God sending Jesus to save the world, they see Christmas Mass as an obligation to get out of the way, the sooner the better. For so many of us Christmas is something just to be got out of the way. Count up how many times in the next few weeks you say to yourself. I just want to get Christmas over and done.

When we were children, things were quite different. We couldn’t wait for Christmas to come. From putting up the first decoration, to decorating of the tree, and the opening of Christmas cards, we would get more and more excited. It felt as if Christmas would never come. How will we welcome Christmas this year and how will we receive it?

Most of all, the Advent and Christmas Season is a season of hope. That is what adults seem to miss with the “let’s just get it over with” attitude about Christmas. Hope is one of the important ingredients of Christian faith. Along with faith and love it is one of the most important virtues associated with salvation. It is one of the most important gifts God gives us. Over the next few weeks leading up to Christmas we’re going to concentrate on hope in our homilies as we prepare for Christmas.

Christian hope is very different from wishful thinking. It is not “Oh, I hope we have a White Christmas. Or I hope I get the latest iPhone for Christmas.” Christian hope is the desire for something good that is difficult but very possible to attain. It requires confidence, positive actions on our part, and commitment to bringing it about.

Christianity is a religion of hope. It is a religion that teaches that while we aren’t quite there yet we are working towards a goal. The goal of eternal life. Christianity is a faith that believes there is more to life than just this life, there is eternal life. We are on our way toward the kingdom that God has planned for us and little by little we are moving forward.

Hope faces obstacles and enemies in this world. One of them is despair. Despair is the absence of hope. Despair says that only gloom and doom are ahead of us. Feelings of despair can be very destructive and can lead to addictive behaviors and even suicide when people give up on life. Despair leads to cynicism and sarcasm. So much depression is rooted in the disappointments, hurts and losses we experience in life.

Presumption is another enemy of hope. Presumption says, “This is as good as it can gets. We have seen it all. There is no use expecting more from life.” With presumption people can begin believing they don’t have anything else to work for so let’s live and let live. Let’s leave well enough alone. There is no use trying to overcome injustice and other social problems. Both despair and presumption prevent us from really living the fullness of life. They prevent us for taking the steps to grow in life and enjoy its fullness.

Supposed we met a child that had no hope for Christmas. Who said Santa Claus never brings me what I want or I got it all last Christmas and there is nothing more I want this year. Wouldn’t that break your heart? Wouldn’t it be most disturbing if that child was your child? Consider how God feels when we stop hoping for the good things God has in store for us. God wants us to continue to strive for the fullness of life.

How do we build and maintain hope? Paul’s Letter to the Romans, which we read from today, gives us some good ideas. Paul wrote to the Roman’s in the middle of the 1st Century. He hadn’t visited Rome, but it is clear he intended to do so and wanted to introduce himself before he came. At the end of the letter, part of which we read today, Paul advises the Romans on how to live in hope.

Paul tells the Roman’s to wake-up! Salvation is near at hand. God is working in their lives and moving them in the direction of everlasting life. That was very countercultural for the Romans because they had an institutionalized hopelessness into their religion and culture. The Romans believed history was cyclical. Life went round and round with little or no progress. This was a very fatalistic approach to life.

The Christian view of history is one of liner progression. It is full of hope for progress and a steady movement toward the Kingdom of God. Yes, there is darkness in our world. We might feel at times that we are taking two steps backwards for every step forward. Sometimes bad things happen to good people. But Christians believe slowly and steadily we are moving towards the fulfillment of the coming of the Kingdom of God. Christians believe that because we have seen what the end time will look like. It will be like the cross of Jesus Christ. Not with Jesus’ suffering and pain, but with Jesus triumphing over evil because he was obedient to the Father. At the end, life will conquer death and the fullness of God’s Kingdom will come to pass.

Since our world can be filled with cynicism and doubt, we must be ready to fight for hope. We know that anything worth doing is worth fighting for. If we want to have hope this Christmas we will have to work for it. We will have to strive for hope if we want this to be a good Christmas and not something to just get over and done with. If we want a Christmas where wounds are healed, bounty is shared, and new life is able to come to our world, we will have to work for it. We must be ready for a spiritual battle for hope this Christmas. A spiritual battle we will lose unless we prepare ourselves to win.

Paul told the Romans, if they wanted to live in hope, they had to throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. They had to prepare themselves for a struggle it they wanted to live in hope. Living in hope requires our effort and determination. Paul told the Romans what the obstacles were that would get in the way of them being people of hope. The obstacles are the sinful lifestyle of promiscuity and lust, rivalry, and jealousy, it was reveling and drunkenness. If we allow those things to enter into our lives we will struggle to find hope.

To grow in hope this Advent take these three steps. First, identify your desire. What is your deepest desire? Not some wishful thought but the deepest desire of your heart. Maybe it is to reconcile a relationship, overcome loneliness, or make a difference in someone’s life. Then bring it to prayer. Listen to how God wants to help bring your hope to reality. Lastly, resist the urge to give up when we will be ultimately attacked by the enemies of hope. Ask God for the power of grace. The hope of Christmas is possible but we can’t just wait for it, we have to fight for it this Advent.

From the Pastor December 6/7

Fri, 05 Dec 2025 22:42:32 GMT

From the Pastor December 6/7

Pope Leo is already a very well-traveled man. Even before being elected pope, he had visited fifty or more countries in his role as Superior of the Augustinian Order. Tuesday Pope Leo returned from the first overseas trip of his papacy. He spent six days visiting Turkey and Lebanon.

The theme of his trip was “One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism” and it has already been named as one of the most significant Papal trips in recent memory. He started his visit to Turkey by meeting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other members of the Turkish Government. Turkey’s population is overwhelmingly Muslim but styles itself a secular state. Only about 1% of the population is Christian and the Catholic population is only about 35,000.

Yet, the area plays a disproportionate role in Christian history. Known as Asia Minor in those days, it was the birthplace of St. Paul and the area where he spent his early days as an Apostle. It was heavily evangelized by other Christians and in the early days of the Church very influential.

The purpose of his time in Turkey was to join Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, other Orthodox Church leaders and those of twenty-six other Christian denominations to celebrate the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea begun in 325AD. This was the Ecumenical Council responsible for drafting the Nicene Creed, the fundamental statement of our Christian faith recited by most Christians during their weekly worship and at the midpoint of the Catholic Mass.

This meeting was originally planned for May 20, the actual anniversary of the convening of the council but had to be postponed because of Pope Francis’ death on April 21. Last week’s meeting was held to coincide with the Feast of St. Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother and the Apostle credited with founding the Church in Constantinople.

Pope Leo and other Church leaders met at a meeting and Ecumenical Prayer Service hosted by Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, considered first among equals of the Patriarchs of the Orthodox Churches. It was held among the ruins of the Basilica of St. Nephite in Iznik a small city outside Istanbul on the original site of Nicaea.

Pope Leo and Patriarch Bartholomew both addressed the meeting on the topic of Christian unity. In his address Pope Leo called for reconciliation among all Christians. He said our world is crying out for reconciliation. “The more we are reconciled, the more we Christians can bear critical witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is the proclamation of hope for all” Leo said.

Just before leaving on his trip Pope Leo released a letter on the topic of the importance of the Nicene Creed. He suggested that all Christians should be prompted to use the Creed as an examination of conscience to reflect on what it means to be a Christian. Leo says in his letter that the Council of Nicaea was held at a critical point in Church history when it had to evaluate the threat of division over the answer to Jesus’ question to his apostles at Caesarea Philippi, “Who do you say that I am?”

The last half of Leo’s journey was to Lebanon. Lebanon has the largest Christian population of any Middle Eastern country with an estimated 30-35% of the population. That is a significant drop from the over 51% of the population when the country was founded in 1938.

The emphasis of Pope Leo’s tour of Lebanon was to encourage that country’s Christian community. Lebanon has been the victim of years of civil war, violence, and corruption. Even during his visit their were almost daily attacks from Israel against Hezbollah and other Palestinian forces in the country’s south. Leo spent most of his tour visiting several of the county’s important shrines and religious sites, with the country’s clergy and religious, and celebrating a large outdoor Mass for the faithful.

Marian Award for Marilyn Whelden

The Marian Medal is the Diocese of Fall River’s service award. Each year it is awarded to a worthy parishioner from each of the parishes of the diocese. This year’s Holy Redeemer recipient is Marilyn Whelden. Marilyn is a lifelong Holy Redeemer parishioner. She was born, brought up, and raised a family with her husband Howard here in the parish. Her’s has been a lifetime of participation in and leadership at our church. In the past she sang in the choir and as a young mother was active in youth activities. In recent years she hasn’t stopped contributing to the parish. She is the driving force behind our Bereavement and Funeral Hospitality ministries. She is a Eucharistic Minister and Hospitality Minister too. Dedicated parishioners like Marilyn play such an important role in making our parish great. Parishioners get the chance to congratulate Marilyn at this weekend’s monthly Coffee and Donuts. Stop by, congratulate Marilyn, and share some fellowship with other parishioners.

Immaculate Conception Holy Day Reminder

Monday, December 8, is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of Mary. It is a Holy Day of Obligation for all Catholics. Masses for the Holy Day will be celebrated at 8 am, 12:05 and 4 pm.

Advent Reconciliation

Holy Redeemer is a great parish but I feel it has one serious fault. It is poor participation in the use of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. I’m in the Reconciliation Room every Saturday afternoon from 3-3:45 pm and many times I have no one come to receive the Sacrament. We’ve had seasonal Reconciliation Services and few people attend.

I’m going to try something different this Advent. The new Order of Penance instituted in 2023 allows for the Reconciliation of Several Penitents with General Confession and Absolution. That means the parish can have a Reconciliation Service where parishioners can come and confess Venial Sins and receive the priest absolution from them without going to individual confession. This is not general absolution for all sins, only venial ones . If a penitent becomes aware of committing grave or mortal sin, they still must seek absolution for that sin in a confession made directly to a priest.

The Reconciliation Service will be held next Sunday, December 14, at 3 pm. The service should last about a half hour. Come and be open to receiving God’s mercy and compassion.

From the Pastor November 22/23

Fri, 05 Dec 2025 22:34:46 GMT

From the Pastor November 22/23

It’s An Every Day Affair

A n early happy Thanksgiving. I want to wish all parishioners and their families a wonderful Thanksgiving this Thursday. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I usually enjoy it even more than Christmas. Thanksgiving isn’t as complicated as Christmas. It doesn’t involve decorations and gift giving. It is a calmer special family day. One to enjoy a traditional meal, have some good lively discussions about issues like whether we like dark or white meat, can the Patriots make a run in the Playoffs, and do you think it will be a cold winter? No politics today please!

T hanksgiving is more than an autumnal harvest festival. We all know the tradition stories of its origins in a three day feast hosted by the Pilgrims with Native Americans as guests celebrated after the first harvest in Plymouth. (Some sources claim the first Thanksgiving Feast on American soil was celebrated by Spanish settlers in 1565 at St. Augustine, FL.) Actually, thanksgiving is an essential Christian attitude, so it is difficult to assign the first Thanksgiving to any particular event on a specific date.

A s Catholics we would contend that the first Thanksgiving meal was actually the Last Supper hosted by Jesus on the night before he died on the cross. Our Catholic belief is that was the night Jesus instituted the Eucharist, which is derived from the Greek word for thanksgiving. As Catholics we celebrate a thanksgiving meal every day at Mass.

T he Eucharist is the sum and summit of our Catholic faith. It is the Sacrament where we give thanks to Jesus for promising to come to us to share His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity with the gift of God’s grace.

T his Thanksgiving Day is a wonderful opportunity for us as Catholics to witness not only to the need for giving the Father thanks for his bountiful gifts and mercy, but also to unite ourselves with the greatest act of thanksgiving we can make as a Christian. As the liturgy says we will gather “with humbles and contrite heart” in the Holy Spirit and give thanks to the Father for all his many blessings, uniting our offering with Christ’ through the most sublime sacrament of the Eucharist.

T his year plan to give Thanksgiving, which is more of a secular holiday, a Catholic touch. Attend morning Mass at 8 AM. While we don’t have an obligation to attend Mass on Thanksgiving, start a tradition of doing so. There is no other more fitting way to express thanks to God than praying and receiving the gift of the Real Presence of Jesus in the Mass. If people bring items of food, they plan to share at the Thanksgiving meal I’ll bless them after Mass.

B efore the table is set for the feast and while the food is still cooking, gather the family and friends to count your blessings. Write them down and maybe keep them in front of you during the meal. Make it a day of real joyful celebration. That is something for which we Catholics are famous. Start your festivities early and keep them going with good table conversation and building family bonds. Maybe play a board game, or outdoor activity such as a post meal walk as a family. Make plans for a family service project everyone can participate in together before Christmas. Thanksgiving Day is such a great time to really take stock of what is important in our lives. It is when we recall again this year that we have been greatly blessed by God, and how God calls to his faithful to share our blessing with those around us this year.

Advent Woman’s Retreat

The Advent Women’s Retreat sponsored by the Diocese of Fall River is being held again this year on Saturday, December 6, 2025, at Corpus Christi Church, E. Sandwich from 9 am-2:30 pm. Featured presenters will be Catherine DiNuzzo, international speaker and Licensed Professional Counselor, and podcaster, and author Allison Gingras, well known to Holy Redeemer parishioners, and Liz Cotrupi-Pfunder Catholic musician and songwriter. Cost for the day is $20 per person. That includes Morning Mass, Continental breakfast, Lunch, Eucharistic Adoration, and celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Almost a dozen parish women have already signed up. To register, visit: https://bit.ly/AWR2025 .

Hosting Relic of St. Carlo

The parish will be hosting a relic of newly canonized St. Carlo Acutis the weekend of November 29/30. St. Carlo is the first millennium saint. As a child St. Carlo developed a deep devotion to the Eucharist while continuing to enjoy video games, soccer, and his pets. Very tech savvy he developed a website cataloging Eucharistic Miracles from through Church history. He referred to the Eucharist as his “highway to heaven.” Tragically Carlo contracted acute leukemia and died at the age of fifteen. His relic will be available for prayerful devotion after the masses on November 29/30. One of our Small Faith Sharing Groups is under the patronage of St. Carlo. They are providing prayer cards and other spiritual materials to help foster prayer to St. Carlo. Plan to participate on the First Sunday of Advent.

"Unless the Lord Build the House” 2025 Capital Campaign

The 2025 Capital Campaign has so far received donations and pledges of $XXXX. Our goal is to raise $750,000. Various capital improvements to the parish facilities will be paid for by the campaign. Replacement windows for the Rectory is one of the projects on list. A parish couple has chosen to pay the $50,000 cost of this project. We have received acceptable quotes for the project and await Bishop DaCunha’s approval. With luck the windows will be installed before winter gets too entrenched. Please prayerfully reflect on your making a truly sacrificial gift to the 2025 “Unless God Builds the House” Capital Campaign.

P arish Ministry Fair

The Ministry Fair held on the weekend of November 8/9 was a great success. Fifty new parish volunteers were signed up for parish ministries and organizations. The new Knitters & Crocheting Group was the big winner with a dozen members enlisted. The new Prayer Ministry is off to a good start organizing around six members. Established groups like the St. Vincent de Paul Society, Knights of Columbus, and Choir all had new people interested. A half dozen parishioners signed up for the Christmas Choir. Maybe after getting a taste of choir, they will want to join on a regular basis.

S haring your gifts of time, talent, and treasure with you parish helps your faith to grow. It strengthen our sense of community and desire to share more of your gifts. We gain a sense of ownership for our parish. We become invested in its future and want to see our church flourish. If you were out of town when the fair was held or couldn’t come to the fair for a reason your still have an opportunity to enlist in one of our ministries. With Christmas approaching we will need extra help with hospitality ministers and parking lot attendants. Please consider how you want to help make Holy Redeemer the best parish we can possibly be.

Homily for the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica

Tue, 11 Nov 2025 18:18:28 GMT

Fr. John Sullivan

We often claim we would like to hear more good news. Reports of tragedies, wars, and government shutdowns we say make us feel down. Over the last few weeks, we’ve learned that for a number of reasons we actually thrive on bad news. We are interested in bad news because first of all it is unique and novel. It captures our attention. At times bad news can make us feel better about our life situation. We can say to ourselves, well at least I’m not suffering through that. Bad news can come as a warning that prepares us for a dangerous situation coming our way.

While bad news offers stimuli, deep in our hearts and souls we desire good news. The good news we need comes to us from the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. We call it the gospel, a Greek word for news that brings joy. The good news of Jesus Christ was summed up by St. John the Evangelist when he wrote in his gospel

.For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.

While we might believe Jesus brought good news into the world not everyone feels that way. Some people declare it bad news. They feel that way either because they misunderstand it or because Christians have misrepresented it to them. They have encountered people claiming to be followers of Jesus but don’t make that very believable through their words and actions.

One person who didn’t believe the life of Jesus was good news was the Apostle Paul who wrote today’s second reading from his First Letter to the Corinthians. Many of you know that Paul started out fighting the spread of the good news. He was a young Pharisee who was very well versed in the Hebrew scriptures. He lead a group of fellow Jews who stoned to death St. Stephen the first Christian martyr because Stephen was preaching the Good News.

After that Paul was the leader of a group on its way to Damascus to try to round up members of the Church in that city. On his way, Jesus appeared to him to ask why Paul was persecuting the Christians. After that personal encounter with Jesus, Paul was completely changed. When he learned, Jesus had come to proclaim the forgiveness of sins, he discovered he had a friend in Jesus. A friend who embraced him in love, mercy, and tender intimacy. In Jesus he found strength for his days. Paul felt he didn’t walk alone but with Jesus at his side. With Jesus, Paul found his hope for the future. God became the center of his life, death had no power over him, and he came to realize he was working with God at his side. Paul discovered he was a living stone, part of the foundation of the Church.

That is the Good News for us today. Today we celebrate that, through our baptism, we are all living stones part of the foundation of the Church. Every year the Church celebrates today’s feast of the Dedication of the Basilica Church of St. John Lateran on November 9. It is only occasionally that it is celebrated it on a Sunday. Today’s feast commemorates the day of dedication of the Basilica of St. John Lateran. St John Lateran is the cathedral church of Rome and the official church of the pope. It is considered the mother church of all Catholic Churches. As Christmas Day is the titular birthday for every domesticated animal regardless of when throughout the year they might have been born, so today we celebrate the dedication of every church building our own Holy Redeemer included

.We are all justly proud of our church here at Holy Redeemer. Just over a year ago we carried out its complete renewal. That renovation has been tremendously well received. I haven’t heard one complaint or discouraging word about the church’s transformation. Our guests all tell us we have a beautiful church. We are presently conducting a three year capital campaign to raise the funds to make other improvements. Our goal is to raise $750,000. The largest item on our list is replacing the worn cedar shingles on the church with composite siding identical to the shingles we put on the church addition. We are fast approaching raising the money it will cost to complete that project. As the end of the year approaches please consider donating to the capital fund to help make Holy Redeemer a beautiful Temple of God inside and out.

However, a church is much more than a physical building. The true strength of a church is the people who worship within understanding they are its foundation. As Paul wrote today to the Corinthians

"For you are God’s building."

And

"Do you not know that you are the temple of God

and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?"

I’d like to share my story of discovering I was part of the temple of God. It began soon after I graduated from college. My parish church was at the top of my street. One day on my way home from work, as I slowed to turn on to my street, I noticed my pastor mowing the lawn around the church and rectory. I though to myself, Fr. Mullaney shouldn’t be doing that.

Early the next Saturday morning, I went and knocked on the rectory door. I asked the pastor if he would like me to mow the lawn. He said, certainly. The man who had done it for years had become sick and was going blind. I pulled out the machine, a rake, the lawn trimmers, and went to work. I had the job as a volunteer for the next three years. I didn’t mind; I enjoyed the job. You might be surprised but doing that job helped me to grow in a sense of ownership of my parish. From there I joined the St. Vincent de Paul Society and was later asked to teach Confirmation Class.

My involvement in the parish wasn’t only volunteering. As I spent more time around church I began to grow spiritually. I began reading and wanting to learn more about my faith. In Downtown New Bedford, where I worked, a group of Franciscans ran Our Lady’s Chapel. On my lunch hour I would stop in for a few minutes of prayer. I participated in a Cursillo Retreat. I wasn’t making a great salary at my job but I began making a sacrificial financial gift to my parish. I started taking my call to be a living stone in the foundation of the Church seriously. Soon people began suggesting the priesthood to me. I began to wonder whether God was calling me. It took a few years but finally I decided to give the seminary a try and well here I am

.As I told you at the beginning of Mass, the Vocations Office of the Diocese of Fall River is conducting a vocations awareness program this weekend. It’s name is Called by Name. We don’t have very many youths in our parish. Unfortunately, it just isn’t our demographic this time of year. Maybe you do know a young man who, like some of the parishioners in my home parish saw in me, you see has the qualities and character you feel would possibly make a good priest. Last year two parishioners contacted me asking advice because their grandsons seemed interested in the priesthood. Write their names down on the card that are in the book racks and drop it in the collection basket

.How is God beckoning you to become more faithful to your call to strengthen our parish? How is God encouraging you to be a more faithful part of the Temple of God? After Mass today we are conducting our Ministry Fair. Representatives from parish ministries and organizations will be available to share information about their activities. Hopefully, you will follow the footprints downstairs to the Parish Center, learn about opportunities to minister in the parish and maybe sign up for one. Even if your a seasonal parishioner you can sign up to serve this parish when you are here. If nothing else, come share a cup of coffee and refreshments

.Perhaps you see a need for a ministry we don’t have in the parish. Don’t be shy about asking to start it. A couple of years ago, parishioner Marilyn Whelden saw the need for greeters at funerals and a Bereavement Ministry. She came to me with the suggestion. I gave her my approval to start them and today both are thriving

.It isn’t only me. Many people keep saying they feel very happy and positive about our parish. They tell me our parish has a great spirit and sense of community. If you are willing to minister in this parish at whatever level and timeframe works for you, we’re happy to have you. Becoming involved in your parish will not only give you an opportunity to use some volunteer time but will help deepen your faith and strength our community. It will help you embrace your baptismal role as part of the foundation of the Church and the Temple of God.

From the Pastor November 15/16

Tue, 11 Nov 2025 18:15:50 GMT

From the Pastor November 15/16

Jesus the Redeemer

Sometimes the finer points of theology can seem rather arcane to the average lay person but the recent release of a Vatican document on titles for the Virgin Mary is of interest to most Catholics. The letter from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith was entitled Mater populi fidelis , or in English “Mother of the Faithful People.” The letter is claimed to be the most comprehensive Vatican reflection on Marian terminology since the Second Vatican Council. It offers correction on the use of two titles sometimes used to describe the Virgin Mary and also the evaluation of the authenticity of Marian apparitions. The two disputed titles for Mary are “Co-Redemptrix” and “Mediatrix of Graces.”

The letter argues that use of these titles risk creating confusion about the unique and exclusive salvific role of Christ. The letter was written to make clear that, while Mary, by saying yes to becoming the Mother of God at the Annunciation, played a vital role in bringing about our redemption, but God would have found other means had she refused God’s request.

The letter is quoted to say, referring to Jesus, “Every grace, every redemption, proceeds entirely from Him.” A report by the Zenit News Agency reported, “[The letter] affirms that while Mary’s participation in salvation history is real, intimate, and material, it is always derivative and subordinate. Her greatness, it insists, lies not in standing beside Christ as a second redeemer, but in her total receptivity to divine grace: “She is what she is because of Him.”

The letter reports on theologians examination of the Sacred Scriptures and the writings of the early Church Fathers and finds no basis for any belief other than that Jesus Christ was the “one Mediator between God and humanity.” It also warns that “titles which require constant theological explanations to avoid misunderstandings cease to serve the faith of the people and should therefore be avoided.”

The titles Co-Redemptrix and Mediatrix of Graces were developed back in the 15th Century as a response to heightened levels of Marian devotion during the Middle Ages. They served as a tempering to the use of the term Redemptrix for the Virgin Mary. According to the letter the title never really gained traction in the Church but was revived in some devotional circles in the early 20th Century.

The letter impacts the evaluation of Marian apparitions because one of the factors used to determine their authenticity is whether the Virgin Mary is alleged to proclaim something contrary to established Church dogma. A case in point is Mary’s pronouncement to St. Bernadette Soubirous at Lourdes that she should be officially recognized by the title of the Immaculate Conception. This was a title already long affixed to the Blessed Virgin.

The controversial case regarding the redemptrix title occurred after the Second World War when alleged Marian apparitions were claimed in Amsterdam by Ida Peerdeman. Peerdeman claimed the Virgin Mary requested to be known as “The Lady of All Nations and to be proclaimed “co-redemptrix, mediatrix and advocate” as the final Marian dogma. Those apparitions were declared nonauthentic because there was no theological foundation for the use of the titles co-redemptrix or mediatrix.

The letter has an important impact for all Catholics because it reminds us that when expressing our faith, exact words matter, and it reasserts that while the Virgin Mary acts as a steadfast intercessor in prayer for all Christian her role is always subordinate to the one Holy Redeemer, Christ the Lord.

November Book of the Dead

November is the traditional month for Catholics to pray for the souls of the faithfully departed. Annually the parish compiles a Book of the Dead listing the names of parishioners who died last year and those of our faithful departed. The book will be reverenced with incense at the beginning of weekend Masses throughout November.

Advent Woman’s Retreat

Hosting Relic of St. Carlo

Unless the Lord Builds” 2025 Capital Campaign

Retreat Week for Fr. Sullivan

Please keep Fr. Sullivan in your prayers this week as he is on retreat at the St. Edmunds Retreat Center at Enders Island in Mystic, CT. Fr. George Bellenoit will cover weekday Masses and Fr. Sullivan will be back for the weekend.

All Souls Day Homily

Sat, 08 Nov 2025 13:19:01 GMT

All Souls Day Homily- Fr. John Sullivan

This is the fourth in our series of homilies on the topic of Good News. There is really so much good news in our world. A week or so ago I was working in my office. It was late afternoon and the doorbell rang. I wasn’t expecting anyone. When I went to the door a parishioner was there. He immediately said, “Father I have some good news I need to share with you.” I invited him into the office for a chat.

He told me, “I was at the gym early in the morning a few days ago when I got a frantic call from my wife. She told me when she got up from bed, she found an entire side of her body had gone numb and she felt a tingling sensation. I told her to call 911 and I rushed home. The ambulance took her to Cape Cod Hospital where they ran a battery of tests. The tests discovered a suspicious mass on one side of her brain and several others on vital organs.”

He reached out to a trusted physician friend who put him in touch with a noted neurosurgeon at a Boston hospital. His wife was transferred there and after an examination the neurosurgeon suggested immediate surgery. He told our parishioner the tumor was in a sensitive spot where its proximity to vital nerves made it particularly challenging. The surgeon was confident he could remove the growth but wanted our parishioner and his family to know his wife could suffer paralysis if something went wrong.

After a four hour operation the surgeon came to the parishioner and told him everything had gone well. There was no nerve damage, all of the tumor was removed, the other suspicious shadows on vital organs were benign and his wife will completely recover. He told me, “Father, I’m convinced it was a miracle.” I’ll admit I got a little teary eyed. I said a prayer of thanksgiving with the husband, we gave each other a hug, and he was on his way. Any frustrations or disappointments I felt that day were gone.

There is a lot of other good news. Nearly a hundred parishioners here at Holy Redeemer are members of small faith sharing groups. They come together on a regular basis to share reflections from scripture, talk about their reactions to Jesus message, and support each other in faith. It is having a great effect on our parish as a whole. When I greet people coming to Mass most of you smile at me. You seem to be happy you are here. It is the same as you leave. Most everybody seems happy to have come to church. That is good news.

Good news is news but bad news is even better. We don’t want to admit it but we go looking for bad news even more than good news. It is true. We actually seek out bad news for several reasons. Bad news has the ability to astonish and amaze us. An intense hurricane, longest lasting government shutdown, outrageous comments from politicians or celebrities all make an impression on us.

Bad news can also distract us from our own problems. When we hear about an incident in a faraway place, we breathe a sigh of relief that at least our situation isn’t as bad. We need to listen for bad news at times because it warns us to prepare for dangers coming our way. Bad news always grabs and holds our attention.

We refer to the Bible’s stories about Jesus ministry on earth as gospels. The word gospel I have told you comes from a Greek word for good news or news that brings joy. The Good News is that God has visited his people and given them Eternal Life. One of those gospels written by the Apostle John sums the Good News up in just a couple of popular verses.

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,

so that everyone who believes in him might not perish

but might have eternal life.

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,

but that the world might be saved through him.

Our Christian calling is to grow in our appreciation of that Good News so we can be equipped to share it with our family, friends, and neighbors.

Face it though, not everyone considers the Gospels good news. They think it is bad news instead. Some of that feeling comes from their misunderstanding of the gospel. Others consider it bad news because it has been misrepresented to them by Christians. They have encountered Christians who make the gospel message less than believable. Their experience of Christianity has been influenced by members who are less than joyful, compassionate, and loving.

We need to be people who express Christian ideals in our actions and words. That is why we place such emphasis on hospitality here at Holy Redeemer. We want everyone who walks through our doors to know we welcome them as our brothers and sisters whether they believe the good news or not. Next week we will be holding our Ministry Fair. Come to the fair and learn how you can share your gifts of time and talent in the parish. We especially want to bolster the layers of our hospitality ministry. If you can smile come and be a part.

Today our celebration is packed with Good News. We celebrate All Souls Day. All Souls Day is an annual Catholic celebration of our belief that the holy souls of our forebearers in faith are in the care and love of a compassionate God. A compassionate God working with them to transform them to enter into the fulness of the joy of Heaven.

Today we are celebrating that during his ministry Jesus revealed a compassionate God who is active in the lives of the poor and vulnerable in our society. God is with us in our suffering. God wants to share eternal life with us. Eternal life is the full union of the human person with God. Sometimes that can make heaven sound like we are just standing around gazing up at God’s radiance. That can seem kind of boring. Eternal life is much more than just unending existence. It is the full union of the human person with God. It is living a personal relationship with God, through Jesus Christ and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. In Heaven we will be very busy working with a Creator God in a most fulfilling way.

When Jesus preached that good news it disturbed his world. The concept of an afterlife and an active God concerned about humanity wasn’t universally believed. Many Jews, especially the Sadducees, who included most of the religious leaders, didn’t believe in an afterlife. They were materialists who believed they only lived on in time through their descendants. In the Roman world the ascendent belief was Stoicism. That philosophy promoted a concept of an indifferent God who was apathetic towards humanity.

Jesus came and preached good news that was the polar opposite of that understanding. Jesus proclaimed a God who was compassionate to the needy. A God who is engaged in his creature’s lives as he was to the widow of Nain’s in today’s gospel.

Jesus preached detachment from this world. He taught we need to overcome the hooks of sin, like jealousy, resentment, pride, and stubbornness of heart that are the values of a material existence. Instead, we need to be faithful to a God who calls us to die to material values. We need to respond to God’s call out of self-centeredness and to accept the values of the Kingdom of Heaven, love, joy, humility, and forgiveness.

Today on All Souls Day we also celebrate a benevolent God who wants us to share God’s rule with us even if we have been sinful in this life. Upon our death we will undergo a particular judgement. God will determine if our lives were lived according to the model of Jesus Christ or not. Most of us will fall short to a degree. Those who have made an earnest effort will not be condemned but will need purification before we can fully stand in the radiance of the beatific vision of God in Heaven.

As Catholics we believe that time of purification is called Purgatory. Purgatory is not meant as a place of suffering. It is not a sort of prison where we are confined to await an appeal won by the prayers and entreaties of faithful Catholics still on earth. Purgatory isn’t punishment. It is the place of overwhelming beauty and the love of God where we will learn to desire God more and more as we are made ready to enter into God’s presence. It is where a loving God allows, we who are not quite completely faithful to our relationship with God, to set right what is wrong and complete what is lacking in our bond with God.

Today’s good news is that our relationship with God has already been begun for those of us who have been baptized. Through baptism an unbreakable bond with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit has been established and regardless of our past faithfulness we can revive and strengthen our bond with God.

We do that through a relationship of prayer. If you don’t pray daily begin today. Find a time of day when you can quiet yourself in a quiet place. Take some deep breaths and invite God to speak to you. Make a real effort to listen to God. Try not to get distracted for as little as ten minutes at first. Build up the time as you practice prayer. Don’t become too discouraged if you get distracted. Maybe your distractions are things God want you to bring to prayer. If not take a deep breath and begin again. With persistence you will get there.

Make sure you are close to the Eucharist. As Catholics we believe the Eucharist to be the real presence of Jesus Christ, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. It is the source of Christ’s grace in our lives and gives us the strength to live lives pleasing to God.

A prayerful sacramental relationship with God will help you realize that God notices you and knows you by name. It will help you come to realize, God cares about you, and no matter what you have done, or who you feel you are, God sees your full potential, and wants you to share all the joy and benefits of the Good News of Jesus Christ.

From the Pastor November 8/9

Sat, 08 Nov 2025 13:15:57 GMT

From the Pastor November 8/9

Go and Make Disciples

All the Gospels, in various ways, state how the risen Jesus encouraged the apostles to share his message with others. The most explicit statement being in Matthew 28:19-20. This command was revolutionary for Jews. The gospels mention converts to Judaism but Jews don’t explicitly evangelize. People who desired to become Jews self-initiated the process. They were like the Roman Centurian Corneilus who in the Book of Acts sent a request to Peter to come and preach to him and his household. They became Peter’s first converts. The Book of Acts tells of thousands becoming disciples at the first Pentecost but these were doubtlessly men who were already Jews.

Christian evangelism really started with Paul. He first preached the Gospel of Jesus only to Jews. They weren’t all that responsive but Paul recognized that Gentiles were more interested in his message about Jesus. Paul hoped that the positive response of the Gentiles would cause the Jews to be jealous and they would become more inclined towards Jesus’ message. Evangelization is a big part of being Christian. By preaching, prayer, and example Christians are called to share faith in Jesus.

There isn’t that much I share with Vice President J.D. Vance but the belief that Christians need to share our faith is one. Vance, who was brought up in a nominally Evangelical Christian family, became a Catholic in 2019. He caught criticism from some quarters recently because he expressed the prayer that his wife Usha, who is Hindu, would someday become a Catholic. Vance says he and his wife have decided to bring their three children up as Catholics. His oldest son is baptized and received his First Communion a year ago.

I don’t believe the hope for everyone in a family to share the same faith is a bad one. In many cases family unity on a host of issues is a positive good. That doesn’t mean anyone should be pressured to decide on faith or any other issue. Any conversion to Christianity must be done in freedom. Historically, Christians have participated in forced conversions such as the Spanish Inquisition. They are a stain on our history.

The 2nd Vatican Council explicitly addressed Catholic beliefs about how the conversion process needs to be respectful of other religious beliefs. It addressed the importance of religious liberty in the document Dignitatus Humanae , On the Dignity of the Human Person, Ecumenism, relationships with other Christian churches, in Unitastis redintegratio, and non-Christian religions in the document Nostra Aetate . Nostra Aetate stated that there are kernels of truth in all religions including the Hindu faith.

While Catholics need to recognize the good values of other religions we can’t fall into religious indifference. All religions are not alike and it does matter that Christianity is the fullness of God’s revelation. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we can’t just be willing to let others find their own way to Jesus Christ. We need to bear witness to our children, husbands, wives, family, friends, and neighbors. We need to guide them to be open to the Good News of Jesus Christ, come to the desire for salvation, and a relationship of love with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Unless the Lord Builds” 2025 Capital Campaign

The 2025 Capital Campaign has so far received donations and pledges of $XXXX. Our goal is to raise $750,000. Proceeds from the Capital Campaign will be used for various capital improvements to the parish facilities. The largest project will be replacing the cedar shingles on Holy Redeemer with siding to match the new addition at a cost of $350,000. The siding is made of a composite material that will last much longer than the shingles. Replacement windows for the Rectory and cosmetic improvements at Our Lady of Grace and the Rectory are also planned. The last big ticket item is improvements to the Holy Redeemer Lot. Please prayerfully reflect on your making a truly sacrificial gift to the 2025 “Unless God Builds the House” Capital Campaign.

Follow the Footprints to the Ministry Fair

Plan to join us this weekend November 8-9, for the Holy Redeemer Parish Ministry Fair. We are building a great parish here at Holy Redeemer and so many people are involved, but we want you involved too. People are active volunteers as Eucharistic Ministers, Lectors, Choir members, and Greeters. Some are active in the Woman’s Club, Bereavement Group and St. Vincent de Paul Society. Small Faith Sharing Group are a major way to become more active in the parish community. Over the last year we have organized a Building Maintenance Squad and Gardening Ministry. We are setting up a Knitting Ministry this year. There is a place where everyone in the parish can contribute to making Holy Redeemer even better. Come to the Fair! Refreshments will be served.

November Book of the Dead

November is the traditional month for Catholics to pray for the souls of the faithfully departed. Annually the parish compiles a Book of the Dead listing the names of parishioners who died last year and those of our faithful departed. The book will be reverenced with incense at the beginning of weekend Masses throughout November.

Advent Woman’s Retreat

Hurricane Melissa Has A Human Face

A second collection will be taken up this weekend for victims of Hurricane Melissa with a connection to the parish. One of the housekeepers from the cleaning service that cleans the rectory and church is a native of Montego Bay, Jamacia. Her family lost their home and possessions in the storm. We can’t make them whole again but maybe our collection can help them get a new foothold. Please be generous to the second collection today.

Mental Health Ministry

Mental Health is of deep concern today. Representatives from Catholic Social Services will visit the parish on November 13, 2025, at 4 pm to discuss establishing a mental health ministry in our parish. The ministry is meant to be one of accompaniment and not hands on therapy. If you have experience working with mental health issues or want to learn more about it come an listen to the presentation.

30th Sunday of Ordinary Time Homily

Sat, 01 Nov 2025 10:40:20 GMT

30th Sunday of Ordinary Time Homily- Fr. John Sullivan

My seminary classmate and good friend, Bishop Mark O’Connell was named Bishop of Albany this week. Mark isn’t getting a plum of a job. The Diocese of Albany is trying to work its way through Chapter 11 bankruptcy resulting from the sexual abuse scandal, has to proceed with consolidation of parishes, and many other problems. At the news conference announcing his appointment, I believe Mark handled himself well. He showed compassion, a sense of self-effacing humor, and emotion. Naturally, most all the questions from the press centered on the challenges the Catholic Church in Albany faces.

Monday evening, I exchanged emails with another mutual friend who had watched Mark’s introductory press conference on YouTube. We agreed, Mark had presented himself well. Our mutual friend lamented though. He pointed out that all the media enquiries were about problems faced by the Church. No reporter asked anything about Mark’s hopes, dreams, or aspirations for his leadership of the Diocese of Albany.

So often the media concentrates on bad news. I’ve heard there is a news media axiom, “If it bleeds it leads.” Why is that? Well, we are interested in bad news because it is newsworthy. Bad news gains our attention for several reasons. Face it we live pretty predictable lives for the most part. Day to day not very much exciting happens in our lives. Bad news can amaze us and capture our attention for a while. Bad news gives us a distraction.

When we hear news about others, you know those crazy incidents that always seem to happen in Florida, we can smugly say to ourselves, “Well at least that isn’t happening to me.” Bad news about others can actually make us feel better about ourselves. We need to hear bad news at times so we can protect ourselves and loved ones from its consequences. If a storm or other threatening situation is coming our way we need to know about it so we can take preventative measures.

While bad news can be attractive and useful at times, we really hunger for good news. In the depth of our hearts and souls we want to hear a message of hope and optimism. Last week we started a series of homilies we will be sharing over the next few weeks on the topic of Good News.

The good news we will be preaching about is found in sacred scripture’s four stories about the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. We call them gospels. The word gospel comes to us from ancient Greek and means “Good News” or “news that will bring joy.” There effect can be summed up in one verse from one of those gospels. It is John 3:16:

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.

The purpose of this series is to reacquaint ourselves with the aspects of the gospels and other readings from the scriptures that can positively impact our lives and our community.

This series is a good opportunity for you to invite someone you know who needs to hear some good news to church with you. Let’s face it, everyone needs good news so you have many likely candidates among your family, friends, and neighbors. Invite someone you know who is searching for a new direction in their lives to come to Mass with you. Share the good news.

Unfortunately, not everyone perceives Christianity or any religion as Good News. Some of that is because of a misunderstanding about faith but much can be traced to how Christianity has been misrepresented to them by Christians. They have watched Christians and we don’t always present Christ’s message of good news in credible ways. We need to acknowledge how some people can believe the gospel is bad news.

If we have experience in business or really any organization, we realize that for it to be highly successful we have to confront the brutal facts about it and strive to overcome them. To fully grasp the Good News of the Gospels we have to face up to some of its unpleasantness.

Part of that unpleasantness is our desire for validation. We all want to believe we are good people doing a good job. We want to try to convince others we are good parents, spouses, and children. We want to think we are good at our profession or business. Whatever our role in life we want to feel we are good at it. We want to be validated. Face it, that is one of the reasons I stand at the door of the church after Mass every Sunday.

We all hunger for validation but realize we don’t always earn it. We don’t deserve it at times. Deep in our hearts we recognize we aren’t the people we like to believe we are. Under a close examination it would be revealed there are gaps between who we really are and who we want the world to see.

What do we do to try to fill that gap between our perceived self and our real self? There are two options. We’ll look at today’s gospel to examine them.

“Two people went up to the temple area to pray;

one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector.”

The Pharisee was a member of a select group in the religious hierarchy of Jesus’ day. They were a group of men who, while following a rather liberal interpretation of scriptures, were extremely strict in the way they appeared to be faithful to the Mosaic Law. The Mosaic Law had 613 precepts and to be strictly faithful to it required a great deal of time, effort, and expense. The normal every day Joe and Mary couldn’t follow the law and didn’t even try. They were often in a state of ritual impurity and unable to worship God faithfully.

Notice I said the Pharisees appeared to be strictly faithful to the Mosaic Law. They often created loopholes and specific exemptions to the law. You might remember Jesus on occasion pointed out that hypocrisy to them. Yet, they were held in high esteem by the community and had a reputation for being better than others.

At the opposite extreme were tax collectors. They were seen as traitors of their people. They were involved in a Roman tax system whose proceeds were used to subjugate their fellow Jews. The office of tax collector at higher levels could be used for financial gain but truthfully, most tax collectors were lower level participants who took the job because they had no other choice.

In the Temple, the Pharisee said a prayer:

O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity—greedy, dishonest, adulterous—or even like this tax collector.

I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.’

One of the first ways to receive validation is to give it to ourselves. The Pharisee does that. He thanks God, he doesn’t thank God for what God has done for him, but for what he feels he has done on his own. The Pharisee validates himself for not being greedy, dishonest, and adulterous.

When we recognize there are gaps between who we should be and who we are, we try to fill them with comparisons with other people. It is never a fair comparison. They are always in areas where we feel we excel and can feel safe. We compare ourselves to others using areas of our lives where we aren’t challenged personally.

We find areas of our lives that might not be perfect but are secure enough to gloat a bit. We tell ourselves, “I might not win a parent of the year award but at least I don’t beat them, or I might not be the best of spouses but I don’t cheat on them. I might bend the truth at times but I’m not a bold faced liar like them.

When we do that, we are like the Pharisee who told God all the good things, fasting, tithing, and going to church that he did. He told God about all the things he liked doing and could show off about. He told God all about what was easy for him to accomplish.

Doing that is a form of denial. It doesn’t help us grow in faith. That form of prayer doesn’t help make our faults and failures go away. It actually takes more energy to keep trying to tell ourselves and God we are better than other people.

The other approach was the one the tax collector took. He felt nothing in his life deserved validation. So, he prayed:

‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’

Since he can’t compare himself to others because he was thought to be the lowest of the lowest. All he can fall back on is asking God to do only what God can do. The tax collector asks God to make atonement for him. Atonement is another word that comes to us from Greek. It means to “fill in the gaps.” The tax collector is asking God, “Oh God make up for what is lacking in me.”

The Good News is that is exactly what God does for us. God fills all the gaps in our lives by, as in the words from John’s gospel I said at the beginning of this homily.

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.

When we recognize the gaps that exist between who we are and who we know we are called to be, we grow as Christians and become more sincere in our faith. When we accept the brutal truth that we are impoverished and need to rely on God and Jesus’ atonement for our gaps, we become like the Tax Collector justified before God. Religious skeptics will see we embody the Good News of the Gospels and are sincere and not hypocritical Christians.

Undoubtedly, in the week ahead we will sin. It is part of our fallen human nature. Resist the temptation to validate yourself by ignore it, blaming, or comparing ourselves to others who are worse. Instead, quietly recite the prayer of the tax collector:

‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’

Then you will be able to go away justified.

From the Pastor November 1/2

Sat, 01 Nov 2025 10:35:51 GMT

From the Pastor November 1/2

The Next New Thing

You might be surprised what I hear people talking about while I stand by the church doors after Mass. A while ago I heard two couples chatting. They seemed to be acquaintances who hadn’t seen each other for a while. They were discussing personal information and catching up on the lives of each other’s children. One mother made the comment that her son was trying to start up an “AI” company.

AI or artificial intelligence is all the rage. It has the possibility to help make life better. If you ask it about a topic, it can offer information that is often more impartial than most news outlets. It also can be a serious threat to jobs and other economic activity.

The Catholic Church often expresses concern about new developments in the world and gets criticized for being too conservative with regard to them. Often that concern has been proved legitimate. Pope Leo XIV is reported to be very concerned about the dangerous effects unregulated AI can inflict on the world. There is speculation he will address them in a future encyclical letter.

The Pope addressed the dangers of new social ills in a talk for the Jubilee of Popular Movements and the Fifth World Meeting of Popular Movements on October 23. A press article reported that Pope Leo in the address said, “Too often when society looks at the “new things” of the day, it looks at “what’s new for the privileged, the powerful and the financially secure, like “autonomous vehicles, high-end mobile phones, cryptocurrencies and such things.”

Pope Leo’ cautions need to be heeded. The Law of Unforeseen Consequences is an unyielding one. Without some thoughtful reflection on all the ramifications brought on by “new things” serious harm has been and will be inflicted in the future. Before we rush into anything new in our world or our personal lives take time for prayerful reflection and listen to the wisdom of God.

We Did It!

A generous donor challenged fellow parishioners to match dollar for dollar a donation of $50,000 to the “Unless the Lord Builds” 2025 Capital Campaign. As of Monday, the challenge has been met with gifts of $51,896.45 given and we still had four days to go until the end of the month. Thank you to parishioners who responded to the challenge. The 2025 Capital Campaign has so far received donations and pledges of $XXXX. Our goal is to raise $750,000.

Proceeds from the Capital Campaign will be used for various capital improvements to the parish facilities. The largest project will be replacing the cedar shingles, at a cost of $350,000, on Holy Redeemer with siding to match the new addition. The siding is made of a composite material that will last much longer than the shingles. Replacement windows for the Rectory and cosmetic improvements at Our Lady of Grace and the Rectory are also planned. The last big ticket item is improvements to the Holy Redeemer Lot. Please prayerfully reflect on your making a truly sacrificial gift to the 2025 “Unless God Builds the House” Capital Campaign.

Ministry Fair On the Calendar

Plan to join us next weekend November 8-9, for the Holy Redeemer Parish Ministry Fair. We are building a great parish here at Holy Redeemer and so many people are involved, but we want you involved too. There are so many ways to become active in our church. People are active volunteers as Eucharistic Ministers, Lectors, Choir members, and Greeters. Some are active in the Woman’s Club, Bereavement Group and St. Vincent de Paul Society. Small Faith Sharing Group are a major way to become more active in the parish community. Over the last year we have organized a Building Maintenance Squad and Gardening Ministry. We are setting up a Knitting Ministry this year. There is a place where everyone in the parish can contribute to making Holy Redeemer even better. Come to the Fair! Refreshments will be served.

November Book of the Dead

November is the traditional month for Catholics to pray for the souls of the faithfully departed. Annually the parish compiles a Book of the Dead listing the names of parishioners who died last year and those of our faithful departed. Parishioners recently were sent a letter and All Souls Envelopes to compile a list of our faithfully departed to include in the Book of the Dead. The book will be reverenced with incense at the beginning of weekend Masses throughout November. You are asked to donate at least $1 per name. Envelope proceeds will be donated to the Chatham Children’s Fund. Envelopes can be dropped in the collection basket or sent to the Parish Office.

Euthanasia Is Not the Answer

Several states have already legalized euthanasia using benign sounding expressions like “Death with Dignity.” Death with dignity happens when the dying are able to receive love and care as they progress toward eternal life. Last year legislation to legalize euthanasia in Massachusetts nearly passed in our legislature. It will be proposed again soon. Get to know the truth about the evil of euthanasia and its adverse effects of societies that have legalized it.

“Palliative care and hospice are precious and crucial instruments in the care of patients with serious and complex chronic or terminal illnesses, and they help provide comfort to both the patients and their families. While palliative care cannot entirely eradicate suffering from people’s lives, it provides an authentic expression of human and Christian care—allowing us to ‘remain’ at the side of a suffering person, as the Blessed Mother and the beloved disciple remained at the

foot of the Cross…The path of accompaniment until the moment of death must remain open, with appropriate care for body and soul customized to the personal needs of the patient.”

USCCB Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities “The Witness of the Good Samaritan: Palliative Care and Hospice”

Advent Woman’s Retreat

Several women of the parish have found the Advent Women’s Retreat sponsored by the Diocese of Fall River very spiritually enriching. It is being held again this year on Saturday, December 6, 2025, at Corpus Christi Church, E. Sandwich from 9 am-2:30 pm. Featured presenters will Catherine DiNuzzo, international speaker and Licensed Professional Counselor, podcaster, and author Allison Gingras, well known to Holy Redeemer parishioners, and Liz Cotrupi-Pfunder Catholic musician and songwriter. Cost for the day is $20 per person. That includes Morning Mass, Continental breakfast, Lunch, Eucharistic Adoration, and celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. To register, visit: https://bit.ly/AWR2025.

29th Sunday of Ordinary Time Homily

Fri, 24 Oct 2025 21:44:24 GMT

29th Sunday of Ordinary Time Homily- Fr. John Sullivan

I feel we are building an excellent parish here at Holy Redeemer. I’m hearing you feel the same way. Friday the Small Faith Sharing Groups sponsored a celebration of the Rosary to mark October being the month of the Rosary. After the event Deacon Art told me he spoke to a parishioner. She told him, she and her husband are seasonal residents, but they have been delaying their move south because they don’t want to leave the parish.

Over the summer, at least twice, a visitor approached me after Mass to tell me how much they enjoyed attending Holy Redeemer. They both told me attending Mass here at Holy Redeemer was a high point of their stay in Chatham. A few weeks ago, we had visitors come to evaluate our parish. They both remarked that as they watched you come through the doors you had smiles on your faces and looked like you were happy to be here.

We want to continue to grow as a parish and strive to be even better. That is why we are conducting our “Unless God Builds” 2025 Capital Campaign. We are raising money to continue to improve our parish physically and spiritually. The goal for the campaign is $750,000. As of yesterday, the campaign has raised $370,000 or just under half of our goal.

Proceeds from the campaign will fund several projects. Included in the list is replacing the cedar shingles on the church with siding to match the new addition. The siding is made of a composite material that won’t need periodic replacement. That will cost $350,000. Replacement windows for the rectory are on the list at $50,000, some cosmetic updates at Our Lady of Grace Chapel and for the rectory are on the list and of course the long anticipated parking lot improvements. More information is included in the Campaign brochure registered parishioners received from the parish. Extra copies are available by the doors of the church.

Are you up for a challenge? A parishioner is offering a Challenge gift of $50,000. They are willing to match your gifts, donated before the end of this month, dollar for dollar up to $50,000. We don’t want to lose any of their gift. Please make your sacrificial gift today so we can secure this donation.

I want to reiterate making your gift a sacrificial one. By a sacrificial gift I mean one you have prayed about. A gift whose size will impact our parish for years to come. A sacrificial gift is one that means you will choose to forego some material comfort in your life so the Good News of Jesus Christ can be shared with our community. I’m looking forward to your generous response. Together let’s work to make Holy Redeemer as wonderful a parish as it can be.

Now to what I really want to talk about, Good News. All the experts warn against it but I can’t seem to help myself. Every morning when the alarm goes off on my cellphone, I shut it off and then begin to scroll the news feed. I guess I feel I need to brace myself for bad news that occurred overnight.

There is so much bad news, wars, political conflict, murders, climate change. We go looking for bad news so often because it holds our attention. Why is that? We go looking for bad news because it actually amazes and shocks us. Face it, our lives are often predictable and bad news interrupts that pattern. We can go looking for bad news out of a sense of self protection sometimes. We need to stay aware of what might threaten our lives. Seeking bad news might be part of our fallen human nature. Bad news can make us seem like comparatively good people. Bad news gets our attention. Maybe that is why Christianity and all religion can get a bad reputation for being negative. Like the rest of culture, religious leaders can emphasize sin and immorality, hellfire, and brimstone in an effort to capture our attention and hold our focus. However, in our hearts and souls we really hunger for Good News.

The Bible’s four accounts of Jesus’ life are called the gospels. Our word Gospels comes from a Greek word that means “Good News” or “News That Brings Joy.” Here are a few facts about Good News. It is news. Bad news is so often just a rehash of the past. It is the same old, same old. On the other hand, the Gospels tell us of something unique and ground breaking is happening all around us. A new world is being created in our midst.

The Gospels are truly good for us. If you reject the gospels or the idea of faith because you feel it is bad news, you are rejecting it for the wrong reasons. If you feel the Gospel doesn’t speak to your deepest desires and longings, if it sounds disappointing or threating, if the gospel makes you feel bad or sad you don’t really know the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Gospel is all about a God who so loves us God sent God’s only son to personally save each one of us. If that isn’t good news nothing is.

When Jesus came with the Good News he changed everything in our world. Certain events are powerful agents of change. We’ve experienced so many of them even in our lifetimes. Events like the construction of the Interstate Highway System, internet, iPhone and now AI have initiated great upheaval in our world, but they pale in contract to the Good News Jesus preached during his life. His preaching brought profound change to our attitudes about life, how we spend our time, money, and the way we approach all the relationships we have in life.

Remarkably, the Good News was brought to us in the context of bad news. The bad news was that humanity had rebelled against God at the Fall of Adam and Eve. Humanity turned their back on God. Despite this rejection God didn’t turn God’s back on humanity. God’s response was to continue to love humanity and to show God’s love by promising us a savior and redeemer. God began that process through the Law of Moses, the words of the prophets, and finally in the ministry of the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Over the next few weeks, in a series of homilies, we’ll be reflecting on the Good News of Jesus as shared through the Gospel of Luke. We’ll learn how it can influence our lives. Personally, I’m looking forward to seeing all of us grow in our appreciation of God’s goodness towards us by your attendance here every week. Plan to be with us in person or through our online Livestream.

If you know someone who doesn’t attend church but seems inclined to want to listen to Good News, invite them to attend with you over the next few weeks. If you have family members, friends, or neighbors who have fallen away from Mass because they misunderstand Christ’s Good News and believe it is bad news, invite them to hear this series of homilies and possibly change their minds.

As I stood by the door before Mass last weekend a couple approached me with wide smiles on their faces. They told me. “Father our son has returned to Mass. He has come faithfully for the last four weeks.” They were overjoyed.

If you are here today for the first time in many years or if this is the first time you have ever been to church, welcome. I know you might find it a little difficult though. Just attending Mass isn’t always enough for you to understand the Good News and all it entails. I’d suggest you consider joining one of our small faith sharing groups. They are a great way to interact with others of faith, dive deeper into our questions of faith with Sacred Scripture, and have our fledgling faith grow stronger. Talk to us and we’ll set you up in a small faith sharing group.

Our scriptures today share with us the Good News of the power of prayer. That might come as a surprise because prayer can be the reason people give for giving up on God and religion. They have become disappointed and frustrated with God because they feel God is like the judge in today’s Gospel passage. They feel God is indifferent even hostile to their prayer. The couple I told you about with the son who was returning to the faith. They also said it was something they had been praying about for thirty-four years.

Why does God seem to not respond to our prayer? A reason might be God wants us to use prayer to help us grow stronger. The widow in the gospel is a good example. She was one of the most broken people in the culture of the day. Women held a low position in society and widows an even lower one. With no husband to defend them, they needed to depend on other males such as a son, brother, or father to speak for them in forums such as a court of law. The parable doesn’t mention any such figure on the side of the widow. She was completely on her own facing a very patriarchal system. Yet, she kept pleading for justice. She refused to surrender, gaining a personal strength that made the unjust judge begin to actually fear her. She became so strong he thought she might give him a black eye. Certainly, a God of love won’t wait long to answer our prayers for justice.

God can seem to ignore our prayers because they are childish and shallow, focusing on our needs. God wants us to look beyond our petty needs to God’s larger purposes. At times we pray for the wrong things. God in God’s wisdom knows our prayers would actually hurt us and we need to discover God’s will. At times we can make our prayer too vague and they need to become more focused. Our prayer can be casual because we don’t really trust God. God doesn’t want lukewarm relationships. God wants to be at the center of our lives. At times, our prayers actually go against God’s will and what is for our own good or the good of the world.

The Good News is we don’t have to beg God to hear us and act for our good. That is God’s greatest desire. God want to work with us to bring the Kingdom of Heaven, the fulness of love, peace, and justice, which existed before the fall of Adam and Eve, back into our world. The purpose of our prayer needs is to open our hearts and souls to discover what are the steps we need to take to bring that about. We need to pray to discover the way to be effective partners with God making the Kingdom come into our midst.

Where do you need God to intervene to bring justice into your life? Bring it to your prayer this week. If you don’t have a special time and place for prayer begin this week. Set aside as little as ten minutes every day at a convenient time and place and converse with God. Resist the inclination to put demands on God and listen instead. Let your prayer be to ask God to change you and not you to change God.

From the Pastor October 25/26

Fri, 24 Oct 2025 21:41:47 GMT

From the Pastor October 25/26

Love God, Love the Poor

Last week I started out with the intention of writing about Pope Leo’s first official written statement released on October 9. It is an Apostolic Exhortation entitled Dilexi Te , On Love for the Poor. I got side tracked explaining the hierarchy of papal documents instead. I’ll try to stay focused this week.

In this first document, Dilexi Te, Pope Leo clarifies the centrality of concern for the poor for Christians. Pope Leo explains that his letter is a follow up to Pope Francis’ last encyclical Dilexi Nos , which was published by Francis in October of last year. Leo’s letter is actually the completion of a letter begun by Pope Francis but Leo claims it as his own.

It isn’t surprising that Pope Leo should chose to complete a letter on Christianity’s focus on the poor as one of his first actions. For more than half his priesthood, first as a priest and then a bishop, Pope Leo was a missionary working among the desperately poor in Peru. During those years he gained a reputation for closeness with the poor.

Leo’s letter highlights the powerful bond between the love of Christ and his call for us to draw near to the poor. He writes that, “the centrality of the love for the poor is, in fact, at the heart of the gospel itself.” Leo states that, “love for the poor can’t be dismissed as a “pet concern” of certain popes, theological currents, nor be presented as a merely social or humanitarian consequence extrinsic to the Christian faith and its proclamation.”

Gerard O’Connell, Vatican correspondent for America Magazine wrote, “The exhortation is an important teaching document because in it Leo summarizes and reminds believers (with concrete examples) how throughout church history, “love for the Lord is one with live for the poor” and has always been a central tenet of the Christian faith and life.”

The Pope says that love of the poor is not a matter of mere human kindness but a revelation. He wrote, “I often wonder, even though the Sacred Scripture is so clear about the poor, why many people continue to think that they can safely disregard the poor.” He also said, “Contact with those who are lowly and powerless is a fundamental way of encountering the Lord of history.” He laments the tendency among some Christians to dismiss concern for the poor and consider it a distraction from love and worship directed towards God.

Pope Leo XIV renews the Christian focus on a preferential option for the poor. He explains that preference is not exclusivity or discrimination towards other groups, but emphasizes God’s actions, which are moved by compassion towards the poverty and weakness of all humanity.

Soon after his election Pope Leo explained his choice of names as a tribute to the late Nineteenth Century pope Leo XIII who began the development of modern Catholic Social Teaching with his encyclical Rerum Novarum. In that letter Leo XIII addressed concerns about the neglect and exploitation of human dignity that was an outgrowth of the Industrial Revolution. The present Pope Leo can be expected to make modern affronts to human dignity a theme for his pontificate.

Christ’s teaching concerning love of the poor shouldn’t be limited to attending to their material needs. If we are concerned about the poor, we need to address the root causes of poverty in our world and work to overcome them. Let all Christians make Christ’s concern for the poor our own.

Up for A Challenge?

The 2025 Capital Campaign is underway. It has received donations and pledges of $370,000. Just short of half way to our goal. A generous donor has a challenge for us. They are willing to match donations to the 2025 Capital Campaign, dollar for dollar, up to a total match of $50,000. The challenge is on until the end of October.

Registered parishioners who have yet to donate to the Capital Campaign received a second letter from Fr. Sullivan, a project brochure, and pledge card asking for your gift to the Capital Campaign. Over the next three years we will raise $750,000 for several projects.

Ministry Fair On the Calendar

Save the date of the weekend November 8-9 to participate in the Holy Redeemer Parish Ministry Fair. We are building a great parish here at Holy Redeemer and so many people are involved but we want you involved too. There are so many ways to become active in our church. People are active volunteers as Eucharistic Ministers, Lectors, Choir members, and Greeters. Some are active in the Woman’s Club, Bereavement Group and St. Vincent de Paul Society. Small Faith Sharing Group are a major way to become more active in the parish community. Over the last year we have organized a Building Maintenance Squad and Gardening Ministry. We are setting up a Knitting Ministry this year. There is a place where everyone in the parish can contribute to making Holy Redeemer even better. Come to the Fair! Refreshments will be served.

November Book of the Dead

November is the traditional month for Catholics to pray for the souls of the faithfully departed. Annually the parish compiles a Book of the Dead listing the names of parishioners who died last year and those of our faithful departed. Parishioners recently were sent a letter and All Souls Envelopes to compile a list of our faithfully departed to include in the Book of the Dead. The book will be reverenced with incense at the beginning of weekend Masses throughout November. You are asked to donate at least $1 per name. Envelope proceeds will be donated to the Chatham Children’s Fund. Envelopes can be dropped in the collection basket or sent to the Parish Office.

From the Pastor October 18/19

Tue, 14 Oct 2025 12:40:23 GMT

From the Pastor October 18/19

Pope Leo’s First Official Document

Several years ago, I vacationed in the west of England. One of my objectives was to visit a palatial great houses and gardens that belong to the British Nobility. I forget its name but the one I visited is rated one of the most splendid. As I toured the great house listening to an audio guide, one of the stops was before a 17th Century portrait of a past noble owner. He was identified as “George “Soandso,” 1st Lord Bosworth, 3rd Earl Carlile, Marquess of Shropshire, or some such title. I began to wonder what the hierarchy of British Nobility is. Who outranks whom? I asked one of the docents and she admitted she didn’t know but suggested I ask a more experienced guide whom I could locate in the next room. I found him and he gave me the ranking, but then he said, “I think I have that right?” Later I consulted Google and came up with articles with two different sets of rankings.

It is the same with Papal Documents. Do they have a hierarchy of importance? Last week Pope Leo XIV issued his first official document Dilexi Te, On Love for the Poor. The Vatican classified Dilexi Te as an Apostolic Exhortation. I wondered where an Apostolic Exhortation was placed in the hierarchy of papal writings. Like the ranking of British Nobility, it depends on who you ask. My research found several. I decided to follow the one I found in America Media, a Jesuit publication.

It claims the highest communication is an Apostolic Constitution . Those familiar with the documents of the 2nd Vatican Council will recall four of them were given this classification. They address important topics of faith and morals and can make pronouncements on Church dogmas. While usually the result of the input from a council of bishops the last three popes have used them as a tool of governance.

The one most Catholics are familiar with are Encyclicals . They are addressed to the bishops of the church and through them the laity. Encyclicals usually address a serious social issue relevant around the world. Pope Francis’ 2020 letter “F ratelli Tutti” On Fraternity and Social Friendship critiqued the worldwide response to COVID 19. Pope Leo is reported to be preparing an encyclical regarding the influence of Artificial Intelligence on the world.

Below an encyclical comes an Apostolic Exhortation . They don’t explicitly define doctrine but offer encouragement to specific communities towards a goal or practice. At times they are follow up communications reemphasizing or clarifying the topic discussed in an encyclical. Next comes a series of communications that offer governance to the Church. The most important is called an Apostolic Letter . Apostolic Letters address important issues of governance and administration in the Church. Below the rank of Apostolic Letters comes Decrees which are statements by the pope or a Vatican office that clarifies existing Church law. While usually released by a Vatican office they are signed by the pope. Followed them comes “ Motu proprio” decrees. They are documents released on the pope’s own authority. They usually tweak Church practices and laws or extend particular rights and practices to certain church groups.

Finally, the lowest level of papal announcements are his homilies, talks given at the Sunday Angelus in St. Peter’s Square and Wednesday audiences, or off the cuff remarks to the press on the return flight from an overseas journey. You might think I forgot the famous Papal Bull. Well, that is the overall classification given to any written document signed by the pope and marked with a wax seal. Bull is Latin for seal. I started out intending to write about Pope Leo’s Apostolic Exhortation but it will have to wait until next week.

Up for A Challenge?

The Lord is building the house we call Holy Redeemer Church. The 2025 Capital Campaign is underway. It has already received donations and pledges of $240,000. About a third of the way to our goal. A generous donor has a challenge for us. They are willing to match donations to the 2025 Capital Campaign, dollar for dollar, up to a total match of $50,000. The challenge is on until the middle of November.

In 2022, the parish raised $1.2 million dollars to help fund the addition for the elevator and renovations to the church. What would a truly sacrificial gift to the Capital Campaign look like for you? If you gave a gift to the 2022 Campaign, could you double or triple your gift to this campaign if you spread it over three years? I especially want to encourage parishioners who didn’t contribute in 2022. It is evident from the results; the money was well spent. Please prayerfully reflect on your gift to the Capital Campaign and make it as generous as possible.

October Is Pro-Life Month

October is Pro-Life Month and we would like to call your attention to an important event planned for the month.

The Massachusetts Legislature came close to legalize physician assisted suicide during last year’s session. It will most certainly be considered again this coming year. Everyone needs to be better educated on this issue. Canada legalized physician assisted suicide in recent years and it has had a harrowing effect on its health care system.

The Cape Cod Pro-Life Alliance is sponsoring a talk by Fr. Tadeusz Pacholczyk (Fr. Tad), a priest of the Fall River Diocese and Director of the National Bioethics Center in Philadelphia, a nationally recognized speaker on physician assisted suicide and end-of-life care, on Wednesday Oct. 22, 5:45 PM at Corpus Christi Parish Center, East Sandwich. Admission is free, pizza and refreshments will be provided. Come learn more about this issue.

Pray the Rosary in October

October is also the month of the Rosary. Pope Leo has asked every Catholic to pray the Rosary for peace in our world, especially Gaza and Ukraine, every day of October. Please plan to pray this intention this month.

Celebrating the Sacrament of the Sick

We will celebrate the Sacrament of the Sick at all Masses this weekend. The Sacrament is often familiarly called “The Last Rites” but it isn’t meant for only the dying. It is a Sacrament of Healing and intended for the elderly, those suffering from chronic illnesses or those anticipating surgery or other serious medical procedures. If you fall into any of those criteria plan to participate in the celebration after the homily next weekend.

27th Sunday of Ordinary Time Homily

Fri, 10 Oct 2025 12:21:32 GMT

27th Sunday of Ordinary Time- Fr. John Sullivan

Have you ever been angry at God? Now that is a ridiculous question. Of course you have! God is probably humanities biggest punching bag. God gets blamed for so much. Somewhere along the line we all have experienced situations where God didn’t live up to our expectations. We experienced suffering when things didn’t go our way. Life deals out hurt and we become angry at God. We suffer a loss and feel God is to blame. We question God’s care and protection for us and our loved ones and begin to believe God is at fault. Our enemies seem to gain the upper hand and God doesn’t smite them. It can be easy to get upset and disappointed in God.

If you have ever felt disillusioned or let down by God you are in the right place today. If you are here today wondering why bad things happen to good people or good things to bad. Why it seems you are getting punished by God or feel neglected by God, you will find what I have to say relevant to your situation. So, pay attention.

You are feeling very much like Habakkuk the prophet who wrote today’s first reading. Habakkuk is one of what we call the minor prophets. He isn’t called that because he was unimportant or second rate. He is a minor prophet because the Book of the Prophet Habakkuk is very short. It is only three chapters long. You can read it in fifteen to twenty minutes.

Habakkuk lived about six hundred years before Christ. Some Bible scholars propose he was the scribe to the Prophet Jeremiah, so he could have contributed a great deal more to scripture than just what we call the Book of Habakkuk. Jeremiah and Habakkuk lived in very tumultuous times. Judea and Jerusalem were under threat of attack from the Babylonians. Threats weren’t only coming from outside the nation. The political climate inside the country was also in turmoil. There was corruption, political rivalries, social turmoil, and abuse of the vulnerable. Does that sound familiar? It felt as if God had abandoned God’s people.

Habakkuk is feeling particularly frustrated with what is going on around him. He is heartbroken because he has been trying to do his best to correct the situation. He has been preaching repentance for sin, an end to abuses, and for the people to return to faith in God as a solution to the problems of the times. No one is listening. Rather than being attentive to the reforms preached by the prophets the powerful are persecuting them. The voices of reason are being suppressed by the powerful and special interests. God seems to be ineffective at correcting what is happening all around Habakkuk.

Habakkuk turns to God in prayer and he lets it rip. He doesn’t politely hold back how he feels. We do some of our best praying when we are frustrated or angry with God. We let our emotions fly and are brutally honest with God. When we feel God isn’t performing up to our expectations we don’t tend to hold back our true emotions. God doesn’t mind. God has big shoulders and can take our anger. God actually appreciates our honest prayer. Brutally honest, emotional prayer is what God wants to hear from us. It actually expresses an earnest belief in the power of God.

Do you remember what Habakkuk prayed? He said:

How long, O L ORD , must I cry for help

and you do not listen?

Or cry out to you, “Violence!”

and you do not intervene?

Why do you let me see iniquity?

why do you simply gaze at evil?

Destruction and violence are before me;

there is strife and discord.

Pretty honest and demanding, isn’t it?

He is upset and ready to lower his expectations of God. When we are frustrated with our life situation we are tempted to lower our expectations. We begin to ask questions like, “What difference does it make if I try to live a good life? What is the purpose of going to church? Why bother taking the time to pray?” We begin to feel like giving up on God. We start giving in to our frustrations and disappointment. We can tend to start becoming cynical and depressed.

A basic human need is the belief in a better future. We expect the future to be brighter and more fulfilling. That is God’s plan also. Salvation history reveals it. Abraham was called to leave his familiar surrounds and follow God’s promptings to go into the wilderness seeking a better life. God rescued the Israelites from slavery in Egypt so God could lead them to a land of milk and honey. According to the Gospel of John, the purpose for God sending Jesus was, “I come that you might have life and have it more abundantly.” When things aren’t going according to our plan we need to stop and recognize that God has an even better plan for us. It is an amazing promise God has made to all of us.

When we find ourselves slipping into despair and lowering our expectations of God, we need to do what Habakkuk did. Pour out our frustrations with God. Don’t hold back. Be honest and straightforward about our disappointments. Name them. You might find writing them down on paper helpful? When our frustrations become concrete and real, they can become easier to manage. When they are in front of us our concerns are easier to sort out. They don’t feel so formidable and overwhelming.

Now, expect God to answer you. Position yourself to be able to hear how God wants to guide you to listen to God respond with a plan. Habakkuk did that. He said in today’s reading:

I will stand at my guard post,

and station myself upon the rampart;

I will keep watch to see what he will say to me,

and what answer he will give to my complaint.

Habakkuk set himself up in a place where he could quiet himself, away from distractions. To listen to God, find your quiet safe place where you can open your soul to listen to God. When we enter that place, we are open to the spiritual growth God wants to share with us. Habakkuk goes to the rampart of the city wall. It is the place where he can look out over the city and the nation and open himself to God’s big picture.

For us prayer is our rampart. It can be here in church or a favorite out of the way spot. If you belong to one of our Small Faith Sharing Groups, it might be your listening post. With their help and shared experience, a Small Group can help us hear God’s guidance and direction. We need to expect God’s response. If we open ourselves God will give us insight and a focus to act on God’s direction. It might not come immediately, at the snap of our fingers, but if we remain in a position to listen God always responds to our prayer. God will work for good.

Remember how God responded to Habakkuk.

Then the L ORD answered me and said:

Write down the vision;

Make it plain upon tablets,

so that the one who can reads it readily.

For the vision is a witness for the appointed time,

a testimony to the end; it will not disappoint.

If it delays, wait for it,

it will surely come; it will not be late.

See, the rash have no integrity;

but the just one who is righteous because of faith shall live.

God will send us a vision. Most likely not a physical one but a response plan for a preferred future. It will be a plan for what could or should be. It isn’t something that exists now but God’s response for our future. It is God’s response to the challenges of today. God tells Habakkuk that he sees the problems faced by Habakkuk and the people. God will rectify the situation but it will be in God’s time.

As Christians we believe that God addressed Habakkuk’s concerns through the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. Jesus was God’s answer to changing the world into the Kingdom of Heaven. If we model our lives on Jesus’ example, if we strive to live with the same degree of love as Jesus Christ, we can change the world.

This week, even if you aren’t feeling like a complete malcontent, use some of your prayer time to express whatever discontent you have with God. Share your frustrations, fears, worries, and woes with God. Be painfully honest with your emotions and your frustrations with God. Let God show you God’s preferred future vision for your life and the world. Allow God to unfurl the Kingdom of Heaven to you. God has tremendous power to transform evil to good. We only have to look at the cross to see how God transformed an instrument of awful pain and suffering into the tool for our salvation.

In today’s gospel we find the apostles expressing a false humility concerning their degree of faithfulness. They don’t have much in the way of expectation for their faith. Jesus tells them not to underestimate their faith. Just a little is enough to do great things, Jesus says. He tells His close associates it isn’t the size of our faith that is vital, it is how they apply their faith.

Working with God each of us has the ability to transform our world. Raise your expectations for your ability to be faithful to God. Commit to following God’s vision of discipleship for you. Expect the Kingdom of God to reign over all the earth.

From the Pastor October 11/12

Fri, 10 Oct 2025 12:14:05 GMT

From the Pastor October 11/12

Respect in the Parking Lot

A week ago, the parish held a workshop for some leaders. We wanted to consider how we could be a more welcoming parish. The state of our parking lot came up. Particularly, the situation of some Mass attendees parking at the back of the parking lot going the wrong way. I guess their rationality is they want to be some of the first out of the lot after Mass. Doing that is very inconsiderate of fellow parishioners who have to maneuver around them to gain access to a parking space. Sometimes the only possible way is to drive to the Fire Lane.

Believe me, I am frustrated too. Let me tell you how frustrated! Back on the Fourth of July weekend I was involved in an incident. The entrances to the parking lot were roped off to make sure the lot was available for the 4 pm Mass. Despite that someone parked across the entrance to the parking lot! Needless to say, that got my Irish up. I opened the exit and ushered in some early arrivers.

One immediately started to drive to the back of the parking lot. I stopped him and asked him to please not do that. He essentially told me he would park where he pleased! He spun his car around and parked on the sidewalk in front of the side garden and stalked into church. Do you really think he was open to the grace of the Eucharist? With that kind of a reaction you can understand why I’m reluctant to challenge or ask volunteer parishioners to monitor the parking lot.

After the workshop last week, I thought maybe I’d give it another go. While I was standing at the front door of the church, I noticed someone swing into the lot and head the wrong way. I saw a woman get out of the car. I asked myself if speaking to her about her action was worthwhile.

As she approached, I thought I would give it a try. She wasn’t someone I recognized so I thought she was a visitor and might have parked without giving it much thought. I hoped she would see that she was being inconsiderate of others and agree to mend her ways. As she came up, I explained to her that I had been getting complaints about people parking like she did and would she mind not doing it in the future. I tried to be as considerate as possible.

She would have none of it. She accused me of being unwelcoming and a dozen other abuses, vowed to never come here again and walked into church. There is an obligation to be good hosts but also one to be a good guest. I noticed she left after communion.

I realize that on occasion someone has to leave church early to attend to a sick family member or some other emergency but those are rare. Most people who leave before the end of Mass do it habitually. They can’t wait to get what they feel is an obligation out of the way. May a merciful God be good to them! If you really have to leave Mass early, please find a parking space on the street and don’t block our parking lot.

Hopefully, a solution is on the horizon. One of the projects we want to fund with our Capital Campaign is improvements to the parking lot. We are half way through the process of getting a permit from the state to open an entrance directly on to Old Harbor Road. We want to resurface the lot and install better lighting. When we do this, we will paint lines in the lot that make conventional stall parking spaces all angled forward. That should help alleviate some of the problems. So, if you want to see that come about be sure to generously contribute to the Capital Campaign.

When that gets done, I’d like recruit parishioners to serve as parking attendants to help people find spaces and welcome them to our parish. In the meantime, please don’t be selfish towards your fellow parishioners. Park so everyone can have easy access to the parking lot.

Up for A Challenge?

The Lord is building the house we call Holy Redeemer Church. The 2025 Capital Campaign is underway. It has already received donations and pledges of $230,000. About a third of the way to our goal. A generous donor has a challenge for us. They are willing to match donations to the 2025 Capital Campaign, dollar for dollar, up to a total match of $50,000. The challenge is on until the middle of November.

October Is Pro-Life Month

October is Pro-Life Month and we would like to call your attention to two important events planned for the month.

Pray the Rosary in October

October is also the month of the Rosary. Our Small Faith Sharing Groups are sponsoring a Seven Sorrows of Mary Rosary event on Friday, October 17. It will begin with daily Mass at 8 am, followed by the recitation of the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary, Seven Sorrows of Mary Devotion, Continental Breakfast, and faith sharing on the sorrows of Mary. It will wrap up at 10 AM. Plan to participate in this month of the Rosary event.

Pope Leo has asked every Catholic to pray the Rosary for peace in our world, especially Gaza and Ukraine, every day of October. Please plan to pray this intention this month.

Celebrating the Sacrament of the Sick

We will celebrate the Sacrament of the Sick at all Masses next Sunday. The Sacrament is often familiarly called “The Last Rites” it isn’t meant for only the dying. It is a Sacrament of Healing and intended for the elderly, those suffering from chronic illnesses or those anticipating surgery or other serious medical procedures. If you fall into any of those criteria plan to participate in the celebration after the homily next weekend.

25th Sunday of Ordinary Time Homily

Tue, 30 Sep 2025 21:56:01 GMT

25th Sunday of Ordinary Time Homily- Fr. John Sullivan

Wow, I didn’t see that coming! All of us live with expectations. We have them for all facets of our lives. Expectations are the lens through which we view our lives and the world around us. When our expectations aren’t satisfied were are troubled and upset.

Expectations have many types. Some are simple. I greet you warmly and I expect you to return a greeting. Others are a practical necessity. I come to an intersection where others have a stop sign. I expect them to yield to me as I drive through. Others we hold in our heart. If we love someone, we expect them to love us back.

We use expectations to evaluate others. We asses people according to how they fit our expectations. Our anticipation of a relationship with others depends on past experiences and preconceived notions of what their character should be like. If we meet them at church, we expect they are at least struggling to be a good person. The people we meet develop expectations of us in a similar way. Sometimes expectations are realistic and sometimes they aren’t.

When people or circumstances are not meeting our expectations, we become annoyed, upset, and angry. When our expectations are challenged, we begin to think about them a great deal. Since often many of our expectations have never been fully expressed, when they aren’t met, we are thrown into turmoil.

Today’s Gospel Parable seems to be a strange one, but it is about expectations. It is difficult to understand because Jesus violates our expectations. Jesus seems to be praising a rogue steward. Someone concentrating on their self-interest.

The steward in the story wasn’t living up to expectations. He has been reported for squandering the master’s property, so the master tells him he is being fired. The steward recognizes his predicament. If he loses his job, life will become very difficult for him. He comes up with a plan. He will forgive some of the debts owed to his master. That way the debtors will show appreciation to him but also to his master. Since the debtors are yet unaware of the steward’s predicament, they will feel gratitude to him and also his master for their leniency. Now, the steward has put the master in a bind. Since the steward’s generosity towards the debtors has brought the master honor and gratitude from the debtors, the master must show his steward appreciation because the steward has added to the masters honor among the debtors.

Jesus was seen as a rogue steward by many of the religious authorities of his day. He wasn’t living up to their expectations of what the Messiah should be like. They felt Jesus was dissipating God’s authority by being too generous with forgiveness.

Most people of Jesus’ day felt heavily burdened because they were unable to be totally faithful to the Mosaic Law. It’s over six hundred precepts made it difficult, even impossible for the average person to strictly follow the law. Only people like the scribes and Pharisees, who were often wealthier, could remain ritually pure. Therefore, most of the faithful were considered sinners and not welcome to worship in the Temple because they weren’t ritually pure enough.

The religious authorities felt Jesus was a rouge steward because he was telling sinners he came to offer forgiveness of the debt of sin they owed to God. By healing the sick, the blind, the lepers, and those possessed by demons, whose afflictions were often considered punishment for sin, the religious authorities felt Jesus was dissipating God’s majesty. The religious authorities were suspicious of Jesus because they felt he was preaching leniency. They expected a Messiah to preach a conservative and strict interpretation of the Law. They looked for a Messiah to preach a punishing and not a merciful God. This caused turmoil because Jesus wasn’t fulfilling their expectations. They felt annoyed, anger, and frustration with him.

Jesus taught that rather than being a rogue steward his preaching was increasing God’s honor and glory and making God loved by those who received mercy and forgiveness of their sinfulness. Jesus claimed that he was sent from God not to punish sinners as the religious authorities expected, but to lighten their load, and offer mercy and forgiveness to all who love God. In today’s parable Jesus asserts this is pleasing to God because it increases God’s honor and glory.

That is still good news for us today. We need to reconsider our expectations of God and hear God wants to lighten our load and not add to it. God want us to hear anew Jesus’ message and forget any expectations God is out to punish us. We must begin to believe God is liberal with compassion and wants us to experience mercy and forgiveness.

Sadly, many of us are like the religious authorities of Jesus’ day, our expectation is that God wants to punish us for our sinfulness. We imagine a God who wants to hold our sinfulness against us rather than glory in offering us compassion and love. We find it hard to recognize that it is through forgiveness that God builds up glory and honor.

As Catholics we luckily celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It is the sacrament where we experience not only God reducing the debt of our sin but eliminating it completely. When we receive absolution in the Reconciliation Room, God wipes our souls clean of sin. God is so generous because God knows actions of love increase God’s glory and majesty among the faithful. If you have not gone to confession in a long time, set aside your expectations and overcome your fears to receive God’s pardon and forgiveness. The Reconciliation Room is at the back of the church on your right as you enter the doors.

At the present time, our nation is very polarized. Labels and categorizations are battered about that shade our expectations of each other. They cause us to fear, denigrate, and separate us. Today Jesus teaches us that God shatters all expectations that limit God’s love for all of us. Don’t let unrealistic expectations cause you to underestimate God’s love for you and all our brothers and sisters.

From the Pastor October 4/5

Tue, 30 Sep 2025 21:54:10 GMT

From the Pastor October 4/5

Has It Come To This?

At times parishioners will approach me with a bulletin from a parish they have recently visited. Often, they are parishes in Florida and they point out what a large collection they have. Sunday a parishioner showed me a bulletin from a collaborative in Braintree. She was upset. In the bulletin were announced new security procedures being implemented in the churches. After the beginning of Mass, as a security precaution, all but one door to the church would be locked. Security cameras were also being installed outside of the churches. According to the bulletin the precautions were suggested by a parish security committee, had the approval of the Parish Council, and followed guidelines from the Archdiocese of Boston.

The actions were a response to the shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis in August. Regrettably, last Sunday, soon after the parishioner and I spoke, a Mormon Church in Michigan was attacked and at least four people were killed. As of Monday, there was no news on the motive of the assailant or if he had any connection to the church.

More and more churches are establishing safety committees. This summer a visitor told me he was a member of his parish safety committee in North Carolina. He said they carry guns! We don’t want to come to that! We want Holy Redeemer to be a place where everyone feels safe and welcome. I feel reluctant to lock doors or post armed guards. Security measures often can only slow down an attack. The best short term safety measure is to remember, “If we see something say something.” Be alert to odd behavior or suspicious activity around church.

This topic of church safety came up at a recent Zoom Meeting with Bishop da Cunha. On the call a former police officer, who is a security consultant for the diocese, gave some suggestions for making churches safer. He will organize a workshop in the coming months.

I’m considering a Parish Safety Committee, not with the focus of guarding the church but with the emphasis on member care. They would be people ready to respond to all emergencies, most of all medical, or emotional crisis in church. At times people show up at church experiencing an emotional crisis. They aren’t a physical threat to others, just experiencing emotional problems. They need some compassion. Catholic Social Services has a training program for parishioners willing to step in and help in these rare occasions.

If you might be interested in this training or you have an emergency services background that would be useful as part of a parish security team, please let me know. The parish could use you.

News report on Sunday stated the attack at the Michigan church was our country’s 324th mass shooting, an incident with more than four victims, wounded or killed, in the 272 days of 2025. That is almost 1 ½ shootings each day! These shootings don’t have to happen. No other civilized country in the world has this level of violence. Polls, even one by Fox News, tell us over 90% of Americans plead for stronger gun control, especially laws to prevent guns from getting into the hands of mentally unstable people. Unfortunately, so many politicians are bought off by the gun lobby. I refuse to believe the Second Amendment is worth even one life!

Unless the Lord Builds 2025 Capital Campaign

The Lord is building the house we call Holy Redeemer Church. The 2025 Capital Campaign underway. It has already received donations and pledges of over $275,000. Registered parishioners who have yet to donate received a second letter from Fr. Sullivan, a project brochure, and pledge card asking for your gift to the Capital Campaign. Over the next three years we will raise $750,000 for several projects.

Blessing of Animals

Saturday October 4 was the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi. In addition to being the founder of the Franciscan Order. St. Francis is the Patron Saint of Animals. The parish will hold a Blessing of the Animals Prayer Service on Sunday October 5 at 12 Noon in the church parking lot. Bring your dogs, cats, and other pets for this annual blessing.

October Is Pro-Life Month

October is Pro-Life Month and we would like to call your attention to two important events planned for the month.

Also, the Annual Diocesan Respect Life Mass takes place today (Sunday, October 12) at 10:30 a.m. at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption , 327 Second St., Fall River, MA 02721. Bishop Edgar da Cunha, S.D.V., will be celebrant of the Mass, which is sponsored by the Knights of Columbus. Mass is open to the public and no registration is required.

Pray the Rosary in October

October is also the month of the Rosary. Pope Leo has asked every Catholic to pray the Rosary for peace in our world every day of October. Please plan to pray for this intention this month.

Living Rosary

Annually, the Holy Redeemer Woman’s Club sponsors a Living Rosary. It will be held on Thursday, October 9, at 4 p.m. A Sign-up sheet is available at the Welcome Desks at the church doors. Each participant is a “bead” of the Rosary. Refreshments will follow in the Parish Center. Come celebrate the Month of the Rosary with fellow parishioners.

From the Pastor Sept 27/28

Thu, 25 Sep 2025 12:34:00 GMT

From the Pastor Sept 27/28

Vacation Musings

After a busy summer it was good to get away on vacation in Scotland earlier this month. I went with four friends from seminary days. We were celebrating our 35th Anniversary of Ordination. It was my first trip to Scotland and a very worthwhile experience. The countryside was beautiful but I was surprised there is so much crop farming. I envisioned much more of the countryside being moors with grazing sheep and cows.

Yes, I ate haggis but it wasn’t served in a lamb’s belly. It is served for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I found it pretty good. It’s better if you taste it before you read the recipe. I had a glass of a locally distilled Scotch whiskey too. Yes, it rained almost everyday but the sun shone almost every day. We stood on the shores of Loch Lomond and sang the song, saw Loch Ness but not Nessie, visited the Old Course at St. Andrews but didn’t play golf there. We even saw the Princess Royal, Princess Anne riding a horse in a parade celebrating the end of a year of events celebrating the founding of Edinburgh. There was no need for a heavy security presence.

Of course, traveling with other priests, we visited our share of cathedrals and churches both Catholic and Protestant. We spent two nights at the Benedictine Pluscarden Monastery. It is the oldest currently inhabited monastery in Great Britain. That doesn’t mean it has been inhabited all that time. Originally established early in the Fourteenth Century it was abandoned for four hundred years, from the Protestant Reformation in about 1550 to the late 1940s when the then Catholic landowner gifted it to the group of monks who restored it over the last few decades. In its ancient days it was never a prominent abbey, just the oldest. It was a nice prayerful experience but it reconfirmed that the monk’s life isn’t my vocation.

Visits to several other churches both Catholic and Protestant were also interesting. The Sunday of our trip we were in Edinburgh and went to Mass at the Catholic Cathedral. It is a rather unassuming building originally sited on a back street. I read that was intentional because when it was built in the late 19th Century its predecessor had been burned down by a Protestant mob. Scotland is the most secular region of Great Britian. After the Reformation most Scotch people became Presbyterian but by the middle of the next decade it is anticipated the largest religious group will again be Catholics.

Going to Mass on vacation can be kind of dicey. I’m often disappointed in the quality of its celebration but this Mass was very beautiful. The church was pretty full of a nice mix of people from various backgrounds. According to the church bulletin, two weekend Mass are celebrated in Polish.

We also visited St. Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh. It dates back to Medieval times and was originally Catholic until the Reformation. The Reformers were iconoclasts who believed any sacred images depicting saints or even Jesus were sinful. When they took over, they smashed statues of the saints and destroyed the stained-glass windows. Ironically, in the Nineteenth and early Twentieth Centuries new stained-glass windows were installed and there is even a life-sized statue of John Knox, the Scotch Reformation leader, and founder of Presbyterianism.

Travel is so worthwhile because it entails such unusual experiences. Even though Scotland is an English-speaking country, more or less, and has influenced our American culture. Things are different there. Travel always expands our appreciation of both the differences and similarities we have with our brothers and sisters.

Unless the Lord Builds 2025 Capital Campaign

The Lord is building the house we call Holy Redeemer Church. We have begun a 2025 Capital Campaign to continue renovating both our physical and spiritual church. Registered parishioners will soon be receiving a second letter from Fr. Sullivan, a project brochure, and pledge card asking for your gift to the Capital Campaign. Over the next three years we will raise $750,000 for several projects.

In 2022, the parish raised $1.2 million dollars to help fund the addition for the elevator and renovations to the church. What would a truly sacrificial gift to the Capital Campaign look like for you? If you gave a gift to the 2022 Campaign, could you double or triple your gift to this campaign it if you spread it over three years? I especially want to encourage parishioners who didn’t contribute in 2022. It is evident from the results; the money was well spent. Please prayerfully reflect on your gift to the Capital Campaign and make it as generous as possible.

First Friday Devotion

The parish is renewing our First Friday Devotion. This Friday, October 3, the Eucharist will be exposed for Adoration after the 8 am Mass until 4 p.m. Someone should always be present in prayer before the Eucharist while it is exposed. A sign-up sheet is available at the back of the church. Please consider offering an hour of your prayer time on Friday. Our prayer intention for October is: For people of different religious traditions to work together to defend and promote peace, justice, and human fraternity.

Cardinal Mederios Residence Collection

A second collection will be taken up this weekend for the Cardinal Mederios Residence. This is the retirement residence for priests of the Fall River Diocese. These men have faithfully served parishioners throughout their life time. Please support them as they age.

Feast of St. Vincent de Paul

Saturday, September 27, is the feast of St. Vincent de Paul, a great promoter of charity and the patron of the St. Vincent de Paul Society. We will be imparting a blessing on SVDP members this weekend.

Blessing of Animals

Saturday October 4 is the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi. In addition to being the founder of the Franciscan Order. St. Francis is the Patron Saint of Animals. The parish will hold a Blessing of the Animals Prayer Service on Sunday October 5 at 12 Noon in the church parking lot. Bring your dogs, cats, and other pets for this annual blessing.

21st Sunday of Ordinary Time Homily

Thu, 28 Aug 2025 21:41:28 GMT

21st Sunday of Ordinary Time- Fr. John Sullivan

In an interview this week a prominent politician expressed his desire to get to heaven. As a Catholic priest I’m always encouraged to hear of someone’s desire to spend eternity in the presence of God. Afterall, my job is trying to encourage everyone to seek eternal life and, in the process, maybe I’ll get to heaven, too.

In a moment of self-awareness uncharacteristic of this particular individual, he admitted to being at what he called the bottom of the totem pole. I would like to encourage him to try to move up, what he refers to as the heavenly access totem pole, and increase his possibility of being received into God’s embrace. It will do a world of good.

As the prophet Isaiah said in today’s first reading the Lord says:

I know their works and their thoughts, and I come to gather the nations of every language; they shall come and see my glory.

God’s strongest desire is for everyone to have a strong relationship with God. God wants to share love not only with people of a certain ethnic background, citizens of a particular country, or followers of a particular partisan persuasion, but everyone with a sincere heart.

Christians believe through the cross Jesus fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy. Jesus’ obedience to God the Father offers salvation to everyone regardless of their background. Through Baptism everyone is offered the opportunity to establish their own relationship with God. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus has shown us the way to heaven.

While God wants a relationship with each of us. Not everyone responds positively to God’s gift. Some people only have at best a superficial association with God. They have become complacent about it. Their connection with God is comparable to some of our social affiliations. It is like a relationship with people we might eat and drink with at a Friday evening Happy Hour. They have heard the message of the gospels but it hasn’t impacted them.

Regretfully, many Christians, Catholics among them, believe that sort of connection with God is sufficient. They might worship God in the Church occasionally, the important holidays, or when it isn’t an inconvenience to their schedule. They pray when they are desperate and at their wits end. They might offer their loose change or the smallest bill in their wallet, rather than feel embarrassment, as a donation to charity. They won’t let the message of Jesus impact their lives.

In today’s gospel Jesus points out people with that sort of attitude will find themselves locked out of the Kingdom of God. Those with only a superficial relationship with God and a half-hearted response to Jesus won’t be called to share in Heaven. Our interaction with Jesus must be that of a true friend. Our relationship with God, as Jesus taught us, must be the most important one in our lives. Our God connection must be at our center. It has to become that of a committed friendship through thick and thin.

Jesus frequently tells his listeners to get to heaven they must follow his example and take up the cross. Jesus doesn’t necessarily mean we must suffer abuse and an excruciatingly painful death if we want to get to heaven. Although such a death experienced out of fidelity to Jesus will receive a just reward. Taking up the cross is our willingness to get to know God and to do God’s will for us. Taking up the cross is being obedient to God’s promptings in our life.

How do we establish that sort of a relationship with God? We do it through faithful daily prayer. If we commit ourselves to prayer on a daily basis, our friendship with Jesus will naturally grow. Prayer can start simple. Find a quiet place and a time of day when you can quiet yourself. It can start with as little as ten minutes. Don’t talk too much. Listen instead. Maybe reflect on a passage of scripture. Ask yourself what God might be speaking to you through God’s holy word.

As Catholics we believe the Sacraments, especially our participation in the Eucharist is essential for our growth in the love of God. At the Last Supper, Jesus promised to always be with his followers when they came to offer His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity in the Eucharist. If we are aware of serious sin we need to reconcile with God through the Sacrament of Penance. The Sacraments give us God’s grace, God’s presence in our lives to strengthen our relationship with our triune God.

Parishioners tell me that we are doing that. Recently, a parishioner spoke to me about how his faith is growing at Holy Redeemer. He has been a parishioner for a while and seen many changes in the parish. He said to me, “Father, I used to tell people I go to Mass at Holy Redeemer, now I tell them I’m a parishioner of Holy Redeemer.”

He was saying that previously he was a religious consumer with only a loose association and shallow commitment to the parish and his Catholic faith. He believed his church affiliation was similar to coming to get his ticket to Heaven punched. He had an obligation to fulfill if he wanted to get to Heaven and the shorter and easier he was able to do that the better. He wasn’t experiencing any growth in spiritual maturity or a deepening commitment to Jesus Christ.

He told me, “Over the last few years we’ve been changing that culture completely at Holy Redeemer. We have worked hard to transform our parish, Father. I really appreciate how you and Deacon Art work on your homilies. You share a thoughtful, inspiring, and challenging message. The music is beautiful and we have become a community as a parish.”

The parishioner told me he is a member of one of our Small Faith Sharing groups. Small Groups are something we established over a year ago. They are where our larger Church gets smaller. He said his group has become like a family. They are comfortable with each other and inspire each other to grow in their Catholic faith. I want to invite you to consider joining a Small Faith Sharing Group. We have openings in some and are ready to start new ones as demand develops. Just call the Parish Office and we will help you sign up.

It isn’t only seasoned parishioners who are experiencing a transformation in the parish. It is new people, too. I had a conversation recently with one. She told me, “I’ve got to admit it Father, I have been lax in faith in recent years. When my children were growing up, I taught CCD and was even a Eucharistic Minister. A couple of years ago, my husband and I moved to the summer home we’ve owned for about twenty years. We are planning to retire here. A while ago I decided to come to Mass and immediately felt the need to reconnect with the Church.

But this isn’t about me, Father, it is about my husband. He never was much of a churchgoer in the past. He would attend Mass on the major holidays like Christmas and Easter or when the children received their sacraments. I invited him to Mass with me one Sunday. Now he wakes up on Sunday morning and is excited about coming to church. You know how you encourage us to introduce ourselves at the beginning of Mass? We have made friends with the people sitting around us. We really feel like a community.

Holy Redeemer is becoming a real force in our Chatham community. We are helping many people deepen a relationship with God and work towards getting to heaven. I hope Holy Redeemer has become more than the place you go to Mass but your parish.

This spring we conducted a parish survey. About a quarter of survey respondents said they have been parishioners for from 25-30 years or more. We have a solid core of parishioners. The survey also revealed that about a quarter of our members have joined the parish in the last five years or less. Holy Redeemer is a growing parish where people realize their relationship with God can grow.

We want to continue to grow as a parish and spiritually feed the community of the Lower Cape. As our Vision Statement reads, we want Holy Redeemer to foster excellence in Christ centered worship, form parishioners in faith, evangelize, and work for social justice in our community. We want Holy Redeemer to be a beacon of faith for our area. To execute this vision, we need to be on solid financial footings.

While most of our effort will be concentrated on our main church, Holy Redeemer, Our Lady of Grace can’t be treated as a poor sister. Plans are for painting the interior, improving lighting, new carpet, and an improved audio system. Over the next three years we plan to carry out these and several other projects.

To fund them we are beginning a three-year Capital Campaign to raise $750,000. It is a hefty goal but one the Finance Committee and I feel it is attainable. In 2022, our previous Capital Campaign raised $1.2 million dollars. With the support of all parishioners, we feel confident we will reach and possibly surpass our goal.

Our 2022 campaign receiver five gifts of $100,000 to $125,000. I’m pleased to tell you one of those parishioners has already pledged a gift of $100,000 to our 2025 campaign. While we were blessed to receive several large gifts most of the campaign money was contributed in smaller amounts. Thirty parishioners gave $2,500 and roughly forty gave amounts from $1,000 to $2,500.

The vast majority of contributors to the 2022 Capital Campaign chose not to pledge their gift but made a one-time payment. I would like to offer a challenge to those who gave the smaller gifts to consider prayerfully making a sacrificial gift. What would a truly sacrificial gift spread over three years look like? Could it be two or three times the gift you contributed in 2022?

If you are a regular summer visitor to Chatham and come to this church you need to put some skin in the game, too. This chapel is used only during the summer months, mostly for our visitors. We do not need it on a regular basis during other parts of the year. Prayerfully consider contributing to our Capital Campaign.

Most of all I want to challenge the several hundred parishioners who didn’t contribute in 2022. I pray that over the last few years you have begun to catch the spirit of Holy Redeemer Parish. I hope it has become more evident to you the good work we can do as a parish. I pray you will become involved in this Capital Campaign.

This week registered parishioners will receive a brochure and a letter from me announcing the Capital Campaign. Please read over the brochure and see how excited several of your fellow parishioners are about participating in the Campaign. You can use the pledge card included in the brochure to make a gift, or pledge. Maybe you would like to use appreciable stock as your gift? Arrangements for such a gift can be made through Deacon Art at the parish office. Perhaps you envision making a legacy gift, remembering the parish in your estate plan? Please let us know if that is your choice. Gifts can also be made using a credit card or automatic funds transfer on our parish website. Go to www.holyredeemerchatham.org, click on the “donate” tab on the Home page and follow the instructions.

Has Holy Redeemer Parish changed your heart and soul? Have you grown in your faith over the last few years? Has your relationship with Jesus become stronger. Do you feel you might have moved up that totem pole and become closer to a place Heaven? Please join your fellow parishioners in helping our parish grow with your prayerful support for the 2025 Capital Campaign.

From the Pastor August 30/31

Thu, 28 Aug 2025 21:37:25 GMT

From the Pastor August 30/31

Don’t let Vacation Go to Waste

It’s Labor Day Weekend and the end of vacation season for many people. Last week I met a man coming out of church. He smiled and said to me, “Do you realize how lucky you are to be assigned here?” Living full-time in Chatham, what many consider their vacation spot, can seem idyllic, but like living any place you call home, we can take it for granted. When following a car with out-of-state plates negotiating a Main Street roundabout, we can become ornery and wish our visitors would go away. We are tempted to get one of those bumper stickers that read, “I’m not on your vacation.”

We are only teasing. It’s a pleasure welcoming our summer guests. Chatham is a family resort and since most of our full-time residents are retired, it’s a pleasure seeing many children in our community during the summer. Our visitors bring a vibrancy to the town that is not always present during the rest of the year. We’ve been known to host a celebrity or two in our midst that adds to the excitement here.

Chatham won’t close down completely now that the summer is over. Fall is a wonderful season to spend some time here. Many people prefer it to the summer. We’ll still see many visitors and seasonal residents stick around or come on weekends until after the new year. If you still have some vacation time, we hope you might spend it with us.

One disadvantage of being a priest assigned to a summer resort community is that I usually don’t get a chance for a summer vacation. I have to plan time away at other seasons. I’m going to do that at the beginning of September. I plan to visit Scotland with four of my Seminary classmates. We celebrated our 35th anniversary of ordination this year. I’m really looking forward to the time away.

American’s are notorious for taking very little vacation. We don’t even have laws requiring employers to offer vacation to workers. The average American only gets two weeks of vacation and half of us don’t use even that small amount. I’m somewhat guilty of that. Canon Law grants priests throughout the world thirty days of vacation and a week of retreat. I’ve never taken all of mine.

Pope Leo is doing things a little different from Pope Francis. He took vacation time this summer. Francis was known for his “staycations,” only cutting back his workload but staying at the Vatican. Leo has renewed the papal tradition of going to Casal Gandolfo, outside of Rome, away from the city’s summer heat. Even a papal vacation requires work. Leo was working while away. He was really only setting a bit slower pace.

Vacation is really necessary if we want to stay healthy, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. All of us need down time when we can relax, be with, family and friends, and connect with God’s presence all around us. If you have vacation time left this year, be sure to take it. Come spend it with us in Chatham. Continue to connect with God’s presence here at Holy Redeemer. A good disciple cares for themselves so they have the energy and desire to care for others. So, don’t deny yourself a vacation.

Unless the Lord Builds 2025 Capital Campaign

The Lord is building the house we call Holy Redeemer Church. We have begun a 2025 Capital Campaign to continue renovating both our physical and spiritual church. Over the next three years we will raise $750,000 for several projects. Our first priority is to replace the cedar shingles on the main church with composite vinyl siding to match the exterior of the new addition. Our parking lot will get a new entrance from Old Harbor Road, resurfacing, and relined into conventional stall parking spaces. Several projects at Our Lady of Grace Chapel and the rectory are also planned.

Registered parishioners received a letter from Fr. Sullivan, a project brochure, and pledge card asking for your gift to the Capital Campaign. In 2022 Holy Redeemer parishioners gave gifts totaling $1.26 million for the parish renovations. More than half of that amount was from gifts of $2,500 or less. More than 90% of them were made as one-time payments. What would a truly sacrificial gift to the Capital Campaign look like for you? If you gave one of those gifts, could you double or triple it if you spread it over three years? I especially want to encourage parishioners who didn’t contribute in 2022. It is evident from the results; the money was well spent. Please prayerfully reflect on your gift to the Capital Campaign and make it as generous as possible.

Final Weekend for Our Lady of Grace Chapel

Our summer chapel, Our Lady of Grace, on Meetinghouse Road in S. Chatham, will close for the season this weekend. Mass are Saturday Vigil at 4:30 p.m. and Sunday morning at 7:30 & 9:30 a.m. Beginning next weekend all Masses will be celebrated at Holy Redeemer. That schedule is Saturday afternoon at 4:00 p.m., Sunday morning at 8:00 & 10:00 a.m.

First Friday Devotion

The parish is renewing our First Friday Devotion. This Friday, September 5, the Eucharist will be exposed for Adoration after the 8 am Mass until 4 p.m. Plan to be in Church to spend time in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament sometime during the day. Our prayer intention for September is for our relationship with all creation. Let us pray that, inspired by Saint Francis of Assisi, we might experience our interdependence with all creatures who are loved by God and worthy of love and respect.

On a similar note, Monday, September 1, is World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation. It is meant to offer individuals and communities the opportunity to recommit to our vocation as stewards of creation, to thank God for God’s creation, his pardon for our sins against our environment, and God’s help to protect our world. Please make that a prayer intention of yours.

2nd Zoning Board of Appeals Hearing

On Thursday at 2 p.m., the Chatham Zoning Board of Appeals will hopefully, lift from the table, and continue their hearing regarding a variance for the affordable housing development planned for the Meetinghouse Road property across from Our Lady of Grace Chapel. Parishioners have an interest in the issue because we sold the property to the town in 2022, at a discounted price, with the expressed desire it be used for such housing. The hearing will be held in the Large Hearing Room at the Town Hall Annex on George Ryder Road.

20th Sunday of Ordinary Time Homily

Wed, 20 Aug 2025 19:50:36 GMT

20th Sunday of Ordinary Time- Fr. John Sullivan

I was walking down the side aisle of church on Friday, going to greet people coming to the Holy Day Mass. I noticed a couple sitting towards the back of the church. They weren’t familiar to me. The man was turning his head from side to side. It was almost as if it was on a swivel. As I walked by, I heard him say to his wife. “This place is beautiful! Everything is completely renovated.”

A minute or two later he came up to me as I was standing at the door. He told me he has been coming to Chatham for a couple of decades, but Friday was the first time he has been in Holy Redeemer in a while. It was the first time he had seen our renovations completed over a year ago now. He complimented me on them and told me he was very impressed. I thanked him and we talked about the changes for a few minutes. I’ve received so many expressions of approval concerning the renovations here at Holy Redeemer. You know not one person has expressed a complaint. Now that is a miracle!

While I appreciate people complementing the church improvements, it isn’t those remarks that I most appreciate hearing. The ones I savor are like the one I received from a woman visitor after the same Mass. She came to me and said, “That was a beautiful Mass, the music was wonderful, your homily had an important message. I love coming to Holy Redeemer whenever I come to Chatham. You know I feel it is one of the highlights of my visits.”

Beautiful churches are wonderful. An attractive, well-maintained church is necessary but not the primary reason people come to Mass. If beautiful churches were all it took to get people to church those in Europe would be overflowing. For a parish to flourish and grow it needs to be a place where congregants feel welcome, part of a loving community, where they are fed spiritually. That is our mission here at Holy Redeemer. We are working to live up to our Mission Statement, Living in Faith, Growing in Faith, Sharing in Faith.

The parishioner told me he is a member of one of our Small Faith Sharing groups. Small Groups are something we established over a year ago. They are where our larger Church gets smaller. He said his group has become like a family. They are comfortable with each other and inspire each other to grow in their Catholic faith. I want to invite you to consider joining a Small Faith Sharing Group. We have openings in some of our groups and are ready to start new ones as demand develops. Just call the Parish Office and we will help you sign up.

Holy Redeemer is becoming a real force in our Chatham community. We are setting the fire of faith in many hearts. Fires of faith that were only a flicker are blazing up again and new fires are being started. Like Ebed-melech, the Cushite, we are saving spiritual lives stuck in the mud at the bottom of a well and offering new life. I hope Holy Redeemer has become more than the place you go to Mass but your parish.

We want to continue to set spiritual fires, grow as a parish and spiritually feed the community of the Lower Cape. As our Vision Statement reads, we want Holy Redeemer to foster excellence in Christ centered worship, form parishioners in faith, evangelize, and work for social justice in our community. We want Holy Redeemer to be a beacon of faith for our area. To execute this vision, we need to be on solid financial footings.

Our Church renovations, both physical and spiritual have moved us along that path. We want to keep going. Our buildings need to be well maintained, our parking lot safe and not a source of frustration, our support services helpful. To do that more renovations to our parish plant are being planned. We want to complete the replacement of the cedar shingles on the main part of the church with the same composite siding and trim that we have on the new addition. This will give our church an attractive appearance for years to come.

Our parking lot needs attention. We plan to open a new curb cut on to Old Harbor Road, add lighting, and reline the lot into conventional stall parking. The rectory windows are all original dating back as far as the construction of the original house in 1909. We anticipate replacing them with tighter, more energy efficient ones.

Our Lady of Grace can’t be treated as a poor sister. Plans are for painting the interior, improving lighting, new carpet, and an improved audio system. Over the next three years we plan to carry out these and several other projects.

To fund them we are beginning a three-year Capital Campaign to raise $750,000. It is a hefty goal but one the Finance Committee and I feel it is attainable. In 2022, our previous Capital campaign raised $1.2 million dollars. With the support of all parishioners, we feel confident.

All of us regardless of financial situation can give the gift of prayer for the Capital Campaign’s success. To help facilitate prayer, later this week, the parish is conducting the Forty Hours Devotion. 40 Hours is a traditional round the clock Catholic prayer devotion. It symbolically recalls the forty hours Jesus lay in the tomb between his death on the cross and the resurrection.

If you receive Flocknotes from the parish. You got an email on Friday inviting you to sign up to spend an hour in prayer on Thursday, Friday, or Saturday, here in Church before the Blessed Sacrament. We are planning several additional prayer services during those days. It is very easy to sign up. I was even able to do it. Pray for all Holy Redeemer Parishioners to have generous hearts.

Has Holy Redeemer Parish changed your heart and soul? Have you grown in your faith over the last few years? Do you want to help those who feel stuck at the bottom of a well of hopelessness to become alive with the fire of Christ? Please join your fellow parishioners in helping our parish grow with your prayerful support for the 2025 Capital Campaign.

From the Pastor August 23/24

Wed, 20 Aug 2025 19:48:10 GMT

From the Pastor August 23/24

The Most Popular Person in America

A recent Gallup poll discovered that among Americans, Pope Leo is by far the most popular of fourteen global figures. After a little more than 100 days as pope he has a +46 rating. The poll found 57% of American’s approved of Leo and only 11% expressed an unfavorable opinion.

Over the short time he has been pope, Leo has appeared to be a reserved person who is humble, with great internal peace and serenity. While he doesn’t go around hugging people and taking selfies with the crowds like Francis, he has displayed a spontaneous side.

One of his advantages leading to his popularity is that he speaks fluent English, the first native English-speaking pope since Adrian IV, who was pope from 1154-59, and Spanish, the two most common Catholic languages. He also speaks Italian fluently which together with his humility and the fact he smiles has endeared him to the people of Rome. People say Leo looks like he is enjoying being pope. He appears to be a hard worker, too. Something else that endears him to observers.

Leo comes across as a listener and not someone given to quick, spontaneous, decisions. Observers say his style is deliberate. He likes to slow things down so he can listen before he makes them. When he makes decisions, they are deliberate and convey strong spiritual leadership.

Leo has a well-developed internal spirit to make his own decisions and develop his own style of leadership. As a case in point, he has decided to re-establish the Papal Apartments as his home. Francis had lived in a room of the Santa Marta Hotel at the Vatican. He has re-established the tradition of using the Lake Albano papal retreat at Castel Gandolfo for a few weeks of summer vacation. Pope Francis didn’t travel outside of Rome on vacations preferring “staycations” in the Vatican where he only lightened his work schedule. Leo has also renewed wearing some of the uniquely papal regalia.

While Leo has been working to establish his own style and personality as pope, he has stated he will continue to pursue many of the issues Pope Francis addressed. His first desire is to address unity in the Church and the world. In late November, Pope Leo is expected to travel to modern day Turkey to celebrate the 1700th Anniversary of the first Ecumenical Council of the Church at Ephesus. There he will meet with other Christian leaders.

Leo has said he wants to further implement collegiality and synodality in the Church. He sees himself as a bridge builder for the world. He pledges to continue much of Pope Francis’ work to safeguard the environment, work to protect minors and the vulnerable from abuse in the Church, and advocate for migrants.

By the choice of the name, Leo, he has signaled that like the last pope named Leo, he wants to advocate for workers and human dignity. Many expect his first encyclical will focus on Artificial Intelligence and its threat to the dignity of work and human beings. Pope Leo is a hit and much appreciated by people, both Catholics and non-Catholics around the world.

CECH Walk Results

Thank you to everyone who supported Fr. Sullivan’s CECH Walk this summer. On August 6, he and four other parishioners walked from the church, along Main Street to Sam Ryder Road and back by the bike path. As of Monday, he raised $5,014. The Chatham Ecumenical Council for the Homeless (CECH) is a local group working to help keep our neighbors facing the threat of homelessness because of financial challenges.

On another housing matter the Chatham Zoning Board of Appeals held a hearing on various zoning wavers for the development of affordable housing on the land across Meetinghouse Road from Our Lady of Grace Chapel. The land was sold to the Town of Chatham by Holy Redeemer Parish with the stipulation it would be used for affordable housing. The sale price was well below what could have been its market value. Holy Redeemer made a sacrifice for all our neighbors.

Unfortunately, the issue was tabled without explanation from the board until the next meeting on Thursday, September 4. 2025, at 2 pm. Thank you to several parishioners who accompanied Fr. Sullivan to the meeting. Hopefully, even more will come to the September meeting and the issue will be addressed and variances voted on then.

Unless the Lord Builds 2025 Capital Campaign

The Lord is building the house we call Holy Redeemer Church. Sunday Fr. Sullivan mentioned in his homily the wonderful positive feedback he so often receives regarding the renovations to Holy Redeemer Church. He told us what even more gratifying is when people complement the spiritual life of the parish. The Lord is certainly sending the Holy Spirit among us, helping us grow in faith. We want to continue fostering that growth.

We want to continue renovating both our physical and spiritual church. To do that we are beginning the 2025 Capital Campaign to raise $750,000 over the next three years for several projects. Our first priority is to replace the cedar shingles on the main church with composite vinyl siding to match the exterior of the new addition. Our parking lot will get a new entrance from Old Harbor Road, resurfacing, and relined into conventional stall parking spaces. Several projects at Our Lady of Grace Chapal and the rectory are also planned.

This week registered parishioners received a letter from Fr. Sullivan, a project brochure, and pledge card asking for your gift to the Capital Campaign. In 2022 Holy Redeemer parishioners gave gifts totaling $1.26 million for the parish renovations. More than half of that amount was from gifts of $2,500 or less. More than 90% of them were made as one-time payments. What would a truly sacrificial gift to the Capital Campaign look like for you? If you gave one of those gifts, could you double or triple it if you spread it over three years? Please prayerfully reflect on your gift to the Capital Campaign and make it as generous as possible.

18th Sunday of Ordinary Time Homily

Wed, 13 Aug 2025 19:07:46 GMT

18th Sunday of Ordinary Time- Deacon Art LaChance

In the fall of 1998, I was on retreat during my discernment for the Diaconate — when a group of the already ordained deacons began talking about Don Sutton — he had just been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. The name didn’t strike me as someone who had been repeatedly mentioned by sports announcers. So I got curious — who was this guy and what landed him this high honor.

For an extraordinary pitcher he performed few extraordinary feats. He never pitched a no-hitter. Though a veteran of twenty-one seasons, in only one did he win more than twenty games. Yet on June 21, 1986, Don Sutton rubbed pitching elbows with the true legends of baseball by becoming the thirtieth pitcher to win 300 games.

His analysis of his success is worth noting.

“A grinder and a mechanic,” is what he called himself.

He said, “I never considered myself flamboyant or exceptional. But, all my life I’ve found a way to get the job done.”

And get it done he did.

Through two decades — and four trades — he consistently did what pitchers are supposed to do — win games. With tunnel-vision — he spent twenty-one seasons redefining greatness. He’s been called the ‘family sedan’ of baseball’s men of the mound. The connotation is accurate.

He certainly never boasted the Ferrari speed of a Roger Clemens — nor the Mercedes sparkle of a Sandy Koufax — but after they and their types were parked in museums or garages — Don Sutton was still there.

He reminds us of a quality that is a common denominator in any form of greatness — reliability. It’s the bread and butter characteristic of achievement. It’s the shared ingredient behind retirement watches, Hall of Fame awards, and golden anniversaries. It is the quality that produces — not momentary heroics — but monumental lives.

The Bible has it’s share of family sedans.

Consistent and predictable — these saints were spurred by a gut-level conviction that they had been called by no one less than God himself. As a result, their work wasn’t affected by moods, cloudy days, or rocky terrain. Their performance didn’t rise and fall with roller-coaster irregularity. They weren’t addicted to accolades or applause — nor deterred by grumpy bosses or empty wallets. Rather than strive to be spectacular — they aspired to be accountable and dependable. And since their loyalty was not determined by their comfort — they were just as faithful in dark prisons as they were in spotlighted pulpits.

Reliable servants. Liable means responsible. Re means over and over again.

The faith of Moses and the Israelites caused them to pull up stakes in the middle of the night and leave Egypt - and everything they knew behind.

In the Letter to the Hebrews, the writer shows the landscape of reliability through the lens of Abraham’s trust in and hope for outcomes against perilous odds. By faith Abraham is said to have sojourned in foreign lands, generated life in his old age and then submitted to strange commands about giving up his only heir.

To be like them — our faith must be renewed and deepened daily.

The final line of our gospel is directly applicable to our daily paschal mystery living: “Much will be required of the person trusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person and trusted with more.”

We've been trusted with much: furthering Jesus’ mission of bringing the good news of salvation to all his disciples. But we've been trusted with even more: we are not simply servants — because of our baptism and being plunged into the passion, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ we become members of the body of Christ.

We are to be the presence of the master himself, continuing his gracious mystery on behalf of others. Our faithfulness is measured by more than just doing God's will; it is measured by our being the presence of the risen Christ for all those we meet.

Faithfulness is consecration in overalls.

It is the steady acceptance and performance of the common duty and immediate task without any reference to personal preferences — because it is there to be done and so is a manifestation of the will of God.

Faithfulness means continuing quietly with the job we have been given — in the situation where we have been placed — not yielding to the restless desire for change. It means tending the lamp quietly for God without wondering how much longer it has got to go on. Steady, unsensational driving — taking good care of the car. A lot of the road to heaven — like a lot of the roads through Chatham — have to be taken at 30-mile-per-hour.

If our life is really part of the apparatus of the Spirit, that is the sort of life it must be. We have got to be the sort of cat who can be left alone with the canary — the sort of dog who follows, hungry and thirsty — but with tail up — to the very end of the day. We have got to be the sort of friend who refuses no test and no trouble — loyal, persevering — not at the mercy of emotional ups and downs — or getting tired when things are tiresome.

In the interior life of prayer — faithfulness points steadily to God and His purposes — away from self and its preoccupations.

In our daily living of dying to ourselves for the sake of others — we become more perfectly that presence of the very master for whom we are vigilant. In a sense, our vigilance is less about looking for someone and more about being someone.

Our vigilance is for our own faithfulness.

If we are preoccupied by possessions, schedules, work, sports, entertainment, etc., our hearts are already filled with exhaustible, insecure, and corrupt matters.

The challenge of the gospel is to redirect our hearts to what is our true treasure, Jesus, and then be faithful disciples.

Though I have only been a part of this Parish family for two years — from where I’m standing — I recognize several contemporary saints of reliability. And I know from experience — that there are many others I have not yet gained experience of.

And, so… I can’t resist the chance to say two things:

First — Thank you!

Thank you senior saints for a generation of prayer and forest clearing. Thank you parents and teachers for the countless lessons delivered with tenderness. Thank you advocates for life — for your bravery to stand up for the rights of the unborn, the elderly, and the infirmed. Thank you members of St. Vincent dePaul, Knights of Columbus, and other charitable organizations for helping those who have trouble making ends meet.

Thank you Father Sullivan — for your preaching of the Word. You may think we aren’t listening — but we are. And your stubborn sowing of God’s seed is bearing fruit you may never see this side of the great harvest.

Thank you — all of you who practice on Monday what you hear on Sunday.

Thank you for being family sedans of faith. You can be called on cold mornings and you’ll deliver the goods. You can be sent over rough terrain and you’ll make it on time. You can go miles without the pampering of a good polish or the luxury of a tune-up — and you never complain.

Thank you! From the bottom of my heart….

I did say 2 things. What’s the second?

Your fidelity is not pointless. Your hope will not be frustrated. Keep pitching. Your hall of fame award is just around the corner.

From the Pastor August 16/17

Wed, 13 Aug 2025 19:05:00 GMT

From the Pastor August 16/17

Let’s Complete the Job

Here we are a year after we completed our renovations to Holy Redeemer and complements keep rolling in. Newcomers and people who didn’t visit us last year remark about the transformation of our church. To me it seems astounding but I have not received one negative comment about the renovations.

Well, there was one from an old geezer the first Sunday we reopened the church. He grabbed the aluminum handrail. It was cool, so he said, “They should have put heaters in these.” Just when you thought you had thought of everything! I knew he was joking. Other than that, not a discouraging word.

While I’m proud of the physical renovations at Holy Redeemer I’m most grateful for the spiritual growth. I get complements about the spirit alive here at Holy Redeemer. I feel our parish is exemplary because that is what people tell me. Visitors tell me they look forward to coming to Mass when they vacation in Chatham. That is so nice to hear. When we’re here all the time we can begin to take things for granted.

I’m also very happy about the growth of Small Faith Sharing Groups. Almost one hundred parishioners are members and I recognize how it has deepened so many participants faith. You can see the transformation happening. I hope more parishioners will take the risk and join a small group. Several groups have openings and we plan to organize more of them. Call the parish office (508) 945-0677 or send an email to parish@holyredeemerchatham.org and we’ll get you started.

While we have accomplished great things there is more to do. All renovation projects, once they begin, develop other things needing attention. There are things you wanted done but costs prevented you from carrying them out. That is our experience.

There are projects we want to accomplish before we can sit back. Replacing the siding and trim on the older part of Holy Redeemer Church with the composite siding we used on the addition is the most important. We weren’t able to redo the parking lot as we hoped and there are other maintenance project needed at the Rectory and Our Lady of Grace.

This month Holy Redeemer Parish is beginning a Capital Campaign to raise $750,000 over the next three years to help pay for these improvements. A mailing is being sent to all registered parishioners this week. It includes a brochure explaining the campaign and a pledge card. Please read over the materials and challenge your generosity. If you are considering a four-digit gift, pray about possibly making it a five-digit gift. If you are thinking of a five-digit gift, pray about making it six figures.

I have many dreams and visions yet to be accomplished for Holy Redeemer Parish. I hope you do too. Those imaginings are only limited by our willingness to generously share the time, talents, and treasure bestowed on us by God. Prayerfully consider how God calls you to share what you have to help God’s Kingdom come to reality here at Holy Redeemer.

40 Hours for Our Capital Campaign

Prayer is the basis for the success of everything we do. Unless it is part of our effort we labor in vain. To pray for our 2025 Capital Campaign, we will conduct the 40 Hours Devotion on August 21, 22, and 23. 40 Hours is a traditional Eucharistic Devotion. It is a continuous time of prayer coinciding with the time Jesus spent in the tomb from Good Friday to the morning of Easter Sunday. While usually associated with Holy Week it can be held at any season.

Our 40 Hours will be a little irregular because we have to accommodate daily Mass, a funeral, and wedding rehearsal but it will be pretty close. It will begin on Thursday afternoon August 21 at 3 p.m. with Benediction and the recitation of Evening Prayer. On Friday, at 6 p.m. Music Director Teresa Lim will lead a contemplative Taizé Prayer Service. The devotion will close on Saturday, August 23 at 12 noon with the recitation of the Rosary and Divine Mercy Devotion led by Deacon Art.

Please sign up for an hour or two of Eucharist Devotion sometime during the 40 hours. A sign-up sheet is available at the kiosks by the doors of the church. We have also sent out a sign-up Flock Note to registered parishioners. Please read it over and commit to your time in adoration. Let’s bombard heaven with our prayers for the success of our capital campaign.

St. Ignatius of Loyola’s

Prayer for Generosity

Lord Jesus, teach me to be generous.
Teach me to serve you as you deserve,
To give and not to count the cost,
To fight and not to heed the wounds,
To toil and not to seek for rest,
To labor and not to ask for reward,
Save that of knowing that I do your will.

Amen.

Our summer chapel, Our Lady of Grace, on Meetinghouse Road in S. Chatham, is open for the summer. The Mass Schedule is Saturday Vigil at 4:30 p.m. and Sunday morning at 7:30 & 9:30 a.m. The chapel will be open every weekend until the Labor Day weekend August 30-31.

Fr. Sullivan’s Walk for the Homeless

Fr. Sullivan would like to thank those who supported him in his annual walk-a-thon for Chatham Ecumenical Council for the Homeless on Wednesday. CECH is a local group that raises funds to provide emergency assistance to Chatham residents struggling with homelessness, mortgage payments, and rental support. He was joined by several parishioners on his five-mile walk from the church, down Main Street to the corner of Sam Ryder Road and then back on the bike path. Fr. Sullivan is celebrating Masses at Holy Redeemer this weekend, so if you pledged your support and you will be attending there this weekend, he will happily accept you payment. If you want to settle up you can send your contribution to him at the Rectory.

From the Pastor August 9/10

Sat, 09 Aug 2025 11:49:32 GMT

From the Pastor August 9/10

Step up for Affordable Housing

Affordable housing is one of the most serious problems facing every community in our country. Here in Chatham steps have been taken to set aside funds and select parcels of land but construction of housing is still only in the planning stage. In 2023 the parish sold the town a parcel of land across the road from Our Lady of Grace Chapal in S. Chatham for the set purpose of construction of affordable housing. Now is the time for parishioners to step up in support of building housing on the parcel.

On Thursday, August 14, the Zoning Board of Appeals will hold a hearing on the proposed developer’s application to wavier certain zoning restrictions. They propose building eight structures containing 42 dwelling units on 3.57 of the over 5 acres of land. Such a project will make an impact on providing housing for families working here in Chatham. Our town needs families. The median age of permanent residents is around 78 years. Sustaining an enrollment large enough to justify keeping our elementary school open is a problem. We need families to keep our town vibrant year-round.

Approving the zoning exemptions seems like a no brainer but you can bet the NIMBYers, (Not In My Back Yarders) will show up at the hearing to try to shoot the proposal down. They will cite every conceivable issue, building density, historic preservation, increased traffic, and the all-encompassing, ruin the character of our town.” Some of these issues might lead to slightly adjusting the plan but they can’t be used to completely stop the project. If roads, sidewalks, and other infrastructure need improving to facilitate safety then the town needs to fund it.

NIMBYism is often the disguise used for everything from elitism to sadly racism. Change is always difficult but is an inevitable part of life. We can work to manage it to minimize any adverse impacts but can refuse to let it happen just so we protect the value of our material possessions or personal preferences.

As Catholics we believe in the basic goodness of people. No public policy that contradicts that premise can be good and no apparent good that relies on the negation of this principle can be considered good. Catholic social teaching is that access to stable, safe, and affordable housing is a natural right. Our Church’s teaching puts the human person at the center of things instead of things such as possessions and ideologies at the center of the human person.

I want to invite as many parishioners as possible to join me in attendance at the Zoning Hearing. The hearing is scheduled for Thursday, August 14, at 2:00 pm at the Town Hall Annex, 261 Goerge Ryder Road in the Large Meeting Room. I will only be able to stay for about an hour because I have to return to the parish to prepare to celebrate the 4 pm. Vigil Mass for the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. We need to balance the debate and resist the NIMBYers who will show up at the hearing determined to squelch the project or any other attempts to provide affordable housing in Chatham.

Holy Day of Obligation

Solemnity of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary

Mass Schedule

Friday, August 15

Thursday, August 14, Vigil 4 PM

Friday, August 15, 8 AM & 12:05 PM

All Masses will be celebrated at Holy Redeemer Church

Fr. Sullivan’s Walk for the Homeless

Fr. Sullivan would like to thank all those who supported him in his annual walk-a-thon for Chatham Ecumenical Council for the Homeless on Wednesday. CECH is a local group that raises funds to provide emergency assistance to Chatham residents struggling with homelessness, mortgage payments, and rental support. He was joined by several parishioners on his five-mile walk from the church, down Main Street to the corner of Sam Ryder Road and then back on the bike path. As of last Monday, parish sponsors have contributed $3,084 to the walk. Fr. Sullivan is celebrating Masses at Our Lady of Grace this weekend, so if you pledged your support and you will be attending there this weekend, he will happily accept you payment. He’ll be back at Holy Redeemer next weekend. If you want to settle up before then you can send your contribution to him at the Rectory.

Thank you for Supporting Unbound

Last weekend Rev. Bill Martin and Rev. Thomas Keyes visited the parish to speak on behalf of the work of Unbound, a lay Catholic lay sponsorship ministry that helps connect children and elderly in 17 developing countries with sponsors here in our country. Thank you to the thirty-five parishioners who signed up to be sponsors. If you didn’t have an opportunity to speak to either one of them and apply to be a sponsor you can still do it. To learn more about their organization call (800) 875-6564 or visit Unbound online at www.unbound.org .

17th Sunday of Ordinary Time Homily

Thu, 31 Jul 2025 22:26:39 GMT

17th Sunday of Ordinary Time- Fr. John Sullivan

It’s up to you to save the world! Let me repeat that, it’s up to you to save the world. Peter Kreeft recounts a Jewish legend that says there must be at least ten righteous people in the world at all times. That is righteous people not self-righteous people. God knows there is no danger the number of self-righteous people in the world dropping below the quota of ten. The legend contends if the number of righteous people slips to only nine then the world will face the punishment inflicted on Sodom. The point of the legend is since no one knows who the ten righteous people are, you might be one of them, and it’s up to you to remain that way and thus protect the world. If you aren’t a righteous person, you better become one because if one of the ten slips up then we are all in for it.

What are the characteristics of a righteous person and how does someone become one? Our faith tells us a righteous person is someone with a deep relationship with God. Like Jesus they put growing and nurturing their friendship with the Father at the center of their lives. It is the most important relationship for them. It surpasses any family bond with a spouse, parent, or child. Growing their connection with God outranks the importance of their career or any position of prominence in the community. God comes before material objects and wealth in the lives of the righteous.

The righteous ones are humble before God. They understand their purpose in life is to serve God. They recognize all they enjoy in life is a gift from God. All their time, talents, and treasure they realize are gifts from God and not theirs to possess. The righteous know all their giftedness has been only lent them by a gracious God and must be returned to God. The righteous live with the understanding God desires only the best for them. God desires them to use their gifts to help others develop and strengthen their own relationship with God.

A righteous one wants to carry out God’s will on earth by loving their neighbor. The righteous are extravagantly hospitable to others. They are willing to go to the extreme, to share whatever they have with those even more vulnerable than themselves, thus saving all their community. Righteous ones work to build up and not polarize their communities. They think the best and not the worst of their neighbors. They give freely to those in need and don’t expect repayment. They don’t live with a quid pro quo, transactional, or you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours attitude as they deal with others. The righteous don’t keep score with their generosity to the needy. They feel it is all right to be taken advantage of at times.

The righteous are even hospitable to sinners. Rather than shun sinners they offer a welcome to those who act with anything but virtue. They invite themselves into the company of those who stray from God’s will so they can listen to them, hear about the woundedness that might be causing the sinner’s waywardness, so they can help them possibly heal. Those who truly love God are willing to reprove the sinner not so they can feel superior but so the sinner can discover they can have a relationship with a merciful, compassionate, and loving God.

Wow, there is a lot to being a righteous person! No wonder they are in short supply and the world is in such a precarious condition and we have to be careful to keep their number sufficient for the protection of our existence.

How do we do that? How do we become a righteous one and how do we encourage others to become righteous? We follow the example of Jesus. As a faithful Jew Jesus would have prayed daily. He would have participated in the synagogue’s daily prayer service. The gospel tells us Jesus also often went off to a deserted place to pray. At the various important crossroads in his life and ministry he spent extended time in prayer with God so he could deepen his relationship with God and receive a better understanding of the Father’s plan for him.

In today’s Gospel Jesus is completing one of those periods of prayer. His disciples come to him and ask how they can deepen their prayer life and develop a relationship with God similar to the one Jesus enjoys with God and in the process become righteous.

Jesus teaches them the Our Father. Today we hear Luke’s shorter version not the more familiar one from Matthew’s Gospel. Jesus teaches his followers to direct their prayers to God. As Catholics we often ask for the intercession of the Virgin Mary and the saints. It is important to recall the Blessed Mother and the saints are our intermediaries who faithfully take our intentions to the Throne of God the Father.

Peasants of Jesus’ day couldn’t expect support from their landlords or a government safety net from the Roman Empire. They depended on their extended family and the community. It was their neighbors who would support then in need as today’s parable tells us. Jesus teaches that his disciples could depend on God as they depended on each other.

To become a righteous one Jesus instructed his disciples to pray for forgiveness and to offer it to those who offended them. We have to be aware of our sinfulness not in a scrupulous way where we fear God but so we can ask God’s forgiveness and rejoice in it.

When we become more aware of our sinfulness we also recognize how frequently we can be tempted to sin. God wants to deliver us from our temptations. God want to strengthen us so God sends us the gifts of the Holy Spirit to guide us away from sin and to strengthen our desire to live in righteousness and a close relationship with Father, Son, and Spirit.

Since prayer is essential for living in righteousness now is the time to assess your prayer life. Is it more than just showing up for Mass on the weekend? Do you only pray when you are desperate and maybe faced with an extreme emergency? Do you not ask God for much because you don’t expect much?

Setting aside daily time to communicate with God and strengthen our relationship with God is the only way to grow in righteousness. Daily prayer can start with as little as ten minutes a day. Then it grows as we becomes more comfortable. Reflect on your day and find a quiet time and a quiet place to start working on a relationship with God through prayer. Experiment with different types of prayer until you can settle on one that helps your relationship with God to grow. There are so many published and online sources you can tap into to grow your prayer life. I’m sure you can find some that are helpful.

I’d like to encourage you to consider joining one of our Small Faith Sharing Groups. They provide encouragement, support, and accountability to help your relationship with God to grow. Be patient and persistent. Prayer takes time but it will happen. Have the courage to struggle to live in righteousness because the world is depending on your righteousness to save it.

From the Pastor August 2/3

Thu, 31 Jul 2025 22:22:07 GMT

From the Pastor August 2/3

The Biggest Event of the Jubilee 2025 Year

In keeping with the centuries-old tradition, 2025 is a Jubilee Holy Year. Pope Francis instituted Pilgrims of Hope as its theme when it began at the beginning of last Advent. A Holy Year is special year of mercy and forgiveness. Its primary focus is a pilgrimage to Rome where the faithful can receive special indulgences for entering through the Holy Year doors to St. Peter’s Basilica or one of the other three Major Basilicas of the city. The indulgence is obtained by the pilgrims who follow up the walk through the doors with a celebration of the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist.

This week the largest event of the Holy Year, a gathering of 500,000 Catholic youth will be held outside of the Eternal City at Tor Vergata field. This was the same site as the World Youth Day held in 2000. It will be Pope Leo XIV first large scale gathering of the faithful outside the Vatican since his election in the spring. Most participants were expected to come from Europe but youth from around the world were expected to be in attendance.

The gathering is supposed to be a logistical challenge. Temperatures were expected to be in the 90s so great pains were being taken to try to keep the youthful crowd cool and hydrated. Security is also a challenge. To assist Italian forces additional security from Spain, France, and Poland were expected to supplement local personnel.

The youth event comes at the mid-point of the Holy Year. Roman authorities estimate that 17 million of the 32 million Holy Year pilgrims have already passed through the city. If you plan to go to Rome for the Holy Year, be cautious if you want your souvenirs to be officially sanctioned by the Vatican. A report by Zenit a Catholic news service Rome police have been busy cracking down counterfeit religious merchandise. Since the beginning of the year, they have scooped up more than 24 million fake items. Half of those items were phony religious items.

Zenit reported that many religious goods vendors along the Via della Conciliazion, the broad avenue leading from the Tiber to St. Peter’s Square are frustrated because the Vatican has not yet granted permission to reproduce Pope Leo XIV’s likeness on merchandise. This is a much longer delay than was experienced at the beginning of other recent pontificates.

If you are on your way to Rome as a Jubilee Year pilgrim please go with my prayers. You might need them to sort out the genuine from knock off items and to deal with the crush of the crowds. Please say a prayer for me and all faithful parishioners of Holy Redeemer.

Fr. Sullivan’s Walk for the Homeless

Each year Fr. Sullivan conducts his own personal walk-a-thon for Chatham Ecumenical Council for the Homeless. CECH is a local group that raises funds to provide emergency assistance to Chatham residents struggling with homelessness, mortgage payments, and rental support. Over the last eight years he has collected $12,138, by his calculations. His plan is to walk five miles from the church, down Main Street to the corner of Sam Ryder Road and then back on the bike path on Wednesday, August 6. He wouldn’t mind company on the walk. If you would like to join him, sponsor sheets are available on the kiosks by the church doors.

Unbound Visitors Today

Today, Rev. Bill Martin and Rev. Thomas Keyes will be with us to celebrate Masses and tell us about the work of Unbound, a lay Catholic lay sponsorship ministry that helps connect children and elderly in 17 developing countries with sponsors here in our country. To learn more about their organization call (800) 875-6564 or visit Unbound online at www.unbound.org .

16th Sunday of Ordinary Time Homily

Thu, 24 Jul 2025 20:16:55 GMT

16th Sunday of Ordinary Time- Fr. John Sullivan

I love being a Catholic! One thing that attracts me to our Catholic faith is we are “both and,” not “either or” people. That means, unlike some other Christian denominations, as Catholics we integrate two possibly conflicting concepts rather than choose one over the other.

The most prominent of those circumstances is the relationship between Scripture and Tradition. Unlike some Protestants, who believe, unless a church teaching has its source in the Bible, it can’t be considered revelation. Catholics believe some sacred truths come to us through Tradition with a capital “T.” While not specifically mentioned in the Bible these beliefs are still essential to our faith.

The most prominent of these is our Catholic belief in the perpetual virginity of the Blessed Mother. No place in the Bible is that tenet of our faith explicitly mentioned, but it is a truth passed down to us from the writings of the early Christians and is integral to our Catholic faith.

The tension between grace and nature is another. All Christians believe our salvation comes as a free gift from a merciful God, but Catholics believe human being also have a basic dignity and a natural capacity for good.

One of the most basic of these opposing concepts is the basis of our gospel message today. It is the struggle between faith and works. Catholics believe salvation is received as a gift of faith from God, but good works, an outcome of one’s faith in a loving response to God’s charity, are also needed for salvation.

Hopefully, we recall last week’s story of the Good Samaritan. A scribe approached Jesus and asked him one of the questions that were basic to evaluating a competent Rabbi. Luke wrote:

There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test him and said,

“Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

Jesus said to him, “What is written in the law? How do you read it?”

He said in reply,

“You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart,

with all your being,

with all your strength,

and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”

He replied to him, “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.”

The scribe went on to ask, “And who is my neighbor?”

Jesus then relates the famous parable of the Good Samaritan. The parable tells of a Jewish man set upon by robbers who left him near death. Two faithful Jews, a priest and a Levite passed by this suffering man because they were on their way to preform their religious duties in the Temple. Touching a dead body would make them unclean and ineligible to serve God. A Samaritan came by and despite the conflict between Jews and Samaritan took pity upon him and aided him back to health.

A paraphrase of 1 John 4:20 says, “You cannot love the God you cannot see unless you love the neighbor you can see.” That would seem to suggest Jesus places an emphasis on good works, love of neighbor over the need to worship God.

Luke balances that suggestion with today’s story of the conflict between the sisters Martha and Mary. In today’s gospel Jesus is not being a referee to settle a domestic squabble. No, the point of today’s story is, like last week, the balance between faith and works. Is it “either/or” or “both/and.” Jesus is being called upon to decide which of the roles of a disciple is most important, listening or service? This was a very important question for the early Church and for us. How do we balance prayer and good works, worship or action?

Jesus comes down on the side of being attentive to the individual before trying to help them. The first act of hospitality needs to be taking the opportunity to listen to others. So much charity can be unintentionally misspent because the real needs of the one we want to assist are ignored. A failure to communicate leads to the giver offering assistance that is useless or even distained because it satisfies the wants of the giver and not the receiver. Listening for the real needs of another will help decide what is the appropriate service we can offer.

Jesus tells Martha that if she wants to really be of service to Him, she needs to, like Mary, come sit at his feet and listen to him instruct her. If we want to serve Jesus we need to have a close relationship with Him. Listening leads to appropriate giving. Giving that really serves the receiver and not the donor.

Abraham was able to respond so hospitably and generously because through his relationship with God, he recognized the desert traveler was the God he worshiped. Abraham ordered for the travelers to receive a comforting welcome and a feast of bread, meat, milk, and curds fit for a religious festival. Abraham’s worthwhile service was rewarded with the news of the birth of Issac, the son for which he longed.

To be a faithful disciple we need to listen to Jesus. We need a relationship with our Savior for our service to really be useful to him. A worthy relationship with Jesus only comes through our prayer life. Do you pray every day? Our prayer life develops and bears fruit in as little as ten minutes of quiet time with Jesus at a quiet time of day in a quiet place. You know when that is for you.

Read a few verses of the Bible. There are so many excellent resources to help you. Pick up a copy of Magnificat, The Word Among Us, or another spiritual magazine to guide you. There are great online resources like Hallow or the Word on Fire that can be downloaded to your phone if that is what you prefer. If we get to know Jesus, we will learn how we are called to serve Jesus and we will do it generously.

I’ve noticed that it is occurring among the people who participate in our small faith sharing groups. Many were active and generous with the gifts of time, talent, and treasure before we formed small groups and are even more so now. Consider joining a small group. There are openings in existing groups and the opportunity to begin new ones.

Being close to the Eucharist also strengthens our relationship with Jesus. The Eucharist is the sum and summit of our Catholic faith. We believe every time we celebrate the Mass; Jesus makes himself present Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity to feed us and strengthen our relationship. If we are here at Mass every weekend and really make ourselves present in both body and spirit we will grow in our relationship with God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We will want to be of service sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ. We will get really excited about our relationship with God and want to help support others to develop their relationship with God. Like Paul, we will desire it so much we will be willing to suffer for it and say, “Isn’t it great to be Catholic!

From the Pastor July 26/27

Thu, 24 Jul 2025 20:09:28 GMT

From the Pastor July 26/27

Time for Vacation

Summer is the time for rest and recharging our bodies with some vacation time. Vacation takes our mind off our jobs and regular responsibilities and give us an opportunity for a change of routine. Time off can give us the opportunity to visit new places and experience new things. Vacation is very important for our good health and wellbeing.

I’m happy to learn Pope Leo spent the first two full weeks of July on vacation at the traditional papal vacation spot at Castel Gandolfo on a lake outside Rome. He will return to Castel Gandolfo for the Assumption of Mary long weekend in mid-August. Pope Leo started his vacation at Castel Gandolfo that served as the regular papal vacation spot since 1626 until Pope Francis shunned vacations during his pontificate.

Castel Gandolfo is a small village on Lake Albano. Coincidentally, its parish church is dedicated to St. Thomas of Villanova, a famous preacher and bishop who was, like Pope Leo, a member of his Augustinian Order. The papal estate at Castel Gandolfo is larger than the Vatican and encompasses 135 acres. That includes extensive gardens and 62 acres of farmland with fruit orchards, vegetable gardens, and a dairy.

Pope Leo will be staying in the Villa Barberini, traditionally the summer residence of the Vatican Secretary of State, instead of the former papal palace. The village of Castel Gandolfo has long been economically dependent on being the papal summer home. To help substitute for the loss of tourists because Pope Francis didn’t vacation there, he turned the papal palace into the Borgo Laudato Si ecology project which provides year-round economic activity for the village.

During his vacation Pope Leo cut back to only the minimum of liturgical ceremonies and public appearances. A priest friend said he planned to play tennis, a sport he is allegedly pretty good at, and play the piano. Leo didn’t totally slack off. He planned to start making the outline for his first encyclical. There is speculation it will be on peace, unity, or artificial intelligence.

When he gets back to the Vatican Leo will have a busy schedule. There will continue to be various events connected to the Holy Year, adjustments to personnel in the Curia, and a trip to Turkey to celebrate the Nicaean Council Anniversary with Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople and other Christian leaders.

Pope Leo’s time in Castel Gandolfo doesn’t seem like much of a vacation. His plan for his time doesn’t seem very restful. Americans aren’t very good at taking vacations. That is a waste of money and is detrimental to our health. Studies show that more than half of us who get paid vacation time leave some of it on the table. Many people seem to fear that if they take time off their bosses will begin to feel they are expendable. Our American culture seems emphasis material things and productivity over relaxation.

Vacation is a pro-your-life issue. People who give themselves permission to take a vacation are of course happier, more successful, and more valued on their job. I hope you will take all the vacation time your are allowed and enjoy your family and friends during your time off.

Being a priest on Cape Cod it’s hard for me to take time off during the summer considering the heavy Mass schedule but come September I have a vacation planned. I’ll be spending a week touring Scotland with some seminary classmates. I can taste it already!

Our Lady of Grace Chapel Open

Fr. Sullivan’s Walk for the Homeless

Unbound Visitors Next Weekend

Next weekend, Rev. Bill Martin and Rev. Thomas Keyes will be with us to celebrate Masses and tell us about the work of Unbound, a lay Catholic lay sponsorship ministry that helps connect children and elderly in 17 developing countries with sponsors here in our country. To learn more about their organization call (800) 875-6564 or visit Unbound online at www.unbound.org .

Support an Evangelizer

Every Christian is called to share the gospel with the world. Some do it as Missionaries and some of us financially support Missionary Religious Congregations or other Catholic mission groups. One of our parishioners, Jack Larussa, a recent graduate of UMass Amherst will be part of a missionary group FOCUS, the Fellowship of Catholic University Students working to share the Good News with college students this academic year. Here is Jack’s assignment.

“This year, I’m serving as a Catholic missionary at New York University, right in the heart of Manhattan. With a team of fellow missionaries and chaplains, we’ll walk alongside college students—many of whom have never heard the Gospel or have walked away from the Church.

If your son, daughter, or grandchild has drifted from the faith, you know the ache. We’re going to meet them on their turf, speak their language, and invite them back to Christ. Will you join me in this mission? Through prayer or financial support, you can help bring Jesus back to campus.

This is my fundraising link, https://focus.org/missionaries/jack-larussa which includes a summarized version of my story, a picture of my team and me, and information about giving!”

Jack will be at the back of Holy Redeemer Church after Masses to answer questions about his ministry and sign-up sponsors if you would like to help in that way.

From the Pastor July 19/20

Sat, 19 Jul 2025 12:33:57 GMT

From the Pastor July 19/20

The Patriotic Month

It’s the Red, White, and Blue month when buildings and fences sport bunting, flags flap in the wind from every pole, and parades and fireworks celebrate our country. July is our country’s patriotic month. It is when we celebrate its many virtues and accomplishments. Everyone should love their country and celebrate their loyalty to it. July’s the time to be proud to be an American, a citizen of a great country.

The United States of America is an exceptional country in many ways. We enjoy great freedoms, prosperity, and our workers are amazingly productive and innovative. We also have some exceptionally negative characteristics like a high rate of gun violence, a disproportionate number of incarcerated lawbreakers, and income disparity that sets us off from the rest of the world.

In many segments of America, there is the belief that our country has been set aside for a special mission and exceptionalism has become a civil religion. In some circles, questioning our country’s superiority is a heresy. It has become delusional arrogance. The incessant chanting of “USA! USA!” at some competitive events, I believe can at times be over the top.

American exceptionalism is a two-edged sword. It can bring out the best and worst in people. It can spur us to strive to expect we can do great things. It is also misused to encourage an aggressive ideology that tries to bully other countries and promotes our country’s domination of the world scene.

Recently, an essay by Thomas J. Massaro entitled “A Catholic challenge to American exceptionalism” appeared in the Jesuit journal, America . Massaro addressed the question of how faithful and loyal Catholics should address American exceptionalism to help unify and not divide the world.

A sense of exceptionalism in our country is traced back to a sermon delivered by Rev. John Winthrop, the Calvinist Protestant founder of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Winthrop preached his “City on a Hill” sermon even before setting foot in America. Winthrop told the Puritans, about to sail to America, they were a special people predestined to go to found a new Israel especially blessed by God.

Catholics have a different analysis. We believe in the equal dignity of every human being. No nationality, or race is more precious to God than others. Recent Papal Encyclicals such as Pope Francis’ Fratelli Tutte, “Brothers and Sisters All,” John XXIII’s, Pacem in Terris, “Peace on Earth,” Paul VI’s Populorum Progresso, “Progress of Peoples” all proclaim the need for all nations to work toward the common good of all people no matter what country they call home. Peoples of the world need to work together in mutuality and universality, not pitted against each other trying to exert domination over each other.

Catholic moral teaching can reshape American exceptionalism, Massaro says, by refocusing it into the desire to be of service to others and to enact a benevolent universalist ethic on the world. He said, “America’s aspirations to play a constructive role on the world stage must embody virtues of humility and self-restraint. It must not attempt to subjugate others.”

Humility and self-restraint are currently in desperate short supply in our country’s interaction with other nations. Our own schoolyard experiences tell us that a bully is only tolerated so far. Eventually, the oppressed join together to take back their rights.

I was a child, but I remember the vision of John F. Kennedy’s world view. It included a sense of humility and self-restraint. It was a world view where American exceptionalism was shared with the other poorer nations through initiatives like the Peace Corps, and other foreign assistance programs that tried to lift up poorer countries and not push them down. Together let's work for a world where God’s blessings are not viewed as a weapon but a gift to be shared to help make God’s Kingdom come.

Our Lady of Grace Chapel Open

Fr. Sullivan’s Walk for the Homeless

Each year Fr. Sullivan conducts his own personal walk-a-thon for Chatham Ecumenical Council for the Homeless. CECH is a local group that raises funds to provide emergency assistance to Chatham residents struggling with homelessness, mortgage payments, and rental support. Over the last eight years he has collected $12,138, by his calculations. His plan is to walk five miles from the church to the corner of Sam Ryder Road and then back on the bike path on Wednesday, August 6. He wouldn’t mind company on the walk. If you would like to join him, sponsor sheets are available on the kiosks by the church doors.

What A Day!

Tuesday was one of the most impactful days in Holy Redeemer Parish history. Over 160 parishioners resisted the lure of the beach, a day out fishing or golfing, to come together for a day of spiritual growth. We assembled to hear a beautiful organ recital by Kevin DiLorenzo, have our bishop, Bishop Edgar Da Cunha, bless our Allen Organ and Yamaha piano and give us a talk on the Holy Year Theme, Pilgrims of Hope. After lunch, the chance to have a small faith-sharing group experience was offered and those not already in a small group got the chance to join one. It was such a wonderful day.

Parish Council Election Results

Ron Weishaar, Jaqueline Pollock, and Evemarie McNeil were the top vote getters in our recent Parish Council election. They will become voting members of the Parish Pastoral Council at the September meeting. We really respect anyone who volunteers or allows themselves to be nominated for the council. Jean-Baptiste Nadal and Peter Gibson, the other two candidates will serve as associate members. They will be non-voting members of the council but freely share their wisdom and insight with the council. Welcome aboard to everyone.

Catholic Appeal Results

The Fall River Diocesan Catholic Appeal was conducted from May 1-June 30. As of Monday $50,993 was collected from Holy Redeemer Parishioners. Unfortunately, that is $260 less than last year. Hopefully, a few late minute donations will be tabulated and we can go over last year’s total.

14th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Wed, 09 Jul 2025 20:49:31 GMT

14th Sunday of Ordinary Time- Fr. John Sullivan

In 2007 it had been twenty-two years since the Boston Celtics won a National Basketball Association championship. The team, who for decades dominated the league, was experiencing a very long dry spell. Then in an effort to rejuvenate the team, management made two off-season blockbuster trades. They acquired stars, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett to join the existing core of Rajon Rondo, Paul Peirce, and Kendrick Perkins to form a dream team. Celtics World was ecstatic and filled with hope for another long championship run.

I remember a television advertisement for the club. It featured a young man in his mid-teens laying on his bed, watching his TV, and unwinding after school. The news of the trades comes on the television. The young man sits up straight, a look of disbelief comes on his face, his eyes grow big, as he crawls down his bed to get closer to the TV all the better to learn more about the unimaginable deals.

That season the rejuvenated Celtics staged the most dramatic turnaround in NBA history and won the 2008 championship. They went deep into the 2009 playoffs but lost the Divisional Championship series to the Orlando Magic in seven games. Unfortunately, egos and contract issues prevented them from becoming a legendary team.

Isaiah predicts a much better outcome for a yet to be rejuvenated Jerusalem. He promised the small community of Jerusalem inhabitants who have returned to the city from the Babylonian exile it will become a great city. Jerusalem will experience a glorious rebirth. Although it lies in ruins with only about five hundred inhabitants, Isaiah foresees restoration. He proclaims the rebirth of the city and envisions it being a generous mother whose residents flourish.

In today’s gospel Jesus sends forth seventy-two disciples grouped in pairs. Their purpose is to rejuvenate the world. The ancient world was believed to contain seventy-two nations. Symbolically, the disciples are sent to each of them to prepare for Jesus’ visit. They are intended to go be the harvesters of a great crop. They are to proclaim peace, cure the sick, and announce the coming of God’s Kingdom.

Paul too tells the Galatians they can rejuvenate the world. Paul encourages his listeners to take up the cross and bring about transformation for good in their community. He tells them Jesus’ passion and death on the cross recreated all things to make them new. If the Galatians begin to live their lives patterned after Jesus’ they can transform the world. Being faithful to Jesus will be challenging for the disciple. They will experience being wounded for Christ if they are faithful. As follower of Jesus, they will, like Paul, suffer persecution for Christ. If, however, they imitate Jesus, who lived a life of obedience to the will of God the Father, they will experience a rebirth in their lives.

When the seventy-two returned to Jesus they witnessed to how bringing Jesus’ message to the world rewarded them and rejuvenated their lives. With great excitement they told Jesus how they were able to have a great impact with their ministry. They exclaimed even demons were subject to them when they proclaimed his name. Jesus promised that while nothing would harm them if they preached in his name, he had a more important benefit for them. He told them their names were written in heaven. God took notice of who they were.

The Covid Pandemic and many other issues have impacted Holy Redeemer Parish just like every other institution in our world but we are building back. We are working to rejuvenate our parish and the Church. One of those ways has been establishing small faith sharing groups. Small groups are where our bigger church becomes smaller so we can minister to each other.

We began this initiative more than a year and a half ago. Today more than half a dozen groups with over seventy members exist. Here in small groups members support each other’s faith and grow in theirs’s. They bring healing and encouragement to each other and reach out to the wider community.

On July 15, the Small Groups ministry is sponsoring a visit from our Bishop Edgar Da Cunha to come and give a talk on the Holy Year theme of Pilgrims of Hope, bless our new organ and piano, and let parishioners who are not members of small groups get a taste of what they have to offer. We are excited that more than 130 parishioners have reserved a spot to participate in the day. There is still time to register if you haven’t already.

Another way we are rejuvenating Holy Redeemer is by hiring our Deacon Art LaChance as Business Manager/Pastoral Associate. We already have a half-time Business Manager position held by Howard Wheldon who retired at the end of June. Several weeks ago, I told you hiring Deacon Art as a Pastoral Associate was a dream of mine. Having someone to help me by taking on special projects would help our parish grow. Unfortunately, we couldn’t afford it under current financial circumstances. I asked parishioners to consider increasing their parish financial support. Rather than just increasing it by a set amount I want to encourage parishioners to consider making their gifts to the parish a percentage of their income. What would a gift of 1%, 2% or 5% look like for you? Being generous to your parish and other Church organizations is a true sign of commitment to your being a faithful disciple.

A couple who are seasonal parishioner took to heart my suggestion. They have come forward with the pledge to donate on a monthly basis the extra $3,200, a month needed to hire Deacon Art as our Pastoral Associate. That is great news but also frightening because we don’t want to depend on just one donor to pay the way. God forbid something happen to them that would cause their gift to stop. Every parishioner still needs to consider their level of support of the parish so we can continue to grow as a force for renewal in our community.

Later in the summer we will be starting a campaign to raise funds to replace the siding on the main part of the church and several other projects to complete our church renovation projects. We want Holy Redeemer to be a completely renewed church both physically and spiritually. The only thing that limits the great things we can do as a parish is the willingness of our parishioners to share of their time, talent, and treasure to make Holy Redeemer the sign, we are called to be of God’s love in our world.

A completely spiritually and physically renovated Holy Redeemer Parish will help renew our community, the whole Church, and the world. As the seventy-two disciples experienced, when we speak of Jesus’ name and imitate his actions great things can happen. The sick are healed, the demons of addiction, selfishness, and lack of empathy is driven out, oppression, distain for the poor, and neglect of the needy are overcome.

Renovating our world and making the Kingdom of God evident in our lives begins with simple things. Things as simple as a smile offered to a stranger, patience in traffic, speaking the truth to power, being physically and emotionally present to others, and easing the loneliness of another person.

We can rebuild the spiritual Jerusalem into something truly wonderful. We can go forth proclaiming the presence of Jesus Christ to others, we can take up the cross by imitating the love shared by Jesus and God the Father. This is all possible only through our receiving the grace of God in the Eucharist and sharing it with our world.

From the Pastor July 12/13

Wed, 09 Jul 2025 20:45:56 GMT

From the Pastor July 12/13

We’re Worth It

Are you wondering why there are all those cars in our parking lot during the week? Some parishioners have asked. They belong to Chatham Bars Inn employees and the parish has an agreement to let them park there during the week. A year or so ago the town restricted parking around CBI. One of the unforeseen consequences was that CBI employees came looking for a place to park. To sum things up CBI employees can park in the little parking lot and the two lanes on the far right of the lot on weekdays and Sunday afternoons. If we have a large funeral on a weekday or need the parking for an event like this week’s Small Group gathering then it is off limits. CBI is paying us a small stipend.

The parish is happy to try to accommodate the employees as part of the community. We try to assist the needs of the town in many ways, big and small. From time to time the fire department uses the Holy Redeemer parking lot to test their hose for leaks and Our Lady of Grace’s lot to give new recruits a wide-open place to practice driving the equipment. Our most generous contribution to the community was our sale of land in S. Chatham, across from Our Lady of Grace, for the building of affordable housing. The parish sold it for around $500,000, its assessed value. We would have made much more on the open market but felt the housing need in this community was a good cause. Let’s hope they get to building something soon.

Sometimes those opposed to the Church will criticize religious institutions’ tax-free status claiming they are a drain to the community. Zenit Catholic News Service on July 2, had a story, “Beyond the Pews: Minnesota Catholic Church Emerges as a $5.4 Billion Economic Powerhouse.” It was about a study of the contribution to the community made by the Catholic Church in Minnesota. The study was conducted by economists at the University of Colorado and the Institute for Policy Research at the Catholic University of America. About 26% of the Minnesota population identifies as Catholic. The Church operates 800 parishes, two seminaries, five colleges and universities, numerous elementary and secondary schools. They contribute to health care, charitable services, and religious events that aid tourism, the study found.

Of course, the Church’s purpose isn’t to contribute to the economy. It is to impact as a moral and spiritual guide. We shouldn’t reduce the value of everything, most of all the role of religious institutions down to their purely economic impact. It’s spiritual contributions have a value beyond all measure. That is, it’s only true purpose, but it is good to know the value the Church has in all its facets.

The Zenit article concluded by saying, “In the end, the report is less a defense of religion than a case study in what happens when faith is embodied not just in works, but in action---and payrolls, school budgets, and hospital ledgers.” Religion and religious institutions indeed do contribute a great deal to our society.

Holy Redeemer should be proud of our contribution to the value of life here in Chatham. Our contribution is second to none. If you have any ideas on how we can be even better share them with us so our parish can have an even greater impact for good.

Our Lady of Grace Chapel Open

Fr. Sullivan’s Walk for the Homeless

Each year Fr. Sullivan conducts his own personal walk-a-thon for Chatham Ecumenical Council for the Homeless. CECH is a local group that raises funds to provide emergency assistance to Chatham residents struggling with homelessness, mortgage payments, and rental support. Over the last eight years he has collected $12,138, by his calculations. His plan is to walk five miles from the church to the corner of Sam Ryder Road and then back on the bike path on Wednesday, August 6. He wouldn’t mind company on the walk. If you would like to join him, sponsor sheets are available on the kiosks by the church doors.

Thank You for Supporting Bethlehem Christian Families

Thank you for patronizing the sale of wood carvings and religious item by Bethlehem Christian Families last weekend. As the representatives witnessed by their remarks. Christian Palestinians suffer from terrible conditions in the Holy Land that make trying to support a family difficult. Your support for their families who are continuing a Christian presence in the land of Jesus’ birth is essential. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

From the Pastor July 5-6

Mon, 30 Jun 2025 20:31:16 GMT

From the Pastor July 5/6

Making Saints, the Ins and Outs

One of the most important departments at the Vatican is the Discastery for the Causes of the Saints. It is the department that handles the process for evaluating candidates for canonization. The work of the department is so important the cardinal who supervises it is often on the short list of candidates for the next pope. Over the last fifty years it has been very busy. More saints have been proclaimed by the Church in that period than any time since the early days of the Church. In the ancient church saints were proclaimed worthy of the title by the local church. It wasn’t until the 10th Century that the pope took over responsibility for recognizing saints and a uniform process evolved.

Pope John Paul II greatly increased the number of new saints. He wanted Catholics to have more modern models of holiness they could imitate. Subsequent popes have continued to follow Pope John Paul II’s initiative. Pope Francis in his effort to emphasize the peripheries of the Church canonized saints and groups of saints from many different areas of the Church. Vatican watchers are anxious to see what Pope Leo’s practice will be.

Parishioners who receive our parish newsletter will recall in recent months we have featured an article on the background of an American saint. This month we are beginning a series on Americans awaiting canonization. The process has several steps. It begins with the candidate being named Servant of God, next Venerable, Blessed and finally Saint.

Years ago, it was copywritten in 1990, I read a book by Kenneth L. Woodward, the now retired Religion Correspondent for Newsweek magazine. The title is, Making Saints, How the Catholic Church Determines Who Becomes a Saint, Who Doesn’t, and Why. It was interesting reading. There has been some changes in the process since the book was published, but it is still accurate.

Woodward explained the advantages some people, i.e., popes and founders of religious orders, have over more ordinary people, although the recent popes has been trying to encourage the causes of more common Catholics. Politics and other considerations often come into play during the process. American, Dorothy Day, Servant of God, the founder of the Catholic Worker Movement has faced a slow process because some have classified her economic views as socialistic. Blessed Pier Georgio Frassati, who is scheduled to be canonized along with Carlo Acutis on September 7, had his process delayed because he was thought to be too handsome. Frassati, who died of polio at age twenty-four in 1925 was not yet married. His cause was delayed because of false claims questioning the possibility he could have been sexually chaste.

Next year a formation center at St. Partick’s Seminary and University in Menlo Park, CA will begin offering a six-day Salvatore Cordileone certificate program to teach sainthood enthusiasts instruction on the inner workings of the Canonization process. The program is the idea of San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone and will be the first such program in the United States. It already has 50 students.

The Church’s canonization process can at times seem rather Byzantine, but it has its reasons. Those to be considered examples of faith need to have their lives scrutinized and reviewed. It also points out we can’t expect them to be as pure as new fallen snow. Sometimes even saints have blind spots, faults, and failures but still, through the grace of God end up in heaven. So show you appreciate the saints by venerating them, strive to be a saint yourself, and encourage other’s holiness too.

Our Lady of Grace Chapel Open

Happy Independence Day

Although the 4th was Friday, I guess this is technically the Independence Day weekend. We hope everyone is having a happy one. Independence Day gives us a good opportunity to recall and celebrate the best attributes of our country. We say we are a nation that emphasizes the qualities of self-determination, based on law and not powerbrokers, and a refuge for those who are deprived of freedom and economic opportunity in their homelands. Today, pray everyone in our country will recommit to these ideals.

Feast of Corpus Christi Homily

Mon, 30 Jun 2025 20:28:23 GMT

Feast of Corpus Christi Homily- Fr. John Sullivan

“If it is only a symbol to hell with it!” That was Flannery O’Connor’s pithy defense of the Catholic doctrine of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist when she found it being challenged by the insinuation that it was only a symbol. Today as we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, as throughout the history of the Church, we are being called upon to really examine our Catholic belief that Christ is present in the Eucharist.

The Church here in our country is in the third year of a Eucharistic Revival. This revival was initiated by the American Bishops because there is confusion among many American Catholics about the Church’s doctrine concerning the Real Presence of Jesus Christ, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity in the Eucharist. This is an important issue because for Catholics the Eucharist is the sum and summit of our faith.

As Catholics we believe that true to Jesus’ word stated at the Last Supper, whenever we celebrate the Mass, Jesus reenacts his sacrifice on the cross. At the time of the consecration, during the Eucharistic Prayer, a miraculous change occurs in the bread and wine. The substance or essence of the bread and wine is replaced by the body and blood of Christ. Although the “accidents,” that is the physical properties like taste, shape, texture, and other qualities remain the same, Jesus comes into the Eucharist as flesh and blood to feed us with grace.

That was the pretty universal belief about the Eucharist held by Christians for the first fifteen hundred years of the existence of the Church. Even after the Great Schism that divided the church between East and West, the doctrine of Transubstantiation still unites Orthodox and Catholic Christians.

The Protestant Reformation brought that unity to an end. Martin Luther preached what Lutherans call consubstantiation. They believe that rather than a total miraculous change. The Eucharistic elements remain bread and wine and only become a spiritual reception of His Body and Blood.

Some of the Protestant Reformers went even further and taught Communion is only a symbol of Jesus Christ. When they celebrate a communion service, they believe they are only reenacting Jesus action at the Last Supper.

Our Catholic Eucharistic Revival now underway developed out of concern arising out of research on Catholic Eucharistic beliefs conducted by the Pew Center for the Study of Religion in America. Several years ago, they released polls reporting only about a third of American Catholics espoused the authentic Catholic teaching regarding Christ’s Real Presence in the Eucharist. According to the Pew research many others held the belief that Christ Presence in the Eucharist is only symbolic.

Theses polls have been the cause of concern for many in the Church. It prompted the US Bishops to write a pastoral letter aimed at trying to eliminate any confusion about the Catholic belief in the real presence. They also initiated our current Eucharistic Revival that culminated in last summers Eucharistic Congress, the first in over eighty years that was held in Indianapolis.

Polls often elicit simple answers to complex questions, however. That might be the cause of much of what seems like a significant decline in Catholic belief in the Real Presence. Some commentators believe that to be the case with American Catholics’ Eucharistic beliefs. They point out that what might appear to be a crisis of faith is really a crisis of culture and a change in the understanding of what we mean by symbol. They proposes, for many American Catholics there is a deep reverence for symbol. For many in our culture the word symbol actually points toward mystery. Symbol in our culture has grown to mean something material which points toward something much deeper, which cannot be fully understood by the senses. For many Catholics that might be what they mean when they say the Eucharist is a symbol. They might be saying they believe Christ is really present in the bread and wine he has made a symbol.

The bishops take a similar tack. They say the Eucharist is a symbol in reverse. They state that Christ is really present and uses symbols of eating and drinking to illuminate what is being accomplished.

The Eucharistic Revival in our country seems to be working. Some recent polls report a greater number of Catholics responding to the Real Presence question in a way more in tune with Church teaching. As part of the development of small faith-sharing groups we used Eucharistic Revival materials. The response from parishioners was very positive.

If we really believe that Christ is present in the Eucharist then we need to become what we eat. If we truly believe Christ is present in the Eucharist, we must allow it to change us into the presence of Christ in our daily lives. That is what we hope to accomplish every time we receive the Eucharist. Our believe in Christ’s presence in the Eucharist needs to transform us. It need to produce a metanoia in us. Metanoia is a churchy word meaning a deep and penetrating change of heart. A change in heart that transforms us to be models of Jesus Christ. Prayer and faithfulness to the Eucharist and the other sacraments brings that about.

Peter Kreft tells the story of a young Catholic student who had a friend who was a Moslem. The Catholic invited his Moslem friend to Mass one Sunday. At the end of the Mass the Catholic was interested in getting his friends reaction to the celebration. The Moslem stated that he was confused. The Catholic man said, “Yes, our Catholic faith is rich with signs and symbols that must be confusing to an outsider. The Moslem said that wasn’t what confused him. What confused him was the fact that if we believe Christ is present in the Eucharist and we become what we eat why did Christians treat each other so poorly?

The Moslem was right our Eucharistic spirituality calls us to imitate Christ. It calls us to allow God to take us, bless us, break us, and give us to the world as food just like Jesus did with the bread in today’s gospel. Really believing in the real presence means that what we do outside the church during the week is just as important as what we do inside the church each time we celebrate the Eucharist.

In a few minutes we will come forward to receive the Eucharist once again. May we believe that Christ is really present with us. May that belief change us so wherever we walk, work, play, or study this week it will be a little less hungry because we have feed on and been transformed into the real presence of Christ.

A Pope Named Leo

Wed, 04 Jun 2025 23:30:17 GMT

A Pope Named Leo

A Pope Named Leo

When Cardinal Robert Prevost took the name Leo, it was attributed to his desire to honor Pope Leo XIII, who was pope in at the turn od the Twentieth Century. Pope Leo XIII is best known for the development of Catholic Social Teaching, a branch of moral theology that addresses social issues. In 1891, he wrote an encyclical Rerum Novarum (On the Condition of Workers) that addressed social issues that arose from the Industrial Revolution. It was written to counter Socialist, Communist, and unbridled Capitalist world views. Other encyclicals written by subsequent popes and the documents written during the 2nd Vatican Council helped to further develop Catholic Social teachings. Our newly elected pope, Leo XIV has expressed his desire to contribute to its further development by addressing the issues arising from the computer age. His first encyclical will no doubt address these concerns.

Catholic Social Teaching espouses the equal dignity of every human person since everyone is created in the image and likeness of God. It supports solidarity, the interconnectedness and shared responsibility we have for each other. Humans need to work together for the good of all and not just a privileged few.

Catholic Social Teaching envisions human beings as sharing rights and responsibilities for each other; there is an option for the poor and most vulnerable. The marginalized need to receive the most attention from their wealthier neighbors. Work has dignity and the worker has a right to be compensated for their endeavors. Everyone has a responsibility to protect and preserve our environment according to Catholic teaching. Catholic Social Teaching places a great deal of emphasis on strong families and communities. It encourages subsidiarity, which is the belief that those who promote public policy need to respect the decision-making ability of the lowest level of governance such as the family and basic communities. Catholic Social Teaching is one of the best kept secrets about Catholicism. I feel Pope Leo XIV will make it more prominent in the years to come.

Leo has been a popular name taken by popes over the centuries. Pope Leo I also known as Leo the Great is famous for talking Attila the Hun from sacking Rome in 452. His real greatness was his contribution to theology. He wrote the Tome of Leo in support of the doctrine that Jesus has two natures, one fully human and one fully divine. Another Leo, Leo III was the pope who crowned Charlemagne the first Holy Roman Emperor. That essentially placed civil authority as subservient to Church authority. Is would be the paradigm of Church-State relations for the next thousand years.

A couple of Leos were even more problematic. Leo IX was pontiff in 1054 when the Great East-West Schism divided the Christian world into the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches. Leo X was on the papal throne in 1517, when Martin Luther began the Protestant Reformation. By the way did you know that Martin Luther was an Augustinian Friar like Pope Benedict?

Pope Leo XIV’s background could help heal some of the breaks in Christianity. Leo has been invited by Bartholomew, Patriarch of Constantinople, the first among equals of the Eastern Patriarchs of the Orthodox Church, to join him in Turkey this summer to commemorate the 1700th Anniversary of the Council of Nicaea where the Nicaean Creed that formally defined what Christians believe was written. Such a meeting might help some movement towards reunification between the Catholic Church and at least some Orthodox churches. Pope Leo is also the first pope born in a predominantly Protestant country. That might help him understand the 16th Century issues that lead to the Reformation better. Pope Leo XIV should be interesting to watch.

Congratulations Teresa Lim

Teresa Lim, our Music Director, graduated from a Spiritual Direction Certificate Program at Francis House of Prayer, Allentown, N.J. on June 5. Best wishes on your accomplishment. Here is a prayer to say for Teresa and those who offer spiritual guidance.

Heavenly Father, we thank you for the gift of spiritual direction.

and for providing Teresa Lim to guide us

on our spiritual journey here at our Holy Redeemer.

We ask you to send down the power of the Holy Spirit upon her,

your wisdom and discernment to be with her as she leads her directees.

Bless her with strength and grace to help us grow closer to you.

Grant her peace and joy in her spiritual service,

and may her guidance be a source of comfort and inspiration for all of us.

We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen.

If you would like to learn more about Spiritual Direction stop and talk with her after Mass.

84th Catholic Appeal Update

“Hope Lights the Way” is the theme of the 2025 Catholic Appeal. Pope Francis called us to be “Pilgrims of Hope” in this 2025 Holy Year of Grace. Supporting the Catholic Appeal is one way to bring Hope to others by helping our brothers and sisters in need. DOGE is taking a chainsaw to many Federal safety net programs and services. The aged, children and those in need are having benefits cut and assistance programs eliminated. The Church can’t possibly completely fill the gaps created by government cuts but we need to do our best to help those adversely impacted.

The Catholic Appeal of the Diocese of Fall River supports tens of thousands of people throughout our diocese: in Mansfield, Easton, and the Attleboros, through the Taunton, Fall River, and New Bedford, extending across Cape Cod and the islands, and including all the towns in between. Your support can offer great hope. Please consider making your gift online by visiting: www.GiveFRDiocese.org . If your employer or former employer matches your charitable contributions, please contact them to ask to supplement your gift. We are past the mid-point of this year’s Appeal. A second letter from Bishop Da Cunha was recently mailed to parishioners who have yet to give a gift. Please respond with your gift soon.

From the Pastor May 24/25

Wed, 21 May 2025 20:21:17 GMT

From the Pastor May 24/25

Let’s All Do Our Part

After one of the Masses last weekend Deacon Art told me a parishioner asked him if the Catholic Appeal provided any incentives to parishes. He didn’t know but told them he would ask me. So, here is the answer, Yes! There is a new incentive developed this year. The Catholic Appeal is awarding three prizes worth a total of $10,000 to parishes in each Deanery. We are part of the Cape Cod Deanery which includes all the parishes on the Cape and Islands. First prize is $5,000, second $3,000 and third $2,000. The prizes will be awarded to the parishes with the highest percentage of households donating to the Appeal. That makes things fairer for a smaller parish like our own. If we win a prize it comes with no strings attached and can be spent however we like.

Last year 146 of our roughly 750 parish households contributed to the Catholic Appeal. That is only a 5% participation rate. Imagine the powerful impact we could accomplished if we doubled or tripled our participation rate?

This week I solicited several members of the parish to help increase our participation rate. We’re going to compile a combined list of parishioners who donated to last year’s Catholic Appeal, those who contribute to our Annual Collection, use Budget Envelopes, or contribute online. Beginning in June they’ll be giving parishioners who haven’t donated to the Appeal yet this year a friendly call to remind them of the Appeal and encourage their participation. Obviously, they have better ways to spend their time, so please make your Catholic Appeal donation today.

Early this month registered household received a mailing about the Catholic Appeal. It included a brochure describing the good donations to the Appeal accomplish, and a pledge card. Making a pledge and spreading the payments over the year often help us make a larger gift. Does your employer or former employer, if we are retired, offer to match your gifts? You can make your secure gift or pledge online today at www.GiveFRDiocese.org .

This year’s 84th Catholic Appeal’ theme is Hope Lights the Way and reflects the theme of this Holy Year. It speaks to the many ways our world is yearning for the light of Christ’s love and how this light can build a brighter and more hopeful future within our Church. DOGE is taking a chainsaw to many federal safety net programs and services. The aged, children and those in need are having benefits cut and assistance programs eliminated. The Church can’t possibly fill the gaps completely but we need to do our best to help those adversely impacted.

Recently, the Diocese of Fall River opened the Faustina Center. It is an island of mercy for families. Named for St. Faustina, the Divine Mercy saint it supports the dignity of the family by strengthening those who face difficult pregnancies through providing education, material resources, spiritual support, and community referrals. The center, operated by the Family and Respect Life Office of the Diocese of Fall River, is located in Fall River, runs by appointment only and operates on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. With your financial support to the Catholic Appeal maybe its hours could be expanded or a satellite one established here on Cape Cod. Your gift to the Catholic Appeal addresses so many of the dire social problems and helps support efforts to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with a world seeking solace and peace.

Make your secure gift or pledge online today at www.GiveFRDiocese.org .

Happy Memorial Day Weekend

This year we celebrate an early Memorial Day Weekend. It is the symbolic opening to the High Summer Season. Over the last few weeks, we have been welcoming back our seasonal and summer residents. Memorial Day has its roots as a day to remember our war dead and has become a sort of secular spring All Souls Day to remember all of our dead. We pray everyone will enjoy the holiday safely and may all our dead receive the mercy of a loving God in Heaven.

Lower/Outer Cape Young Adult Group Forming

A Young Catholic Adult Group for those aged 19-35 is being formed in the Lower/Outer Cape Area to socialize, play, and pray together. If you are interested in joining, please contact Colin Murphy at YACapeCod@gmail.com

We Have a Dream

Deacon Art La Chance will assume the role of Parish Business Manager when Howard Whelden retires at the end of June but we have a bigger dream. It is to employ Deacon Art full-time as a Pastoral Associate. The problem is we can’t afford that now. We would need to increase our weekly collection by about 15% to pay for the additional costs. When was the last time you increased your donation to the parish? Like your own household we have faced increased expenses over recent years. What would contributing a percentage of your income look like? Can you get out of the habit of donating a set monetary amount and donate 2%, 3% or maybe even 5% of income to the parish to pay for spreading the gospel in our community? There is no better use for your wealth than to help make the name of Jesus Christ better known in Chatham.

Congratulations Teresa Lim

Teresa Lim, our Music Director, will be graduating from a Spiritual Direction Certificate Program at Francis House of Prayer, Allentown, N.J. on June 5. Best wishes on your accomplishment. Here is a prayer to say for Teresa and those who offer spiritual guidance.

Heavenly Father, we thank you for the gift of spiritual direction.

and for providing Teresa Lim to guide us

on our spiritual journey here at our Holy Redeemer.

We ask you to send down the power of the Holy Spirit upon her,

your wisdom and discernment to be with her as she leads her directees.

Bless her with strength and grace to help us grow closer to you.

Grant her peace and joy in her spiritual service,

and may her guidance be a source of comfort and inspiration for all of us.

We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen.

If you would like to learn more about Spiritual Direction stop and talk with her after Mass.

Women’s Club Thank You

The Holy Redeemer Women’s Club thanks everyone who attended the Rose Clancy Trio concert on May 17th. Your support of this fundraiser, as well as our Christmas Greens sale, enables the Holy Redeemer Women’s Club to make some generous donations. A substantial donation was made to the Chatham Children’s Fund over the Christmas season. The HRWC also purchased a new refrigerator for the parish kitchen and is helping to beautify the church with a donation of a tree and flowers at the front entrance. Thank you to everyone that has made this possible.

From the Pastor May 17/18

Tue, 13 May 2025 19:01:44 GMT

Never Say Never!

Conventional wisdom going into the latest Papal Conclave was that an American could never be elected pope. It was believed the College of Cardinals thought the United States exercises such great political, economic, military, and cultural power that it didn’t want to also give an American authority over the Church.

Bishop Robert Barron, Bishop of Winona-Rochester, and driving force behind Word On Fire Ministries, and known to many parishioners who read our weekly Flocknotes, got himself in a bit of trouble at the start of the conclave. He quoted his mentor, the late Cardinal George of Chicago, who said an American would not be elected pope until the United States was seen as going into decline. When Cardinal Prevost was elected to be Pope Leo you could almost hear the media jumping to the conclusion that maybe the Cardinals feel our nation is in decline.

Many reputable commentators, with a good understanding of the Vatican, said before the conclave geography would not play as great a factor in the pope’s election as might be thought. Leadership skills, experience, intellect, and temperament were going to be the most important qualities looked for in their selection. Pope Leo XIV fulfills those important requirements.

Pope Leo has been called the least American of the American Cardinals. Yet, he has many qualities that epitomize the American experience. His ancestry includes a melting pot of ethnicities including his mother’s Creole background. A product of Catholic parochial schools and colleges, his family life reflects the rise of Catholic prominence in the post World War II era.

While an American, his life experience is that of being a citizen of the Americas, north and south. Most of his ministry has been spent outside this country. As a young Austinian Friar he went to minister in Peru for ten years. After spending twelve years living in Rome in the international role of Superior General of the Augustinians order, where he supervised members of this order living in over 50 countries, he returned to Peru as a bishop. An agreement with the Peruvian government requires bishops to be Peruvian citizens, so he holds dual American and Peruvian citizenship.

As Bishop of Chiclayo, Peru, a relatively small diocese in the northwest of the country he was known as being very direct in helping those people in need. When floods twice affected parts of the diocese he donned rubber boots and gloves to help the homeless. Quite a singular honor bestowed on Pope Leo was that of being elected President of the Peruvian Bishop’s Conference. A great sign of confidence in his leadership.

What kind of pope will Leo XIV be is a question that he has been answering this week as his official instillation on Sunday approached. Leo has been answering that question in homilies, addresses, and blessings over the last week. He has said he will continue the initiatives of Pope Francis to make sure we are a listening, welcoming Church with a missionary focus. The sign he sent by choosing the name Leo, last used by a late 19th and early 20th century pope, known for beginning a renewed focus on the social justice gospel, suggests that he will make the concerns of the common person his concentration. He has already made clear he will be sounding warning alarms about the use of artificial intelligence and its effects on working people.

I strongly believe Pope Leo will lead and govern the Church well during his pontificate. Remember though, its success isn’t only up to him. His accomplishments also depend on each of us. We need to listen, respond faithfully, and share generously Leo’s guidance so all may come to know the living God, His Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Best wishes and heartfelt prayers are on the way to Pope Leo from all your faithful ones.

Catholic Appeal Underway

The 84th Annual Catholic Appeal began May 1. This year’s theme is “Hope Lights the Way” in honor of the Holy Year of Hope. Since 1942, the Appeal has supported people in all phases of life – from children, to youth, to parents, to the elderly. Gifts to the Catholic Appeal sustain the work of our Diocese, including numerous agencies, programs, and ministries providing food and shelter, educating children and adults, and meeting the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of thousands. We encourage you to support the Appeal as generously as you can. You can make a one-time gift or a pledge with convenient payments throughout the year.

Registered parishioners recently received a mailing that contained a brochure describing the works and agencies supported by the Appeal, and a pledge card. Extra brochures and contribution card are located in pew book rakes, or make your gift or pledge online at: www.GiveFRDiocese.org .

As your pastor I put an emphasis on supporting the Catholic Appeal. Besides the parish itself, the Catholic Appeal is one of the charities to which I make my largest contribution. I donate 2.5 % of my income to it. Last year 146 Holy Redeemer parishioners donated $51,503.50 to the Appeal. We would like to increase our donations by 10 % this year. That is a monetary goal of $57,000 and a donor base increase of 15 to 160. As of Tuesday, 15 parishioners have donated $3,605 to the Appeal. It is still early in the appeal but we need to pick up the pace of donations. I hope you will consider prayerfully consider making a generous donation to this 84th annual Catholic Appeal.

Lower/Outer Cape Young Adult Group Forming

We Have a Dream

From the Pastor May 10/11

Tue, 06 May 2025 22:45:07 GMT

From the Pastor May 10/11

I Could Kick Myself

It is Sunday afternoon as I write this and the Conclave to elect a new pope won’t open for a few days but I’m thinking about leadership in the Church. Not so much its international as its local leadership. I’m thinking about the need for priestly vocations in our diocese.

We can’t do everything but sometimes we regret missing opportunities. I feel that way about not implementing the Called by Name Program a few months ago. Called by Name is a vocations awareness program and it was promoted by the Diocesan Vocations Office several months ago. I didn’t follow through with conducting it here in the parish for a couple of reasons. One was the request for it came late. I was told about it only a couple of weeks before it was intended to happen and as you know we like to preach in homily series at Holy Redeemer. We were in the midst of a series and to preach about vocations would have disrupted the flow. Besides, we don’t have very many young people in our parish. I believed talking about vocations in the middle of winter in a parish with a demographic of mostly retirees didn’t seem worthwhile. So, I skipped the opportunity and continued with my plans.

Now I feel I might have lost a good opportunity. No sooner had the weekend to preach on Called By Name come and gone and two parishioners told me they had grandsons who might be thinking about entering the seminary. Maybe Holy Redeemer Parish is a more fertile seedbed for vocations than I think. If you have family members who might consider a religious vocation, even ones who don’t live in our parish, consider encouraging them.

Overall, the Called By Name initiative was a success in our diocese. Over a hundred name of men parishioners believed should be contacted about considering a vocation to the priesthood were submitted. They range in age from young teenagers to several older men in their fifties. While not a direct result of the program, four men have applied to enter the seminary in September. The most in quite a few years. Please keep them in your prayers. I’m not getting younger.

Today is Vocations Awareness Sunday throughout the Church. The Gospel passage today comes from the Good Shepherd Discourse in John’s Gospel where Jesus uses the image of a good shepherd to describe the qualities of a leader of the Church. Early in his pontificate the late Pope Francis urged pastors and all priest to “smell like the sheep.” He wanted priests to have close contact with their parishioners. Francis wanted them to be so close that they picked up the scent of the flock and become one of them. If you know young men with those qualities encourage them to consider the priesthood. I can attest the life of a priest is fulfilling and has great rewards. I’ve enjoyed every minute, well almost every minute of my priesthood.

Honoring Mother’s Day

A happy Mother’s Day to all mothers and those women who in some way offer a mother’s role. May is the month Catholics honor the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of our Lord in a special way. Heartfelt prayers for all mothers. May God especially bless them today.

“Hope Lights the Way”

As your pastor I put an emphasis on supporting the Catholic Appeal. Besides the parish itself, the Catholic Appeal is one of the charities to which I make the largest contribution. I donate 2.5 % of my income to it. Last year 146 Holy Redeemer parishioners donated $51,503.50 to the Appeal. We would like to increase our donations by 10 % this year. That is a monetary goal of $57,000 and a donor base increase of 15 to 160. I hope you will consider making a generous donation to this 84th annual Catholic Appeal.

Lower/Outer Cape Young Adult Group Forming

We Have a Dream

2nd Annual Local Diocesan Walk for Life +

Next Saturday May 17th, 2025, is the date for the 2nd Annual Diocesian Walk for Life. This

prayer filled day will be held on the grounds of the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette, Park Street, (Rte. 152) in Attleboro. It includes a Rosary for Life, Address by Keynote Speaker, Alicia Kowalski, Mass with Most Rev. Edgar Da Cunha, S.D.V., D.D., a Prayer Walk (about 1 mile, mostly flat) to Cyril M. Angell Park and Adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Transport will be provided by the Cape Cod Pro-Life Alliance & the Corpus Christi Respect Life Committee. Call Ellen 508.292.4346 for more details

Diocesan Council of Catholic Women May Meeting

The Fall River Diocesan Council of Catholic Women (DCCW) will meet for its Annual Meeting and breakfast on Saturday, May 17, at Annunciation of the Lord Parish in Taunton. All women of the Diocese are invited to take part. It will begin with a 9 a.m. Mass, to be followed by a catered breakfast in the church hall. Guest presenter will be Allison Gingras, who will speak on “Mary, the Rosary, and Our Well-Being.” A short meeting will follow. The cost is $28.00. Check may be made payable to FRDCCW and mailed to Judy Corliss, 193 Tremont St., Unit 19, Taunton, MA 02780. Annunciation of the Lord Parish is located at 31 First St., Taunton, MA. The DCCW endeavors to offer programs and projects that respond with Gospel values to the needs of the Church and society. Its membership is made up of women from various parishes of the Fall River Diocese. If you have any questions, please call DCCW President Ann Marie Melanson at 508-631-0533 or by email frdccwannmarie@gmail.com

From the Pastor May 3/4

Mon, 28 Apr 2025 22:04:26 GMT

Hope Lights the Way

Hope Lights the Way

The 84th Catholic Appeal for the Diocese of Fall River began on Thursday, May 1 and will continue through June 30. “Hope Lights the Way” is the theme for this year’s Appeal. When he announced the 2025 Holy Year the late Pope Francis said its theme would be “Pilgrims of Hope.”

Hope for Catholics is one of the three theological virtues along with faith and charity that orientate us to God. It is more than just a longing for better days ahead. The Christian virtue of hope recognizes that if we try to imitate Jesus, like Jesus, we will be united with God. Pilgrims of hope follow the light of Christ, act with love, and work to bring about the Kingdom of God.

Pope Francis made reaching out to those on the peripheries of our world central to his ministry. He visited countries with small Catholic populations and appointed leaders from far off lands. Francis made sure to acknowledge those who, because of their poverty, health conditions, and social status, were marginalized in any way. If we are to be faithful to our Catholic calling, we too must reach out to those on the peripheries.

Donors to the Catholic Appeal of the Diocese of Fall River are pilgrims of hope reaching out to those on the peripheries. They light the way for the homeless, sick, and needy in our area. Our donations help fund St. Joseph’s House for the homeless in Hyannis, chaplains at Cape Cod Hospital, Catholic education for students at St. John Paul II and St. Pius Schools, they help fund seminary study for future priests and deacons and aid the enrichment of family life through Catholic Social Services.

We all know how government support for the needy is being slashed. A chainsaw is being taken to so many programs for the needy, vulnerable, and those on the peripheries. While the Church can’t make up for the loss of all Federal government money, we need to do what we can to elevate the suffering of our most vulnerable brothers and sisters.

If you would like to learn more about the Catholic Appeal go to our parish website www.holyredeemerchatham.org and watch the Appeal video. Bishop Da Cunha, people who have benefited from the Appeal, and those who assist the needy have much to share with you.

Last year 146 Holy Redeemer parishioners donated $51,503.50 to the Appeal. We would like to increase our donations by 10 % this year. That is a monetary goal of $57,000 and a donor base increase of 15 to 160.

Donors, when you receive your Catholic Appeal mailing, please prayerfully consider your donation. I especially appeal to those who have not donated in the past. Consider donating in memory of Pope Francis. If you prefer to give online you can donate at www.GiveFRDioces.org . Make your donation a generous one. There is no better way to use our charitable giving than doing good works in the name of Jesus. Giving to causes that help spread the message of the gospel is necessary to claim to live the Christian life. My donation to the Catholic Appeal is one of the largest I make each year. I donate 2.5% of my income to it. Please support the 2025 Catholic Appeal generously this year.

While We’re On the Subject

Thank you to all parishioners who donated to Your Options Medical’s Baby Bottle Boomerang and Holy Family Campaign in January. Parishioners filled the baby bottles with their loose change to help support Your Options’ maintenance of an ultrasound unit and other pregnancy services at their office in Hyannis. Contributions amounted to $2,671.87. Thanks again.

It is also approaching the last call for your Lenten Folders. Parishioners have been filling their Lenten Folder as a Lenten almsgiving activity. You can return your folders at any time to the Collection boxes to the left of the sanctuary at the front of the church or the collection basket. Please convert the quarters into currency or a check. We will donate the proceeds from the folders to the Cape Cod Foster Closet. The Closet is a charity that provides clothing and other essentials to foster parents welcoming into their home a child in state custody. Providing a home for a foster child is a very generous gesture from these people, and we need to support them.

Plant a Tree in Memory Pope Francis

A legacy of Pope Francis’ will be his first encyclical Laudato si, and his efforts to encourage all people towards a greater respect for the environment and to work to ease the terrible effect of climate change. How about planting a tree in memory of Pope Francis? Chatham Friends of Trees has given us two dozen seedlings to plant. They are native species, Lindens, Tulip Poplars, and White Oak. They gave us a dozen last week but they all went at the first Mass. So don’t equivocate, take one home today.

Thank you to parishioners who joined other town groups for the Chatham Conservation Foundation’s Earth Week Clean-up on Saturday, April 26. Holy Redeemer recruited twenty-one parishioners, the most people of any town group, for this effort. We are the champions!

Lower/Outer Cape Young Adult Group Forming

New Parish Staff

Deacon Art La Chance will assume the role of Parish Business Manager when Howard Whelden retires at the end of June. We’re happy to have him in this additional capacity. We express much appreciation to Howard for his dedicated service these last eight years.

We also have a new parish photographer. It is Jack Harrington, a newer parishioner. Jack got his initiation with today’s bulletin cover photo of the Clean-Up Crew. We’re happy to have you aboard, Jack.

Easter 2025 Homily

Tue, 22 Apr 2025 22:57:29 GMT

Easter 2025 Homily- Fr. John Sullivan

Happy Easter. Christ is risen and I’m incredibly happy to share that good news with everyone, our regular parishioners, visitors, and especially those who don’t come to church that often or if this is the first time you have ever been to church. I hope we have made you feel welcome and comfortable.

[When we find ourselves in unfamiliar places, we can feel strange and a bit uncertain. We wonder if we will fit in. I had that experience a while ago. I was on a road trip with some priest friends. We were traveling the Interstate when it became lunch time. Someone suggested we get off the highway at the next exit. As we approached the offramp there was a sign identifying several fast-food options. I noticed one was Arby’s. I said they have more of a variety of offerings, would we like to go there? I like their Ruben sandwich.

One of my friends said, “Let’s not do fast food. I think if we go down the road a bit we’ll find a place with some local color. We soon came to such a place. We turned into the parking lot and found a spot next to several trucks carrying enormous pipes. We entered the diner, and several heads turned to greet us. As we sat down at our table I looked around and noted that quite a few people were wearing camouflage hats and other clothing items. Not exactly my element. We placed our order and were conversing when a man at the counter swung around on his stool and asked, “Are you fellows driving those pipe trucks?” I guess we didn’t stick out quite as much as I feared.]

Easter isn’t just a day on the Catholic Church’s calendar, it is a season. We like to develop our homilies or sermons in a series here at Holy Redeemer, so today a new series starts. We will preach for the next five weeks of the Easter Season on the theme Victory. Easter is the celebration of Jesus Christ’s Resurrection and victory over death and our redemption.

Redemption can be a sort of churchy word. I like to avoid churchy words because they can make church seem like a clubhouse for Catholics when Jesus intended it to be a home for sinners. Redemption is used in secular society too. Webster’s dictionary defines redemption as, “to extradite from or help overcome something detrimental.” It is used when we experience something difficult or disappointing, but it turns out good in the end.

For instance, Raffy Dever’s throwing error can be redeemed by his walk-off home run, a bleak, rainy, windy day by a spectacular sunset, or a mediocre restaurant meal by good company and scintillating conversation. Stories of redemption are popular because we like to see a win for the underdog.

Redemption stories are our favorites because all of us realize we aren’t perfect. We have faults and shortcomings. We don’t always live up to even our own expectations. We recognize parts of our lives that could be improved. None of us is completely satisfied with who we are as a person. We believe we could all be holier, wiser, more compassionate.

All of us tend to want to please others. As children it is our parents, teachers, coaches, and other authority figures. As we become adults it is our spouse, boss, and peers. We all wish we could be better than we are now. That is why self-help books are so popular.

Christianity is unique among theologies and world religions. It is different from every school of philosophy developed centuries ago and those secular, atheistic ones developed more recently. All of them have something in common. They all teach that the individual must do more to make themselves right. They teach that we are not as we could be or should be. The problem with that perspective is it teaches us it is up to us to become better versions of ourselves. But we are limited in what we can do on our own.

Christianity is different. We believe Jesus Christ came to help or redeem us so we can be all God made us to be. During the Easter Season rather than an Old Testament reading our first reading comes from a book of the Bible called the Acts of the Apostles. This book tells us of the activity of the Apostles and the members of the early Church. It tells how they came to understand that Jesus’ Passion, Death, and Resurrection had redeemed them and won all of us eternal life. It tells how they accepted Jesus’ example and became the people God made them to be.

If you would like to begin reading sacred scripture, rather than starting at the beginning of the Bible with Genesis I suggest starting by reading Acts it will help you understand our faith better.

Acts tells us that very soon after the Resurrection a Roman soldier named Cornelius sent a message to ask Peter to come to his home so he could learn more about Jesus. Acts tell us about Peter’s instruction to Cornelius.

You know the word [that] he sent to the Israelites as he proclaimed peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all, what has happened all over Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached, how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the holy Spirit and power. He went about doing good and healing all those oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.

Peter’s talk shows us that even non-Jews like Cornelius and his household knew about Jesus. They heard that he had been preaching in Galilee and Jerusalem for three years. During that time Jesus gained a reputation for good. He attracted many people as listeners and disciples. Even people who were not like him liked him.

While Cornelius and his family knew about Jesus they wanted to get to know Jesus. That relationship could only come from someone with special insights into Jesus. They need to get to know Jesus through someone like Peter who was a firsthand witness who had eaten with Jesus and continued to experience Jesus’ presence through the Eucharist.

Cornelius wanted instruction from someone who experienced Jesus as a true force in their lives. We don’t always appreciate today the force Jesus was in his day. He had a great reputation for good. He moved with power and the people who moved in his circle experienced it. Jesus exhibited so much power that those in authority felt threatened by him.

The powerful felt threatened by Jesus because he was a force for healing. The blind gained sight, the deaf hearing, the lame walked, the marginalized felt made whole. Even the dead were revived to life. Jesus preached with authority. He spoke the truth and helped people feel a new direction in their lives. Those who questioned the value of their lives because powerful people told them they had no value found it after listening to Jesus.

Jesus was a force for justice and change in our world. He stood up to corrupt religious authorities, the Romans and the rich. Jesus had no time for abusive authority especially religious authority who made it difficult for the common people to worship God because of burdensome rules and the Law.

Jesus was a force for hope. He told people that God wanted the best for them. God wanted them to have a meaningful life and most of all a chance for eternal life with God in Heaven. Jesus told his listeners God is a God of love and that love wasn’t only for a select group, ethnicity, or religion but for even people like the Gentiles in Cornelius’ household. Sounds great doesn’t it! Don’t you wish we had someone confronting our leadership?

Being that kind of leader naturally caused conflict with those in power because they felt threated and concerned about keeping their power. So frequently the gospel tells of situations where the religious authorities tried to test and trip-up Jesus. They would present situations where if Jesus answered one way, he might anger the Romans, or the opposite way would cause conflict with the people. Jesus always threaded the eye of the needle with skill and wisdom.

Despite his expertise, according to God’s plan, Jesus’ adversaries won out. Using false accusations he was arrested, tried, and convicted. Peter told Cornelius:

We are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and (in) Jerusalem.

They put him to death by hanging him on a tree.

On Good Friday it looked like Jesus’ gig was up. While he entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday looking to be at the height of his power, by the end of the week he was nailed to a cross and abandon by all his follower except one and a few women. It looked as though the status que had won again.

Peter tells Cornelius that death wasn’t the winner after all.

This man God raised (on) the third day and granted that he be visible,

not to all the people, but to us, the witnesses chosen by God in advance,

who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.

Peter says God’s power and love is stronger than death.

That is the astonishing claim made by Christianity. We believe God has power even over death and raised Jesus from the dead. God promises those who believe in God and love God they will also experience Jesus’ resurrection. That is the central theme of Easter. It is the victory and the redemption we share in through our baptism. Theologians have pondered the depths of that belief, but simply put, our desire to please others isn’t unique to you and me. We all want to be the best person we can be. That desire comes from our loving God. We want to please God, but we recognize that we don’t always do that.

Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection enters in at this point. His perfect life of complete obedience to God the Father is something impossible for us because we lack Jesus’ divinity. We can’t achieve Jesus total obedience and perfect surrender, even to death on the cross. That perfect surrender is something not even the saints could do.

God accepts Jesus’ perfect life in place of our total obedience. Redemption is recognizing our stained and sinful past but now making our resolve to act in more faithful ways in the future. That was the Good News of Jesus Christ Cornelius asked Peter to help him come to understand.

Christianity is unique among world religions and philosophy in that we don’t believe we can become perfect or even better through our own will. We don’t have to because Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross has done it for us. Jesus complete obedience to the Father has given us a fresh start again this Easter. Our sins and failures are not only forgiven but completely wiped away and erased. We are redeemed.

The wonderful thing about our God is that God can bring good from bad, success from failure and hope from fear. God can redeem us. Jesus Christ wants to walk with us as we experience the challenges of life to help us to experience victory. Jesus does this through prayer and the sacraments.

If you don’t practice prayer daily, I invite you to begin. Set aside as little as ten minutes a day to start. Reflect on a passage of scripture by asking yourself how you feel God is communicating with you through it. Add a minute or two each week.

The Eucharist is the sum and summit of our Catholic faith. We believe it is the Real Presence of Jesus Christ, His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. Through the Eucharist Jesus brings us grace that empowers us for victory. Make it your weekend practice to join us at Mass.

At the end of this homily, we will repeat our ancient practice of renewing our Baptismal Promises at this Easter Mass. It helps us to remember and recommit to following them. In this renewal we will state our desire to live free of sin and to be faithful to God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Even if you haven’t received Baptism, if you are comfortable doing so, I invite you to stand with us to make these promises. May these promises help us give thanks to Jesus for redeeming us and inviting us to share in the Resurrection, Jesus’ victory over death and our victory over death, too.

From the Pastor April 26/27

Tue, 22 Apr 2025 22:55:19 GMT

From the Pastor April 26/27

Pope Francis’ Death Brings Deep Sadness

The world was deeply saddened to hear of Pope Francis’ death early Monday morning. A frail Pope Francis had offered his annual Urbi et Orbi Easter blessing to the city of Rome and to the world and rode around St. Peter’s Square in the popemobile blessing the assembled crowd.

Pope Francis was a pope of many firsts. He was the first pope from the western and southern hemispheres, and the first Jesuit pope. I remember his admonition to priest to smell of their sheep. The pope was one with a special desire to reach out to Catholics on the peripheries of the Church. He made a point of visiting places in the world were there were few Catholics and appointed many Cardinals from those places. Pope Francis has forever changed the Church. May he rest in peace.

A Jesuit Prayer for Pope Francis

Loving God, today, we grieve for our beloved
Pope Francis. We know you join us in our
grief, that you too weep at the death of your
dear friend and companion as Jesus did at the
tomb of Lazarus.

Welcome our beloved Pope Francis into your
waiting arms. Envelop him in your eternal
love. And comfort us in our mourning as we
strive to continue to follow his Gospel
example to encounter Christ in all people and
in all places.

We thank you for the gift of Pope Francis.
Through his life and teaching, you showed us
how to love and serve one another, how to
hear the cries of the poor and the cries of the
earth and respond in compassionate love.

Pope Francis, pray for us. Mary, Mother of
Sorrows, comfort us. Amen.

Parishioners are requested to offer private prayers, works of mercy and almsgiving for the repose of the soul of Pope Francis and for the election process for a new Supreme Pontiff. The simple custom of frequently praying the Our Father , Hail Mary , and Glory Be for this intention is encouraged. The election of the new Pope should be prayed for in the recitation of the Rosary. May all the Church be open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit to guide us as a new era begins in the Catholic Church.

Easter Thanks Yous

Easter and Holy Week celebrations were absolutely beautiful here at Holy Redeemer. We owe appreciation to Music Director Teresa Lim and the choir who worked so hard to make them so memorable. Thank you to Deacon Art LaChance and the servers, Lectors, Eucharistic Ministers, Greeters, hosts, parking lot attendant, and everyone in the congregation who helped in any way.

Canonization of Blessed Carlo Acutis Suspended

The Vatican announced that today’s planned canonization ceremony for Blessed Carlo Acutis has been suspended because of the death of Pope Francis. The special Holy Year event for youth will be conducted with some aspects of that celebration on Sunday, April 27, 2025, cancelled.

When the canonized Blessed Carlo will be the first Millennial saint. Carlo was a young Italian teenager with a special devotion to Eucharistic Miracles. At age fifteen, Carlo died on October 12, 2006, only eleven days after the onset of an extremely aggressive form of leukemia. On his deathbed, Carlo predicted to his mother that he would become a saint. His canonization, a process that can take centuries, will occur less than twenty years after his death,

A movie, Carlo Acutis: Roadmap to Reality, will open in theaters from April 27-29. It will be shown here on Cape Cod at the Regal Cinemas at Mashpee Commons. The screen time is 4 pm on April 27 and 7 pm on April 28 & 29. If five thousand tickets are sold, they will be screened for an additional three days.

Catholic Appeal Begins

Parishioners should soon receive a mailing to begin the 2025 Catholic Appeal for the Diocese of Fall River. Once each spring our Diocese of Fall River asks the faithful to contribute to the spiritual and charitable work if the diocese. Proceeds from the Appeal financially support services for the homeless like St. Joseph’s House in Hyannis, St. Clare’s House, a transitional home for former female inmates in Centerville, parish based mental health advocacy and other social services. We all know how government support for the needy is being slashed. While the Church can’t make up for the loss of Federal government money, we need to do what we can to elevate the suffering of our most vulnerable of our brothers and sisters. When you receive your Catholic Appeal letter please pray over your donation and make it as generous as possible.

Filling Your Lenten Folders

Parishioners have been filling their Lenten Folder as a Lenten almsgiving activity. They put aside 25c each day for a total of $10 throughout Lent. You can return your folders at any time. Collection boxes are by the Welcome Desks at the church doors. Please convert the quarters into currency or a check. We will donate the proceeds from the folders to the Cape Cod Foster Closet. The Closet is a charity that provides clothing and other essentials to foster parents welcoming a child from state custody into their home. Providing a home for a foster child is a very generous gesture from these people, and we need to support them.

Earth Week Spring Clean-Up

Thank you to parishioners who joined other town groups for the Chatham Conservation Foundation’s Earth Week Clean-up on Saturday, April 26, Last year, Holy Redeemer recruited the most people of any town group for this effort. Hopefully, we were tops again this year.

Lower/Outer Cape Young Adult Group Forming

From the Pastor April 19/20

Sun, 13 Apr 2025 14:54:41 GMT

From the Pastor April 19/20

It’s Easter Everywhere!

That might sound like I’m stating the obvious, but today we have the unusual circumstance of all Christians in every nation and in every Christian denomination celebrating Easter on the same day. That doesn’t happen all that often because different denominations use different calendars. The Catholic Church and Protestant denominations use the Gregorian Calendar while the Churches of the East use the Julian Calendar.

Pope Gregory XIII, for whom the Gregorian Calendar is named, reformed the Julian Calendar in 1582. It was necessary because the Julian Calendar, developed in the days of Julius Ceasar, had gained eleven days because of a mistake calculating leap years. This caused the calendar day for the spring equinox to be eleven days later than the astronomical equinox. While most of the world adopted the Gregorian Calendar, the Eastern Orthodox Churches, because of the Great Schism between the Churches of the East and West in 1054, refused to adopt the new calendar named for a pope. They still use the Julian calendar, and the Orthodox sometimes celebrate Easter a month later than the Western Church. Popes going back to Pope Paul VI have expressed an openness to changing the date of Easter if the Orthodox can agree on a date, but that has not happened.

It is opportune that all Christians are celebrating Easter today because this year is the 1700 anniversary of the first ecumenical council held at Nicaea in 325 A.D. One of the primary endeavors of the council was to establish a uniform date for Easter. Up to that time the date for Easter varied widely in the Church. The Council Fathers felt a consistent date for Easter would prove to be a unifying sign for the Church. They decided to celebrate Easter on the first Sunday after the first full moon of Spring. Wouldn’t it be an appropriate celebration of the Nicene anniversary if all Christian could celebrate Easter the same day every year again? Pope Francis is planning a trip to the Turkish site of the ancient city of Nicaea in May. There with Bartholomew, the Patriarch of Constantinople, they will celebrate the anniversary of the Council of Nicaea. Progress on this matter might occur there.

Setting a date for Easter wasn’t the council’s only task. The council spent three months developing the Nicaean Creed, the long prayer recited even today by Christians at the middle of the Mass as our statement of faith. They also declared Arianism, the belief that Jesus was only of a human nature, a heresy. Our Christian belief is that Jesus is one person of the Holy Trinity but of two natures, human and divine.

As we celebrate the Nicene anniversary it is good to work for and pray for Christian unity. An editorial in the Jesuit magazine America recently said, “Our celebration of Nicaea and our recognition of what we share in common can also offer us another important lesson: Unity is not always born in harmony. The end result of Nicaea might have been the establishment of a common creed, but the council itself was hardly an occasion of peaceful or complete agreement.” “[T]he council only accomplished it after intense debate and occasional physical violence among the more than three hundred bishops present.

The history of the Council of Nicaea provides us with the insight that the Church has a very human face where contention exists and egos clash. Expectations of unity can be messy. A document of expectations or exchange of affection doesn’t always bring total agreement, but if we engage in good faith a greater unity can come as it did as a result of the Council of Nicaea.

Filling Your Lenten Folders

During Lent parishioners have been filling their Lenten Folder as an almsgiving activity. They put aside 25c each day for a total of $10 throughout Lent. You can return your folders to one of the Collection boxes by the Welcome Desks at the church doors. Please convert the quarters into currency or a check. We will donate the proceeds from the folders to the Cape Cod Foster Closet. The Closet is a charity that provides clothing and other essentials to foster parents welcoming a child from state custody into their home. Providing a home for a foster child is a very generous gesture from these people, and we need to support them.

Earth Week Spring Clean-Up

Parishioners plan to join the Chatham Conservation Foundation’s Earth Week Clean-up on Saturday, April 26, at 9:00 or 11:00 am to pick up litter and winter debris from CCF properties around town. Last year, Holy Redeemer recruited the most people for this effort. Let’s do it again this year. Sign up at the welcome desk today.

Lower/Outer Cape Young Adult Group Forming

Canonization of Blessed Carlo Acutis

Pope Francis will canonize Blessed Carlo Acutis at a special Holy Year event for youth next Sunday, April 27, 2025. Blessed Carlo will be the first Millennial saint. Carlo was a young Italian teenager with a special devotion to Eucharistic Miracles. As a computer-savvy youth, he developed a website to share information about these miracles. While not coming from a particularly devote family, his childhood nannies helped him build his faith.

In many ways, Carlo was a typical millennial child enjoying computer games, soccer, and other pursuits. While not being showy about his faith to his peers, they recognized him for his kindness and sensitivity to others. His example caused several people he was in contact with to inquire about Catholicism and seek baptism.

At age fifteen, Carlo died on October 12, 2006, only eleven days after the onset of an extremely aggressive form of leukemia. On his deathbed, Carlo predicted to his mother that he would become a saint. His canonization, a process that can take centuries, will occur less than twenty years after his death,

A movie, Carlo Acutis: Roadmap to Reality , will open in theaters from April 27-29. The movie will be shown here on Cape Cod at the Regal Cinemas at Mashpee Commons. The screen time is 4 pm on April 27 and 7 pm on April 28 & 29. If five thousand tickets are sold, the movie will be screened for an additional three days.

In celebration of Blessed Carlo’s canonization Holy Trinity Parish, Rte. 28, W. Harwich is holding a service on Tuesday, April 29, 6-8 p.m. It will include a Eucharistic Holy Hour and an opportunity to venerate a relic of St. Carlo.

5th Sunday of Lent Homily

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 19:36:10 GMT

5th Sunday of Lent Homily- Fr. John Sullivan

There is no denying it. Spring is finally on its way. The daffodils, crocus, and snowdrops are blooming. While it was a gloomy week with showers, the temperatures were on the rise. This week, the landscaping contractor came and did the spring clean-up. They cut away last year’s dead growth, cleaned the sand from the winter storms out of the parking lot, and laid down a new layer of mulch around the property. Everything looks good, and we’re on target to be our best for Easter and a new growing season.

Today, we complete our Lenten series of homilies called “In with the New.” Lent is our church season of renewal. It is our time of preparation for Easter when we look at our spiritual lives to clean out our old sinfulness and prepare to invite new life. Lent, we’ve told you, comes from an Old English name for spring. Spring is the season of new life, so Lent is its appropriate title.

During our series, we have seen how temptation is quick to come when we resolve to change our lives. The evil one despises change and will attack us when we try, but if we act quickly and decisively, we can thwart temptation. This Lent, we learned of a loving God who grants us grace and initiates a relationship with us, a God who wants to renew that relationship whenever needed.

God’s yearning for a renewed and deeper relationship with us is our theme again today. God wants us to realize that even if we believe we have a good relationship with God, “We ain’t seen nothing yet!” The Jewish people were a people of memory. They recalled God’s relationship by celebrating the Passover according to Moses’ instruction. It helped them recall God’s deliverance of them from slavery. They remember how God separated the Red Sea so they could pass through it and then rolled it back to drown and destroy their enemies. God led them through the desert and to the Promised Land of their ancestors. The Jews remember their unique relationship with God and God’s past goodness to them.

Our reading from the Book of Isaiah tells them even better things are around the corner. As Isaiah prepares the people to leave their exile in Babylon, he encourages them by telling them God has great plans for their future. God’s mighty deeds of the past will pale when compared with God’s activity in the future. God will be with them as they head home to rebuild Jerusalem, the Temple, and their relationship with the Promised Land. Great things are in store for them, and they will experience the opportunity for an even greater relationship with God.

As Christians, we take that promise of great things to happen in the future as foretelling the coming of the Messiah. The ministry of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, overshadowed the Exodus, wandering in the desert, the reign of the glorious King David, and everything else the people celebrated and remembered. We believe God will offer the faithful the Resurrection of the Dead and a new life.

This promise of new life will come with the need for sacrifice. It has a cost. Paul reassures the Philippians that while it is a great price, it is worth paying. It is so valuable Paul boldly claims everything else in life is dung or the “s” word when compared to the value of a relationship with Jesus.

Paul tells us he sacrificed a great deal for his relationship with Jesus. Before becoming Jesus’ apostle, he lived a life of great advantages. He was a Roman citizen; as such, he had the right to vote, own property, a fair trial, and freedom from torture. Paul had a superior education. He came to Jerusalem, studied under a renowned Rabbi, and became that Rabbi’s star pupil. Paul wrote he was a Pharisee and held a top rank in that prestigious group.

Paul had many advantages, but he gave them up to follow Jesus and to preach and evangelize in Jesus’ name. His faithfulness to Jesus caused Paul suffering. His old friends and fellow Pharisees would ostracise him. Some fellow Christians would criticize him for welcoming the Gentiles without requiring them to be circumcised or to follow the Law of Moses. Paul would face shipwrecks, beatings, and other punishments, imprisonment, and finally surrendering his life as a martyr. Paul unquestioningly considered it worth a relationship with Jesus and the joy of a future life with Christ in Heaven.

Jesus offers the woman caught in adultery a new life. Jesus doesn’t only save her from execution by the crowd but offers her eternal life through a relationship with him. He refuses to focus on her past but offers her a new beginning. Jesus bestows on her supernatural assistance called grace to support her decision to live rightly. Jesus proposes to her forgiveness, which comes with a cost. She must give up sin.

Did the woman accept Jesus’ offer? What did she decide to do? Did she appreciate this incredible offer to start afresh? Did she take the call to become a new creation or sink back into her old ways? The gospel doesn’t tell us. Jesus didn’t force a relationship on her. He recognizes she had the free will to accept or reject God’s mercy. Her life was in her hands.

As we approach Easter, our lives are in our hands. There is still time to transform them this season. We can do that through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. This sacrament of spiritual healing calls us to new and transformed lives. While our sin might not be adultery, maybe it is. Maybe our sins are venial in nature but weigh us down and prevent us from experiencing new life. Please don’t be shy because it has been a long time since your last confession, years, even decades. There is no wrong way to make a confession. The priest confessor is there to welcome, help, and guide you. He wants to enable you to experience a new life.

This Lent, I’ve made myself more available in the Reconciliation Room at the back of the church. In addition to regular Saturday afternoons from 3-3:45 p.m., I’m available this Tuesday from 3: 30-4:30 p.m. I’ll have additional opportunities during Holy Week, but don’t wait until the last minute.

Are we willing to sacrifice for a new and refreshed relationship with God? Ask God to open you to the newness of life. At the Easter Masses, that opportunity will be offered to us when we are invited to affirm our Baptismal promises. Prepare yourself to renew your life of grace with a real commitment.

This Easter, invite others to come and hear how Jesus wants to summon them to new life. Again today, we have invitations to our Easter Mass; take a few to share with people you know who don’t attend church regularly. They are members of your family, your friends, and your neighbors. Surveys find up to 60% of unchurched people are open to an invitation to church on Easter. They are just looking for someone to ask them to come. There is a good chance whoever you invite will come. Don’t try to twist arms. Recognize that your invitation might plant the seed that will encourage a person to reconnect at a later date.

We want to be an exceptionally welcoming parish on Easter, so we need you to help. We need you to sign up to be a parking lot attendant, helping fill our lot, greeters, smiling and holding open the church doors, and welcomers guiding parishioners to a seat in a full church. Sign-up sheets are available at the welcome desks, so don’t be shy. It is lots of fun.

There is another sign-up sheet there too. It is to have your feet washed as part of the Mandatuum of the Holy Thursday Mass of the Lord’s Last Supper. That’s fun, too. Signing up will save me from having to call you to ask.

New life is coming in a couple of weeks. It will be like nothing you have seen. Will you let it transform you?

From the Pastor April 12/13

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 19:33:59 GMT

From the Pastor April 12/13

It is Holy Week

Holy Week is the most solemn week of the Liturgical Year when we commemorate the events of Jesus’ final days. Please plan to participate in all or as many of these sacred days. They will surely help deepen your faith and nurture your appreciation for Easter.

Here is the schedule of Holy Week and Easter Liturgies:

Wednesday: Tenebrae 7 pm.

Holy Thursday: Mass of the Lord’s Supper 7 pm.

Following the Mass, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament will be held until 11 pm.

Good Friday: Commemoration of the Lord’s Passion and Death 3 pm.

Stations of the Cross 7 pm.

Holy Saturday: Vigil of Easter 7:30 pm.

Easter Sunday Masses 8 am & 10 am.

Easter Hospitality Ministry

There are numerous opportunities to contribute to making Holy Redeemer a welcoming church this Easter. On the welcome desks, we have Sign Up Sheets for Welcome Ministers in our parking lot and at the doors of the church. There are opportunities to be hosts in church. If you can smile, and everyone can do that, you are qualified to be part of our hospitality team. Sign up today. Take a few Easter Mass invitations with you to use to welcome unchurched family, friends, and neighbors too.

Holy Week Confessions

Celebrating God’s forgiveness by receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation in anticipation of Easter is important for our faith life. Fr. Sullivan is setting aside extra time to be in the Reconciliation Room at the back of the church this Wednesday from 4–6 pm. It will be the last opportunity before Easter.

Filling Your Lenten Folders

Parishioners have been filling their Lenten Folder as a Lenten almsgiving activity. They have put aside 25c each day for a total of $10 throughout Lent. You can begin returning your folders starting this week. Collection boxes are by the Welcome Desks at the church doors. Please convert the quarters to currency or a check. We will donate proceeds from the folders to the Cape Cod Foster Closet. The Closet is a charity that provides clothing and other essentials to foster parents welcoming a child from state custody into their home. Providing a home for a foster child is a very generous gesture from these people, and we need to support them.

Earth Week Spring Clean-Up

Lower/Outer Cape Young Adult Group Forming

Parish Photographer Wanted

Do you enjoy photography? Holy Redeemer is looking for parish photographers to take pictures of parish events and happenings to put on our parish website. If you are interested, please call the parish office at 508-945-0677.

Join Us at the Chrism Mass

Several Small Faith Sharing Group members will join Fr. Sullivan at the Chrism Mass on Tuesday. The Chrism Mass, an annual gathering of the presbyterate with Bishop Da Cunha, will take place on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, at 4:00 pm at Saint Mary’s Cathedral in Fall River. This Holy Week Mass is the liturgy where the Holy Oils, used in the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Orders, and the Sick are blessed and where priests recommit to their Ordination promises. It is a beautiful and spiritual event. If you want to join your fellow parishioners, please call the Parish Office (508) 945-0677.

Canonization of Blessed Carlo Acutis

Pope Francis will canonize Blessed Carlo Acutis at a special Holy Year event for youth on Sunday, April 27, 2025. Blessed Carlo will be the first Millennial saint. Carlo was a young Italian teenager with a special devotion to Eucharistic Miracles. As a computer-savvy youth, he developed a website to share information about these miracles. While not coming from a particularly devote family, his childhood nannies helped him build his faith.

At age fifteen, Carlo died on October 12, 2006, only eleven days after the onset of a very aggressive form of leukemia. On his deathbed, Carlo predicted to his mother that he would become a saint. His canonization, a process that can take centuries, will occur less than twenty years after his death.

A movie, Carlo Acutis: Roadmap to Reality, will open in theaters from April 27-29. It will be shown here on Cape Cod at the Regal Cinemas at Mashpee Commons. The screen time is 4 pm on April 27 and 7 pm on April 28 & 29. If 5000 tickets are sold, they will be screened for an additional three days.

4th Sunday of Lent Homily

Fri, 04 Apr 2025 13:15:31 GMT

4th Sunday of Lent- Fr. John Sullivan

“What has been, that will be; what has been done, that will be done. Nothing is new under the sun! Even the thing of which we say, “See, this is new!” has already existed in the ages that preceded us. Eccl 1:910.

We live in a time of constant change, with new products and concepts, such as Bitcoin, artificial intelligence, and medical breakthroughs, seemingly emerging every day. While these breakthroughs may appear new, they are merely recombinations, reforms, reshapings, or remaking of existing things. A new drug is developed by combining pre-existing elements in a novel way. Artificial intelligence is developed by programming existing knowledge, but only God can create matter and something completely new.

Paul tells the Corinthians in today’s second reading that everyone who has died in Christ through baptism is a new creation. God is out to make us new this Lent. We have been using the theme “In with the New” as the topic for our Lenten homilies. We have reflected on how to utilize this time of preparation for Easter as a season of renewal and transformation, preparing us to experience a genuinely new life at Easter.

Our English title for this season is 'Lent,' a word meaning spring. Spring is the season of new life. It is the time of blossoms and rebirth. Spring is the season of warming and brightness. This transformation doesn’t always come about smoothly. It has many fits and starts. There are days when our environment seems to slip back rather than rush forward towards spring. Then, one day spring bursts upon us, and there is no going back. New life is finally here.

Re-creation comes through reconciliation is our message today. The reading from the Book of Joshua finds the Israelites preparing to finally enter the Promised Land after they escaped from Egyptian slavery and spent forty years of purification in the desert. In a scene reminiscent of their escape through the Red Sea, they prepare to separate the water again and cross over the Jordan into the land of their ancestors.

Their travels in the wilderness have been challenging. They have whined and rebelled against God. They have disobeyed God’s commands and presumed upon God’s goodness. The people have attempted to abandon the one true God and God’s law for a molten calf. Before they can finally claim their freedom, they must become a new creation. They must make a final reconciliation with God.

That reconciliation requires the submission of males who had neglected circumcision to submit to it as a sign of the renewal of God’s covenant with Abraham. They will again celebrate the Passover, which had been neglected during their time in the desert, according to its regulations, and then finally enter the Promised Land.

The younger son in today’s gospel also returns home to find reconciliation and re-creation. He rejected his birthright, took his inheritance, and squandered it. Now, he presumes to return to his father’s house in the desperate hope of being made only one of his father’s servants. Instead, he is met by an indulgent father who runs out to greet him, calling for a ring for his finger, a cloak to wrap around his shoulders, and sandals for his feet. The ungrateful boy is restored to his birthright and given all the accessories of sonship that his previous actions rejected.

Paul tells the Corinthians he has experienced a similar transformation into a new life. Jesus appeared to him to call him to be reconciled with God. Paul, who was persecuting the followers of Jesus, says he was given a second chance at life. He, who had been a tormentor, has been transformed into a reconciler. Christ has given Paul the responsibility to share the Good News that Jesus Christ has taken the burden of all human sinfulness as his own. Jesus has become sin and given his life on the cross so we might experience a new beginning. Jesus experienced death so that we can have eternal life.

Paul tells the Corinthians through their baptism, the Holy Spirit calls them to be like him, Christ’s instrument of reconciliation in the world. We, too, each one of us has that responsibility. We must emulate Paul and the other apostles to help others respond to God’s call for reconciliation with us.

Before we can be instruments of reconciliation, however, we must be reconciled to God ourselves. I’ve said in my Lenten homilies that one of my goals for Lent is to encourage a more faithful practice of the Sacrament of Reconciliation in Holy Redeemer Parish. Regretfully, the practice of Reconciliation here is the laxest of any parish I have ministered in. To help remedy this problem, I’ve resolved to spend more time in the confessional during Lent in the hope more people will come. In addition to my regular Saturday 3:00-3:45 pm session, I’m in the Reconciliation Room on Tuesday afternoons from 3:30–4:30 pm. People have been taking advantage, but they haven’t been backed up waiting. Reconcile with God this Lent so you can help others reconcile without any hypocrisy.

Don’t be reluctant to come to confession, even if it has been years or even decades since you last celebrated it. There is no wrong way to go to Confession. If you don’t remember the formula you were taught in your youth, don’t worry the priest will help you. There is no need to confess every sin you may have committed. Focus more on patterns of sin and people or groups of people you might be sinning against.

Take time to examine your conscience before entering the Reconciliation Room. You might claim you don’t have any sins to confess. A review of the Ten Commandments finds you haven’t killed anyone, robbed a bank, and you’re at Mass every week, so you rationalize you don’t have any sins. Look a little deeper. What about the cardinal sins? As a reminder, they are lust, gluttony, greed, sloth wrath, envy, and pride. Those might be more fertile ground for reflection.

Being reconciled to God prompts us to want to help others find reconciliation as well. People tell me, and I have experienced it myself, that a feeling of warmth and relief often envelops us after Reconciliation. We can certainly feel as if God has made us new again.

We need to share that feeling with those who have never experienced faith or have fallen away from its practice. As we did at Christmas, we have invitations to Easter Masses that the greeters will distribute to you on your way out of church today. They include our Easter Mass times. Take three or four and share them with people you would like to attend Mass with you.

Studies have found that 60% of unchurched people would respond favorably to an invitation to church at Easter. Your chances of those you invite saying yes to your invitation are very good, so take the risk. If you get a negative response, just back away. Don’t try to twist their arms. If someone claims to have been hurt by the Church, its members, or God, take the time to listen. Don’t try to explain their pain away. Tell them you are sorry they feel the way they do, and pray for them. Let God do God’s work.

As we enter the second half of Lent, reconcile to God. There is something new under the sun. It is your new and deeper relationship with God, an indulgent father who wants to share love with you. Become God’s new creation. Become God’s instrument of reconciliation for others so that our world can be transformed into God’s kingdom.

From the Pastor April 5/6

Fri, 04 Apr 2025 13:09:08 GMT

From the Pastor April 5/6

Easter Week is Earth Week

Easter is about celebrating new life, and it is fitting that this year, the week after Easter will coincide with Earth Week. Earth Day is celebrated on April 22, a day dedicated to recognizing efforts to protect our planet from ecological destruction. Pope Francis’ first encyclical, Laudato si , addressed the need for all Christians to care for the environment and do everything we can to support God’s creation.

In Psalm 1:3, the psalmist says of the faithful one. “He is like a tree planted near streams of water, that yields its fruit in season; Its leaves never wither; whatever he does prospers.” Planting a tree is a sign of great hope. We plant them with the confidence they will live and grow and become things of beauty and life long after we have died. Since Holy Year 2025’s theme is our call to be Pilgrims of Hope, planting a tree is very appropriate.

Every Catholic needs to take action to help our environment in even small ways. Small things like planting trees and picking up trash help. Holy Redeemer is participating in two local initiatives. We are joining with Chatham Friends of Trees to distribute a limited number of seedlings. They are tree varieties well-suited to our climate and will thrive in our soil. If you would like a seedling, a sign-up sheet is available at the welcome desk.

Parishioners are also planning to join the Chatham Conservation Fund on Saturday, April 26, at either 9:00 or 11:00 a.m. to pick up litter and winter debris from CCF properties around town. Last year, Holy Redeemer recruited the largest number of people for this effort. Let’s do it again this year. Sign up at the welcome desk today.

Easter Welcome

There are numerous opportunities to contribute to making Holy Redeemer a welcoming church this Easter. On the welcome desks, we have Sign Up Sheets for Welcome Ministers in our parking lot and at the doors of the church. There are opportunities to be ushers in church. If you can smile, and everyone can do that, you are qualified to be part of our hospitality team. Sign up today. Take a few Easter Mass invitations with you to use to welcome unchurched family, friends, and neighbors to

We also need twelve people to have their feet washed as one of the Mandatum on Holy Thursday evening at the Mass of the Lord’s Supper at 7:00 pm. Don’t be shy, volunteer.

Living A Spiritual Lent

There is one full week before Holy Week, so Lent is moving on. There is still time to make Lent spiritually fulfilling. Attending our 8:00 a.m. daily Mass is a Lenten practice for many during this season. Please consider making attendance a part of your Lenten observance. Maybe it will become your practice all year long. The Stations of the Cross, followed by the Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, are recited every Friday afternoon at 4:30. Each week, a different parish ministry leads us in a unique setting of the Stations. Members of the Woman’s Club will lead the Stations this week using “Mary’s Way of the Cross.” A simple soup supper will follow in the Parish Center. There is no charge for the meal. Come pray and share fellowship with other parishioners.

Receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation should be part of our Lenten efforts. Fr. Sullivan is setting aside extra time to be in the Reconciliation Room at the back of the church. In addition to the usual Saturday afternoon time frame of 3:00–3:45 pm, he will be there on Tuesday afternoons from 3:30-4:30 pm. Later in Lent, we will schedule a Reconciliation Service.

Filling Your Lenten Folders

Parishioners received a Lenten Letter before the season began. It included our annual Lenten Folder. Parishioners are encouraged to use the folder as a Lenten almsgiving activity. Please put aside 25c each day for a total of $10 throughout Lent. We will donate proceeds from the folders to the Cape Cod Foster Closet. The Closet is a charity that provides clothing and other essentials to foster parents welcoming a child from state custody into their home. Providing a home for a foster child is a very generous gesture from these people, and we need to support them.

Beginning next week, boxes will be available at the welcome desks for you to deposit your folders. Please convert the quarters into paper currency or a check to facilitate the counting of the proceeds.

Business Manager Opening

Howard Whelden, our parish Business Manager, is retiring after eight years on June 30. We are looking for someone with Managerial Accounting experience to replace him. That person should be proficient with QuickBooks, Microsoft Office Suite, and Adobe and be willing to gain proficiency with several other systems the parish uses. The job is part-time, twenty-five hours a week. Interested individuals should submit their resumes to the Parish Office. Call the office at 508-945-0677.

Lower/Outer Cape Young Adult Group Forming

Start Evangelizing for Easter

It isn’t too early to start planning your Easter evangelization efforts. Like we did at Christmas, today we will offer parishioners invitations with our Easter Mass Schedule printed on them. Share them with family, friends, and neighbors you know don’t regularly attend church. We often feel reluctant to invite people to church because we fear they will reject the idea. A recent survey found that 60% of unchurched people say they would attend church on Easter if invited by a friend, family member, or acquaintance. A personal invitation to church is very powerful.

Parish Photographer Wanted

3rd Sunday of Lent Homily

Wed, 26 Mar 2025 20:01:20 GMT

3rd Sunday of Lent- Fr. John Sullivan

I went off Cape on Wednesday and found what I’ve been looking for—spring! When I left

Chatham, it was foggy and drizzly and remained that way all along the Mid-Cape Highway. Suddenly, the sky became completely clear on 495 at the Bourne/Plymouth line. When I got to my brother’s house near Fall River, it was ten degrees warmer. He was doing yard work and had shed his jacket. Up against a south-facing foundation, daffodils were in bloom, buds on an elm, and some maples in the yard were beginning to swell. I spent a lovely afternoon and returned to the Cape, hoping to bring spring along. It got as far as Middleborough when I ran into the fog and clouds, and you know what the last few days have been like. We need staying power as we wait for spring on the Cape.

Spring is a season full of fits and starts. One day, it seems the nicer weather is on its way, and then we have three days of gloomy bleakness. These forty days of spiritual preparation for Easter can be the same way. The English-speaking Christian world calls this season Lent. A term meaning spring. Like spring, our Lenten conversion can be filled with fits and starts. We made big plans for a fruitful Lent on Ash Wednesday, but after a couple of weeks, we may have slipped back into our old patterns again. We need staying power to experience conversion this Lent.

To help build spiritual staying power, we have been preaching a series of Lenten homilies using the theme “In with the New.” Our purpose is to help parishioners develop the staying power to strengthen their relationships with God. The first week, Deacon Art preached about temptation and how, after resolving to live a good Lent, temptation can land in our laps like a stick of dynamite. We can’t panic but must move quickly to confront temptation. Last week, I spoke about God wanting to renew God’s covenant with us. This is the covenant God first made with us at our baptism and the one we will renew as we reaffirm our baptismal promises at Easter Masses. An ancient covenant was a pledge between two parties, but God’s covenant with his people is a one-way agreement. God lets responsibility for keeping the covenant fall all on God.

Lent is the time to improve our relationship with God. God believes humanity is capable of change and goodness and worth having a relationship with us. Our state of sin and selfishness need not be fatal to our souls. God wants to save us, but conversion needs staying power. If we want a worthwhile relationship with God, we need to be open to allowing ourselves to prune away the dead wood, train branches in the right direction, and allow the soil around us to be aerated and nutrients added so we can be fruitful disciples.

God wants to save us even more than we can desire salvation. Proof of that comes from the scriptures. Passages like the ones we heard today. The reading from Exodus teaches us that God initiates a relationship with all of us regardless of our openness to it. Moses was an unlikely candidate to be the man to lead the Israelites out of Egyptian slavery. While Moses was born into a family of Israelites, he was raised in the household of Pharaoh’s daughter. He only had a cursory understanding of his people’s relationship with God. Moses had such a poor understanding of God’s relationship with him he didn’t give his firstborn son circumcision as a mark of belonging to God’s Chosen People. His morals weren’t that good either. He had killed an Egyptian. That was why he was hanging out hiding and herding sheep in the Midian desert on the slopes of Mt Horeb.

God appears in the burning bush to a marginal Israelite going about his everyday business of herding sheep. Moses wasn’t seeking God; they didn’t have a relationship. It was God who sought out Moses. Moses didn’t appear to have many qualities of a good leader either. He wasn’t a persuasive speaker, and his management skills weren’t great. Yet, God appeared to him in the burning bush, chose to reveal God’s name to him, and commissioned Moses to win the Israelites their freedom from slavery.

Today’s gospel parable of the fig tree is another example of God’s desire to help us bear spiritual fruit this Lent. We can misinterpret the landowner as an image of God the Father and the gardener as Jesus. We imagine the landowner as an impatient Old Testament vengeful God and the gardener a compassionate, loving Jesus the Son. At least, that is how I was guilty of interpreting Jesus’ parable. Actually, it is God the Father who is the gardener. An indulgent gardener should be God the Father since Jesus tells the parable. God the Father wants to give us another opportunity to bear fruit.

Without understanding fig trees, we can underestimate the gardener's patience. The fig tree has been assigned a chosen place to grow. In a land with mostly thin, dry soil, it was given a choice place in a vineyard. The farmer would choose the most fertile ground to plant the grapevines. He would supplement the soil by bringing in dirt from the surrounding area to make even richer fertile ground.

Fig trees must grow for three years before they begin to bear fruit. The landowner has already been very patient with this tree. He claims to have been coming in search of fruit for three years, so that means the tree has been growing for six unproductive years.

Jesus tells us that the gardener, God, wants to give this unproductive tree yet another year to bear fruit and prove its worthiness. The gardener will take time away from other duties to give this unproductive plant special attention. The gardener will loosen the soil around the tree trunk, provide some extra water, and pile manure at the base, hoping to coax a crop from the tree.

Since God wants to save us, what must we do to help? We need to be open to grace, open our souls, and welcome God. The Sacraments, especially the Sacrament of Reconciliation, help us do that. I’ve told you that I don’t want to be a scold, but of all the parishes I’ve served, Holy Redeemer has the poorest practice of Confession. I’ve sat in the Reconciliation Room on a Saturday and had no one come. This Lent, I’ve decided to try to encourage the practice of Reconciliation by making myself more available to celebrate it. In addition to being in the Reconciliation Room at the back of the church on Saturdays from 3-3:45 p.m. I am in the Confessional on Tuesday afternoons from 3:30-4:30 p.m.

People are coming, although I can’t say in overwhelming numbers. Like the gardener, I’ll be patient in the hope that more people will come. Those who are coming seem to find it a very good experience. Several admit it has been years, even decades since they celebrated Reconciliation. Some say they almost feel giddy with joy after receiving absolution.

There is no wrong way to go to Confession. If you cannot remember the formula you learned before your First Communion, the priest will help you. You need to confess patterns of sin and not so much exact numbers of sins. It is always good to tell the priest what sins you find most burdensome. After your confession, the priest will ask you to recite an Act of Contrition. I’m often surprised by the number of penitents who don’t know the Act of Contrition by heart. It is one of my favorite prayers. If we say it every night as part of our Night Prayers, it helps us receive God’s forgiveness for the venial sins committed during the day. The priest will give you a penance, usually a few prayers to say to yourself after you leave the Reconciliation Room. This is meant as a gesture of thanksgiving for God’s mercy and not your punishment for your sins.

Receiving the Eucharist every Sunday is another way God wants to fill us with grace so we can have the staying power to be faithful disciples. The third commandment instructs us to worship God every Sunday. Every time we come to Mass, we are filled with the grace that Jesus’ death on the cross won for us. During Lent and throughout the year, several dozen parishioners attend daily Mass. Maybe you would like to join them?

Easter is a great time to share God’s loving care with people who don’t attend church. Some, like Moses, have only a vague understanding of faith because they weren’t brought up with it. Others are like that fig tree growing in the vineyard. They have been given great opportunities to develop a fruitful relationship with God, even a Catholic education, but aren’t producing fruit. They may need some special attention to become disciples.

Recently, I read that a survey of nonchurch-goers found over 60% of them would consider coming to church on Easter if asked by a family member, friend, or acquaintance. We will pass out invitations after Mass to help you have an entrée asking such people to come to Easter Mass. You will remember we did this at Christmas. Take three or four.

We also want to be a very friendly parish at Easter. To do that, we need parking attendants welcoming people and directing them to spaces in the parking lot. We need greeters opening doors and smiling at our visitors and parishioners who might not come that often. We need ushers to help unusually large crowds find seats so everyone can be comfortable. Beginning next week, we will have sign-up sheets available for volunteers. If you helped at Christmas, please do so again at Easter.

With some staying power, spring will come even on Cape Cod. Its warmth, freshness, and new life will renew us. Let Lent and its spiritual disciplines allow God a deeper relationship of growth and love with you.

Is "The Chosen" Worth Our Time?

Wed, 26 Mar 2025 19:50:49 GMT

From the Pastor March 29/30

Is “The Chosen” Worth the Time?

I’m not a big TV watcher. I only have basic cable, although I need to move it up a notch to see Red Sox games this season. I don’t subscribe to any streaming services. At the beginning of COVID, Ryan Peteraf helped me sign up for Hulu. I thought I’d have time on my hands, but I found myself too busy to watch and canceled it. So, I’ve never watched Ted Lasko, Dynasty, or any other shows on streaming service. That includes the series The Chosen, about the life of Jesus.

The show started in 2019 and has released a fifth season called The Last Supper, based on the events of Holy Week, which opened in theaters on Friday. The closest theaters showing it are the Regal at Mashpee Commons and Independence Mall in Kingston. Maybe fans would like to call the Orpheum and ask them to screen it.

The show has been crowdsourced, with small donations coming from supporters. Its storylines are based on the speculative backstory of much of what the gospels tell us about the lives of Jesus and the disciples. It is very popular. There have been a projected 200 million viewers over the last four years, and producers claim it is a great evangelizing tool. Thirty percent of views are supposed to be non-Christians.

A cover story in this month’s America magazine, “The Chosen,” is wildly popular. Should Catholics watch it? asks if the show is up to Catholic standards. Its author, Fr. Joe Hoover, S.J., asks, since we are the church of such cultural luminaries as Dante, Bernini, John Manley Hopkins, James Joyce, and Flannery O’Connor, does the show measure up to Catholic standards? Yes, a Catholic actor, Jonathan Roumie, plays Jesus, and Holy Cross priest David Guffey, C.S.C., is a religious advisor does it measure up to Catholic theological standards? After all, the creator is an evangelical named Dallas Jenkins.

Fr. Hoover asks, has “The Chosen” begun to believe its hype? Is it on the way to becoming a spiritual Nike? To summarize, Fr. Hoover, The Chosen is worth watching, even must-see TV. He said, “The Chosen has simply become what is. It is a thing that has lodged itself in the culture that is here to stay. Millions of people, all over the world, are really into this show. And if a Catholic today- in particular any kind of Catholic minister-is not present to “The Chosen,” then they are not present to an increasing number of their people. Because at some point, everyone in the church, in one way or another, is going to engage with “The Chosen.” I guess I need to sign up and start watching.

Critical Time for CRS

Today’s second collection for Catholic Relief Services is critical! CRS is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. The Trump Administration’s dismantling of USAID has gravely impacted CRS. It had to halt its U.S. government-supported work due to the lack of payments: food in warehouses could not be distributed to the hungry, and women and children could not get vital health and nutrition services.

Catholic Relief Services was founded at the end of World War II to help war refugees. Today, it works around the world to relieve the causes of poverty and lack of development. Its work assists with aid to agriculture, education, and emergency response and recovery. Ninety-four percent of donations are spent on programs and six percent on administrative costs.

Please show support for the work of our Church throughout the world by being extraordinarily generous to the CRS collection. America must show its exceptionalism by being exceptionally generous to the poor of our world.

Living A Spiritual Lent

Hopefully, everyone is settled into Lent as we reach its midpoint. Even if this isn’t your best Lent, starting a little late is better than doing nothing, so start today.

Attendance at our 8 am daily Mass is a Lenten practice for many during Lent. Please consider making attendance part of your Lent. Maybe it will become your practice all year long. As in past years, we will recite the Stations of the Cross followed by Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament every Friday afternoon at 4:30. Each week, a parish ministry will lead us in a different setting of the stations. Members of the Hospitality Ministry will lead this week using the Stations for Seniors.” A simple soup supper will follow in the Parish Center. There is no charge for the meal. Come pray and share fellowship with other parishioners.

Filling Your Lenten Folders

Recently, I have seen some wonderful public service announcements on television describing the rewards people get from providing a welcoming home to foster children, especially teenagers. Your donation to the Lenten Folders can tremendously impact many lives.

Business Manager Opening

Howard Whelden, our parish Business Manager, is retiring after eight years on June 30. We are looking for someone with Managerial Accounting experience to replace him. That person should be proficient with QuickBooks, Microsoft Office Suite, and Adobe and be willing to gain proficiency with several other systems the parish uses. The job is part-time, twenty-five hours a week. Interested persons should supply the Parish Office with their resumes. Call the office at 508-945-0677.

Lower/Outer Cape Young Adult Group Forming

A Young Catholic Adult Group for those aged 19-35 to socialize, play, and pray together is being formed for the Lower/Outer Cape Area. If you are interested in joining, please contact Colin Murphy at YACapeCod@gmail.com

Start Evangelizing for Easter

Parish Photographer Wanted

From the Pastor March 22/23

Tue, 18 Mar 2025 20:43:14 GMT

From the Pastor March 22/23

Critical Time for CRS

Next week’s second collection for Catholic Relief Services is critical! According to a press release issued by CRS last Monday, Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. CRS stated that it works to alleviate suffering and assist people in need in more than 100 countries, regardless of race, religion, or nationality. Its relief and development work is accomplished through emergency response programs, HIV prevention, health, agriculture, education, microfinance, and peacebuilding efforts.

CRS has been gravely impacted by the Trump Administration’s dismantling of USAID. Over the last several weeks, CRS has had to halt its U.S. government-supported work due to the lack of payments: food in warehouses could not be distributed to the hungry, and women and children could not get vital health and nutrition services. Some of the funds suspended were to be used to pay CRS for materials and services it has already expended.

The press release said: “By ending these life-saving programs, our government is not only neglecting our nation’s responsibility, but also weakening the very foundations of peace, stability, and prosperity. We urge the administration to reverse these terminations and issue prompt payments to continue this life-saving and life-giving assistance.”

Next Sunday, be extraordinarily generous to the CRS collection. Show support for the work of our Church throughout the world. America must show its exceptionalism by being exceptionally generous to the poor of our world. Even a generous response by American Catholics to next week’s collection will not make up for a fraction of the funds supplied by USAID, so we must communicate to our government officials our demands that funding be restored for foreign aid and support for a sense of charity and social justice on the part of our nation.

Sure, And It Was Good Craic

That’s Irish for “And A Good Time Was Had by All”! The St. Patrick’s Day Corned Beef and Cabbage Dinner was a tremendous success. Everyone in attendance said they really enjoyed themselves. The dinner prepared by Rik and Caren Morse from the Chatham Filling Station was exceptional, and parishioners renewed acquaintances. Thanks to the committee who organized a wonderful evening. Plans are being made for next year.

Living A Spiritual Lent

Hopefully, everyone is settling into Lent, which is approaching its midpoint. Don't worry too much if you haven’t made much effort yet. You can still get in the swing of things. It is better to start a little late than do nothing, so start today.

Many parishioners make attendance at our 8 am daily Mass, a Lenten practice. Please consider your attendance part of your Lent. Maybe it will become your practice all year long. As in past years, we will recite the Stations of the Cross followed by Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament every Friday afternoon at 4:30. Each week, a parish ministry will lead us in a different setting of the stations. Members of the Choir will lead this week using the “Overcoming Racism Stations.” A simple soup supper will follow in the Parish Center. There is no charge for the meal. Come pray and share fellowship with other parishioners.

Filling Your Lenten Folders

Parishioners received a Lenten Letter before the season began. It included our annual Lenten Folder. Parishioners are encouraged to use the folder as a Lenten almsgiving activity. Please put aside 25c each day for a total of $10 over the course of Lent. We will donate proceeds from the folders to the Cape Cod Foster Closet. The Closet is a charity that provides clothing and other essentials to foster parents welcoming a child from state custody into their home. Providing a home for a foster child is a very generous gesture from these people, and we need to support them.

Taizé Prayer Service

A Taizé Prayer Service will be held on Sunday, March 23, at 3:00 pm in the Parish Center. Taizé prayer originated at the Ecumenical Monastery in France. It is contemplative and includes music emphasizing simple scriptural phrases. The services have no preaching. Taizé Prayer is a good aid to your Lenten prayer. Since the beginning of Lent, our Recessional Hymn is an example of the Taizé worship style.

Business Manager Opening

Howard Whelden, our parish Business Manager, is retiring after eight years on June 30. We are looking for someone with Managerial Accounting experience to replace him. That person should be proficient with QuickBooks, Microsoft Office Suite, and Adobe and be willing to gain proficiency with several other systems the parish uses. The job is part-time, twenty-five hours a week. Interested persons should supply the Parish Office with their resumes. Call the office at 508-945-0677.

Start Evangelizing for Easter

Parish Photographer Wanted

From the Pastor March 15/16

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 19:56:31 GMT

From the Pastor March 15/16

Living A Spiritual Lent

Hopefully, everyone has gotten off to a good start this Lent. Don't worry too much if you have yet to get in the swing of things. There is still time. I recently read over a list of 101 things to give up for Lent compiled by the staff of America, the Jesuit magazine. I thought, "Wow, who thought of all those things." Well I read over the list, and only about half of them were suggestions of possible things to give up. There was also a long list of things to pick up or do for Lent.

Give-up:

Chocolate -that is a no-brainer and on the top of everybody's list.
Television-Pope Francis has done this one for the last thirty-five years.
Social media-The Vatican strongly encourages this one. They are even giving a special Holy Year Indulgence for this one.
Plastic straws-Donald Trump might be right about paper ones collapsing, but you can use glass or metal reusable ones. Maybe tell the clerk you don't need one.
Keurig Pods or coffee altogether
Pretending to know all the answers-looking up the real answer leads to understanding.

Take-ups:

Kindness and gratitude-People make mistakes, things happen that are beyond their control. Treat others with understanding.
Declutter-Realize you don't need half of the things you own, the day will never come when you need the things you are hanging on to.
Being present to others-it isn't all about you; fight against distractions when in the presence of others.
Pray more-Visit a church every day, say a Rosary, pray for others while in traffic.
Join a small faith-sharing group- you will grow in your love of God throughout the year.
Pray for your parish priest. He might do things that irritate you, but remember, this is a busy time, so say a prayer for him at Sunday Mass.

I thought these were some of the better ones. What are you giving up or taking up for Lent?

Many parishioners make attendance at our 8 am daily Mass, a Lenten practice. Please consider your attendance part of your Lent. Maybe it will become your practice all year long.

As in past years, we will recite the Stations of the Cross followed by Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament every Friday afternoon at 4:30. Each week, a parish ministry will lead us in a different setting of the stations. St. Vincent de Paul Society members will lead the stations using the Social Justice Stations this Friday. A simple soup supper will follow in the Parish Center. There is no charge for the meal. Come pray and share fellowship with other parishioners.

Filling Your Lenten Folders

Parishioners received a Lenten Letter before the season began. It included our annual Lenten Folder. Parishioners are encouraged to use the folder as a Lenten almsgiving activity. Please put aside 25c each day for a total of $10 over the course of Lent. We will donate proceeds from the folders to the Cape Cod Foster Closet. The Closet is a charity that provides clothing and other essentials to foster parents welcoming a child from state custody into their home. Providing a home for a foster child is a very generous gesture from these people, and we need to support them.

Keeping Up Appearances

We want to keep our newly renovated church looking top-notch. We don't want to let wear and tear go unattended. So, a group of parishioners has formed to keep a lookout for such things. Some members have experience in maintenance, the trades, or construction. Others want to lend a hand around our properties. You can help by joining the Building and Maintenance Group or looking around the church for little things that need attention. See something, Say something.

We finally have an engineering plan for the parking lot. It includes an entrance directly off Old Harbor Road and stall spaces rather than the current rows. Light fixtures like the one installed for Christmas will run down the middle of the lot, and a new sign facing out onto Old Harbor Road is also in the plans. All we need now is the price for the work.

Did you notice new doors were installed at Our Lady of Grace Chapel? That happened in January. They add light to the back of the chapel. Swing up the hill and take a look.

Taize Prayer Service

A Taize Prayer Service will be held on Sunday, March 23, at 3:00 pm in the Parish Center. Taize prayer originated at the Ecumenical Monastery in France. It is contemplative and includes music emphasizing simple scriptural phrases. The services have no preaching. Taize Prayer is a good aid to your Lenten prayer. Since the beginning of Lent, our Recessional Hymn is an example of the Taize worship style.

From the Pastor March 8/9

Wed, 05 Mar 2025 21:45:37 GMT

From the Pastor March 8/9

Encouraging News for Christianity

Two recent surveys, one from the Pew Research Center and the other from the Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gorden-Conwell Theological Seminary, an Evangelical seminary on the Massachusetts North Shore, provide encouraging news for Christianity worldwide and in the United States.

The Religious Landscape Study for the United States, released by the Pew Center, found that the number of Americans claiming to be "nones," people espousing no religious affiliation, seems to have leveled off. Today, 62% of Americans profess to be Christian, down from 78% who claimed Christianity as their religious affiliation in 2007. According to the Pew study, there is a significant generational gap, with only 46% of younger Americans professing a religious affiliation, while 80% of older Americans claim one. The study could not conclude if younger Americans will become more religious as they marry and start raising a family.

The Pew study found that only 5% of Americans claim to be atheists, 6% agnostics, but 19% say they are nothing in particular. That 19% group doesn't seem to have rejected faith entirely and could be fertile ground for evangelization. The study also found a high level of spirituality in our country: 83% of Americans believe in God or a universal spirit, 86% believe they have a soul, and 78% claim to believe in Heaven and Hell. The study found that 40% of Americans profess to be members of a Protestant denomination, 19% Catholics, and 3% Mormons, Orthodox Christian, or some other smaller Christian group.

The Global Vision Study found that worldwide Christianity is growing .1% faster than total world population growth. Like the Pew study, they also found that the number of non-religious people seems to have leveled off worldwide. Christians number 264 billion souls today and are expected to grow to 300 billion by 2050. This survey also reports a worldwide decline in the number of atheists.

The number of Catholics worldwide grew by 1% between 2021-24. Much of this growth is happening in Africa and Asia. Evangelical and Pentecostal Protestantism is also growing in that part of the world.

While this growth is a good sign, it has challenges for our Church. One is the ability to finance missionary work in Africa and Asia. Many African and Asian countries have a wealth of vocations but lack the resources to educate them. In years past, missionaries from the global north would return home to raise funds for evangelization, but their declining number has hampered that funding source.

Many of us get solicitations for missionary groups. Please consider supporting them and their work. I contribute to the Maryknoll, the Catholic Foreign Missionary Society of America. While initially a group of American missionaries, today, many members come from the southern hemisphere. You can support many other excellent missionary societies with your donations and prayers.

With the beginning of Lent, Easter is around the corner. It allows us to evangelize the none, fallen away Catholics and seekers in our midst. As we did at Christmas, we plan to offer parishioners invitations to Easter Masses they can share with unchurched friends and neighbors. Start considering good candidates you can evangelize and encourage to attend Easter Masses with you this year.

Living A Spiritual Lent

Registered Holy Redeemer Parishioners received a Lenten letter recently with several suggestions to help us make Lent 2025 spiritually productive. Included with the letter was a pamphlet, Hope in the Cross, A Lenten Experience , which illustrates how important embracing hope is. Hope isn't dreaming some wild fancy. Hope is looking forward in faith even in the most challenging situations. Please read over the pamphlet and put into practice some of its suggested ways to practice prayer and fasting this year.

Many parishioners make attendance at our 8 am daily Mass. Please consider making daily Mass attendance part of your Lent. Maybe it will become your practice all year long.

As in past years, we will recite the Stations of the Cross followed by Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament every Friday afternoon at 4:30. Each week, a parish ministry will lead us in a different setting of the stations. This Friday, St. Vincent de Paul Society members will lead the stations using the Social Justice Stations. A simple soup supper will follow in the Parish Center. There is no charge for the meal. Come pray and share fellowship with other parishioners.

The letter also announced that rejuvenating the Sacrament of Reconciliation is part of our Lenten efforts. Fr. Sullivan is setting aside extra time to be in the Reconciliation Room at the back of the church. In addition to the usual Saturday afternoon time frame of 3:00–3:45 pm, he will be there on Tuesday afternoons from 3:30-4:30 pm. Later in Lent, we will schedule a Reconciliation Service.

Filling Your Lenten Folders

Parishioners received a Lenten Letter before the season began. It included our annual Lenten Folder. Parishioners are encouraged to use the folder as a Lenten almsgiving activity. Please put aside 25c each day for a total of $10 over the course of Lent. We will donate proceeds from the folders to the Cape Cod Foster Closet. The Closet is a charity that provides clothing and other essentials to foster parents welcoming a child from state custody into their home. Providing a home for a foster child is a very generous gesture from these people, and we need to support them.

From the Pastor March 1/2

Thu, 27 Feb 2025 21:14:08 GMT

From the Pastor March 1/2

From Palms to Ashes

Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Season of Lent. Even though Ash Wednesday is not a Holy Day of Obligation, receiving the mark of ashes on the forehead is very popular with most Catholics and some other Christians. Mass crowds are often much larger on Ash Wednesday. It is so popular that you have people who seldom attend church show up for ashes. Priests refer to such people as CAPE Catholics or parishioners who attend Mass on Christmas, Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday, and Easter.

On Sunday at 3 pm, we'll conduct a short Prayer Service and ceremoniously burn last year's palms to make the ashes for this Ash Wednesday. If you were wondering, that is where the ashes come from. You can bring your old palms to the service if you forgot to bring them to Mass today, but don't bother to bring them next week. You can burn them up yourself.

Using ashes as a mark of repentance for sins has an ancient Biblical precedence. Several times in the Hebrew scriptures, we hear God command His people to put on sackcloth, which is extremely uncomfortable to wear, and pour ashes over their heads as a sign of repentance. While in our country, the tradition is to mark Mass goer's foreheads with a sign of the cross while saying, "Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return" or "Repent and believe in the Gospel," in Italy and many other countries, the ashes are poured onto the crown of people's heads.

In recent years, I've heard of non-Catholic clergy going to supermarkets, commuter rail stations, and other such places and giving out ashes. I don't get it! That seems to make receiving ashes a charm or superstition. Do they think just having ashes on their forehead will help prepare their souls to grow closer to Christ? We need to hear the Word of God and receive the Eucharist if we want to turn our hearts back to God. That is why I only distribute ashes at Mass.

Ashes are a sacramental or a dynamic sign to help remind us of the Sacraments. They make any moment holy and open our hearts to receive God's blessings. They help point us towards the Sacraments and lead us to receive the graces they give. Sacramentals don't require recipients to study or be of a certain age before receiving them. Anyone from the smallest of babies, non-Catholics, and anyone with a heart open to God can receive ashes. It is always good to do a little preparation before receiving ashes. Since we are entering a penitential season where we reflect on our sinfulness, it is good to say an Act of Contrition or some prayer of repentance. Try to plan to wear your ashes for as much of the day as possible. Don't be reluctant or ashamed to show the world that you are a person of faith willing to proclaim you are on a journey of faith, joining with Jesus on the way to sharing in his Resurrection.

I hope all parishioners will be sure to come to Mass, receive Ashes, and prepare themselves to deepen their faith in God this Wednesday as we begin the season of Lent.

Celebration of Anointing of the Sick

This weekend, we will celebrate the Sacrament of the Sick with parishioners who are candidates for Anointing. You are a good candidate if you are suffering from a chronic illness, advanced in age with diminishing strength, preparing to undergo surgery (serious enough that you will undergo general anesthesia), or are in danger of death due to illness, injury, or old age.

Recently, Pope Francis called for Catholics to better understand the Sacrament of the Sick. Popularly known as the "Last Rites," the Sacrament isn't only for people approaching death. It is a sacrament of healing meant to fill a sick person with God's grace for physical and spiritual healing.

The Sacrament of the Sick helps the afflicted person to be reminded of the power of prayer to save the sick person. The Anointing signifies Christ's compassion and hope for the sick. It gives the afflicted's family solace, reminding everyone they are not alone in their suffering.

The Anointing of the Sick offers the ill special graces by uniting their illnesses to Christ's passion for their good and that of the whole Church and gives them the strength and peace to endure their suffering and pain in a Christian manner. The anointed person receives conditional forgiveness for their sins, healing, and purification of their soul.

Caregivers should not wait to call a priest to visit someone who is dying. He should be called while the sick person is alert enough to ask for absolution and receive communion. Spread the word about the correct understanding of "last rites" and help bring solace to suffering souls.

Coffee & Donuts

Coffee & donuts or other refreshments will be offered after Masses this weekend and the first weekend of every month. Everyone is invited to our newly renovated Parish Center to join the conversation and fraternity of parish life. The best access to the hall is through the elevator lobby doors to the left of the altar.

Living A Spiritual Lent

Registered Holy Redeemer Parishioners received a Lenten letter recently with several suggestions to help us make Lent 2025 spiritually productive. Included with the letter was a pamphlet, Hope in the Cross, A Lenten Experience , which gives ways to practice prayer and fasting this year, and a Lenten Folder for our almsgiving.

As in past years, we will recite the Stations of the Cross followed by Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament every Friday afternoon at 4:30. Each week, a parish ministry will lead us in a different setting of the stations. This Friday, members of the Pastoral Council will lead using the Stations for Today's Disciples . A simple soup supper will follow in the Parish Center. There is no charge for the meal. Come pray and share fellowship with other parishioners.

From the Pastor Feb 22/23

Wed, 19 Feb 2025 22:46:10 GMT

From the Pastor Feb 22/23

Holy Year Doors of Rome

Every twenty-five years is declared a Jubilee or Holy Year by the pope. A major aspect of the celebration is the opening of the Holy Doors of each of the four Major Basilicas in Rome. Parishioners Teresa and Pat Lim made a Eucharistic Pilgrimage to Italy with a stop in Rome, and they visited the holy doors. Here are some of their recollections.

I’d watched on Christmas Eve, the Pope’s Midnight Mass, where he opened the Porta Sancta (Holy Door) at St Peter’s Basilica. Pope Francis said hope is the central message of the Jubilee. Spes Non Confundit . “Hope does not disappoint” (Rom 5:5). As the Pope has said in the Papal Bull, “for everyone, may the Jubilee be a moment of genuine, personal encounter with the Lord Jesus, the “door” (cf Jn10:7.9) of our salvation.

Pilgrimage is a fundamental element of every Jubilee event. Setting out on a journey is traditionally associated with our human quest for meaning in life. A pilgrimage on foot is a great aid for rediscovering the value of silence, effort, and simplicity of life.

The Holy Door, Porta Sancta, is Jesus – He is the Holy Door for us to receive God’s forgiveness, mercy, and love. In our Eucharistic Miracle Pilgrimage last October, we spent 3 days in Rome, during which we visited St Peter’s Basilica, St Mary Major (St Mary Maggiore), St John Lateran, and St Paul outside the Walls. Each of these four major basilicas has a Holy Door. We were blessed to touch them, take photos, and just marvel.

If we cannot travel as pilgrims to Rome in 2025, we can adopt the attitude of a pilgrim and make local pilgrimages to our cathedrals or shrines. On your pilgrimage make every effort to be open to conversion, repent, and live a holier life this year than we have a year ago. Develop a deeper relationship with Jesus and be the person God created you to be, by adopting and reflecting more of the values and attributes of Jesus himself.

From the Word Among Us, here is some reflection on the Jubilee celebration. We can all enter the spirit of the Jubilee by:

Making a pilgrimage . Gather a few friends or family members to plan a pilgrimage, whether to your diocesan cathedral or a local shrine or holy site. No matter how far you travel, God will bless your efforts and reward your desire to receive all the graces of this holy year, including the gift of hope.

Forgive your ‘debtors. The Jubilee Year for the Israelites was celebrated every fifty years and involved the forgiveness of debts and a call to return the land to its original owner. We can follow this spirit by forgiving the “debt” incurred against us when other people have hurt or offended us.

Do Penance . Embrace the spirit of penance by rediscovering the penitential nature of Fridays – not just by abstaining from meat, but by fasting from ‘futile distractions’ such as social media or television. We could also donate to a charity or perform spiritual or corporal mercy works.

The diocese has designated St. Francis Xavier Church in Hyannis as Cape Cod’s local Holy Year pilgrimage site. It would be a nice celebration to organize a simple parish pilgrimage in the late spring.

Celebration of Anointing of the Sick

On the weekend of March 1 & 2, we will celebrate the Sacrament of the Sick within the context of the Mass with parishioners who are candidates for Anointing. You are a good candidate if you are suffering from a chronic illness, advanced in age with diminishing strength, preparing to undergo surgery (serious enough that you will undergo general anesthesia), or are in danger of death due to illness, injury, or old age.

Recently, Pope Francis called for Catholics to better understand the Sacrament of the Sick. Popularly known as the “Last Rites,” the sacrament isn’t only for people approaching death. It is a sacrament of healing meant to fill a sick person with God’s grace for physical and spiritual healing.

The Sacrament of the Sick helps the afflicted person be reminded of the power of prayer to save the sick person. The Anointing signifies Christ’s compassion and hope for the sick. It gives the afflicted's family solace reminding everyone they are not alone in their suffering.

The Anointing of the Sick offers the ill, special graces by uniting their afflictions to Christ’s passion for their good and that of the whole Church and gives them the strength and peace to endure their suffering and pain in a Christian manner. The anointed person receives conditional forgiveness for their sins, healing, and purification of their soul.

Actual last rites are more than the Anointing of the Sick. They include Reconciliation, Viaticum (Communion), and the Apostolic Blessing. Caregivers shouldn’t wait to call a priest to visit someone who is dying. He should be called while the sick person is alert enough to ask for absolution and swallow communion. Spread the word about the correct understanding of “last rites” and help bring solace to suffering souls.

Coffee & Donuts

We aim to spoil your appetite. Coffee & donuts or other refreshments will be offered after Masses next weekend and the first weekend of every month. Everyone is invited to our newly renovated Parish Center to join the conversation and fraternity of parish life. The best access to the hall is through the elevator lobby doors to the left of the altar.

Bring Us Your Old Palms

Beginning next weekend, we will collect your old palms to burn to make ashes for distribution on Ash Wednesday. Baskets to collect them will be placed in both lobbies. On Sunday, March 2, at 3 p.m., we’ll have a short prayer service to burn the old palms.

From the Pastor Feb 15/16

Wed, 12 Feb 2025 20:09:36 GMT

From the Pastor Feb 15/16

The Real Presence, It’s Real

When doubts about the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist are raised, God takes time to remind us Jesus didn’t lie when promised to be with us always. Music Director Teresa Lim and her sister Pat made a pilgrimage to the sites of several Eucharistic miracles in Italy. I asked Pat to write about the pilgrimage. Here are some of her reflections.

Our journey on earth is a pilgrimage to Heaven, our eternal destination, but the opportunity to go on a pilgrimage to another country is a blessing. My sister and I were privileged to join the Diocese of Trenton Eucharistic Pilgrimage to Italy in October. The sites chosen had specific Eucharistic significance or miracles. Our trip included stops in Siena, Lanciano, Assisi, Orvieto, Loretto (Holy House of Mary), Manoppello, and Rome. A special honor was bringing prayers and messages from friends and family to Blessed Carlo Acutis’ shrine in Assisi. I’ll touch on two locations – Siena and Lanciano, where two very different Eucharistic Miracles occurred.

We arrived in Siena for an early morning Mass at 9 am at the Basilica of St Francis. The town of Siena was still waking up. The Eucharistic Miracle of Siena occurred in 1730. On August 14, thieves stole a ciborium and 351 consecrated hosts from the Church of St Francis’ Tabernacle. Two days later, the hosts were found in the alms box of the Church of St Mary of Provenzano. The hosts were returned to the Basilica of St Francis, where they were venerated and remained incorrupt for centuries. Tests show that they were made from churned wheat flour and perfectly preserved. The Church concludes that the hosts are still the Body of Christ.

One can feel the holiness of the Real Presence, especially when the Ciborium, housing the consecrated hosts was revealed. We prayed in pairs in front of the Blessed Sacrament. Then, we went to the chapel next door to celebrate Mass. Fr Martin, our guide, said he was a bit overwhelmed by what he had seen and felt. He asked us to pray to Jesus, as to what we want to leave there in Siena with God and what graces we take with us.

Lanciano is the site of another Eucharistic Miracle, the oldest one dating from the 8th century. Lanciano is a small Italian town with historical and ancient architecture. The main attraction in town is the Eucharistic miracle found in the church of St Francis. Interestingly there are many St Francis churches in the small towns.

We walked to the church along ancient cobblestone streets, including a pathway that was part of the original bridge of Ancient Roman construction. The Eucharistic Miracle of Lanciano dates from the 8th century AD when Lanciano was ancient Anxanum, the city of the Frentanese. For over 12 centuries, it has been believed to be the first and greatest Eucharistic Miracle in the Catholic Church. This event occurred in the little church of St Legontian. It was a divine response to a Basilian monk’s doubts about Jesus’ Real Presence in the Eucharist. During his celebration of Holy Mass, after the two-fold consecration, the host was changed into live Flesh and the wine into real Blood, which coagulated into five globules, irregular and differing in shape and size.

Various ecclesiastical investigations were conducted since 1574. Tests show the host consists of the muscular tissue of the heart. Present are sections of the myocardium, the endocardium, and the vagus nerve. The thickness of the myocardium indicates it is from the heart's left ventricle. The Flesh is “Heart” complete in its essential nature. The Flesh and the Blood have the same blood type, AB. In the Blood were found proteins in the same normal proportions as in the sero-proteic make-up of normal fresh blood.

You can read more about Eucharistic Miracles thanks to soon-to-be saint Blessed Carlo Acutis. He compiled an online database about Eucharistic miracles from around the world. It has become a significant resource for anyone interested in understanding Eucharistic miracles. While in Assisi, we visited his body, which is interned in Assisi’s St Mary Major Church, near the Basilica of St Clare.

It’s Not For the End of Life

Recently, Pope Francis offered his monthly prayer intention for Catholics to understand the Sacrament of the Sick better. Popularly known as the “Last Rites,” Francis pointed out that the sacrament isn’t only for people approaching death but, along with Reconciliation, a sacrament of healing and support in illness.

The purpose of the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is to fill a sick person with God’s grace to help the afflicted person be reminded of the power of prayer. In the celebration of the Sacrament, Jesus presents himself to the ill person as he did in the Gospel’s healing stories. The Anointing signifies Christ’s compassion and hope for the sick. It has the additional effect of bringing strength to family members of the afflicted. It reminds everyone that they are not alone in their suffering.

The Anointing of the Sick offers the ill, special graces by uniting their afflictions to the passion of Christ for their good and that of the whole Church and gives them the strength and peace to endure their suffering and pain in a Christian manner. The anointed person receives conditional forgiveness for their sins, healing, and purification of their soul. It is also preparation for passing into eternal life when that time comes.

On the weekend of March 1 & 2, we will celebrate the Sacrament of the Sick within the context of the Mass. You are a good candidate if you are suffering from a chronic illness, advanced in age with diminishing strength, preparing to undergo surgery (serious enough that you will undergo general anesthesia), or are in danger of death due to illness, injury, or old age.

The last rites are still part of the practice of the Church, but the Anointing of the Sick isn’t considered part of them. The last rites include Reconciliation, Viaticum (Communion), and the Apostolic Blessing. Caregivers shouldn’t wait to encourage the seriously ill to celebrate these sacraments. Call a priest to celebrate them while the sick person is alert enough to ask for absolution and to swallow communion. Spread the word about the correct understanding of last rites and help bring solace to suffering souls.

A Barrage of Issues

Over the last few weeks, the Trump Administration has made decisions with profound implications for vulnerable people worldwide. USAID, the agency responsible for the administration of foreign aid, has been closed. They have implemented strict enforcement against not only undocumented immigrants convicted of serious violent crimes but also non-violent men, women, and children seeking escape from adverse conditions in their home countries. The Catholic Church in America has long worked to ease the suffering of people in less well-developed countries and to help settle immigrants and refugees fleeing their countries.

If you believe these issues should still concern Catholics, consider donating to the two American Catholic organizations working in these areas. For international aid, it is:

Catholic Relief Services

228 W. Lexington Street

Baltimore, MD 21201

For aid to immigrants:

Catholic Charities, USA.

2050 Ballenger Avenue

Alexandria, VA 22314

Fr. Sullivan on Vacation

Like many parishioners, Fr. Sullivan is vacationing in a warmer climate this weekend. Masses will be celebrated by Fr. Rich Furlong, a retired diocese priest, this weekend and all week long. Please welcome Fr. Furlong and pray for Fr. Sullivan to have a safe and relaxing time away.

Bring Us Your Old Palms

Feast of the Presentation of the Lord Homily

Wed, 05 Feb 2025 21:25:17 GMT

Feast of the Presentation of the Lord Homily- Fr. John Sullivan

Young people tend to spend time trying to plan their lives. As an adolescent, I remember spending hours contemplating my future. I established timelines and benchmarks for when I hoped to accomplish the expectations I had for my life. It didn't take long for me to learn life doesn't usually follow our plans. Unexpected events disrupt them and send us off in unanticipated directions. The course we set for ourselves very rarely is the one we end up following. Sometimes, these changes in course direction are welcome. They help us learn about ourselves and see that a different course in life is better than the one we planned. Other times, unexpected events are unwelcome. They lead to great disappointments that disrupt life and can even leave us bitter and disappointed.

We often wonder why some people rise to the occasion when faced with unexpected events while others falter. Two people can encounter similar life circumstances; one is resilient and uses the event to grow and flourish, and the other falls apart. They are thrown for a loop and begin a downward spiral that ruins their lives.

Unexpected events and circumstances can influence our relationship with God. Some people will use a tragedy or setback in life to grow nearer to God. They embrace God more closely, while others become embittered and doubtful of God's goodness. God wants to use life's unexpected events to help us understand God better. Unexpected situations allow God to reach out to us because when upsetting things happen, God gets our attention. Even unreligious people tend to call to God when feeling distress.

Over the last few weeks, we have been preaching a series of homilies called "Unexpected." We have been reflecting on how various Biblical characters have reacted when placed in unexpected situations. We first reflected on how a support group of people to turn to in an emergency is very useful. Many people lack that, and sociologists and psychologists have warned us it damages our society.

Our parish community is here to provide that support mechanism, so become active here at Holy Redeemer. Go beyond just showing up to church with the outlook that you must fulfill an obligation. Enter into the fullness of parish life.

Participating in a small faith-sharing group is an excellent way to strengthen your sense of community. Less than a year ago, we began forming small groups here at Holy Redeemer. About seventy parishioners participate in them. Our objective is to make our church not only a church with small groups but a church of small groups. We feel your participation in a small group is key to growing your relationship with God and each other.

On Saturday, February 15, from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., we will celebrate the first anniversary of our small group experience. Last year's facilitator, Allison Gingras, will return, and Teresa Lim will lead us in some inspirational music. Lunch will be served. There is no charge for the event. Over seventy parishioners have already signed up. We have space for ninety in the parish center, so register today. Forms are at the end of your pew. Fill one out and drop it in the box at the Welcome Desks at the church doors.

Many biblical characters used unexpected events to grow in their faith. They took a challenging situation and reflected on it to understand how God was calling them to love God more deeply. Rather than being distressed by life events, if we contemplate how to use them to better our lives, we can grow closer to God.

People of faith remember that God is good even when life isn't. They remember that God is always on our side and wants the best for us. God is always ready with the gifts of grace to help us overcome hardships and turn around our disappointments.

People who use life's unexpected tragedies for good use their loss and pain to help others. So often, we hear about people suffering from a disaster who turn around and help others they feel are suffering more than themselves. Reports from the California communities ravaged by the recent wildfires include many such examples.

Many of life's unexpected events can be traced to our faults and failures. We allowed a small sin to lead to greater and greater acts of sinfulness. Soon, we found ourselves in situations we had never anticipated. Resilient people accept that reality and turn to a loving and merciful God for forgiveness. They cast themselves on a compassionate God seeking reconciliation. They know they can depend on God's grace and mercy to return them to the fullness of life.

People who can deal with adversity have used normal times to grow in faith. Every day, they set aside prayer time to reflect on their actions and to listen to God's promptings in their souls. Consistently communicating with God builds a strong relationship that gives them the courage to confront adversity.

Today, I will join you in considering those situations when unexpected responsibilities come our way. Life is rolling along when circumstances suddenly call us to push the limits of what we feel comfortable doing. Situations develop that call us to do things we never anticipated having to do. Today, many grandparents are raising their grandchildren. They believed their child-raising days were over, but suddenly, they needed to parent a new generation.

This week, a parishioner involved in ministry here at Holy Redeemer told me she wouldn't be as available as she would like because a young grandson has been diagnosed with autism. Unexpectedly, she must be available to help his parents with his care.

Sometimes, that unexpected responsibility means being called to speak the truth to power. God calls us to step into a leadership role unexpectedly. We would rather not, but we see an injustice and must call out against it. I believe all of us will be called to do that soon.

That was the role of the Biblical Prophet, but so many of them resisted it when first called by God. Jeremiah claimed to be too young when God instructed him to take up the call to prophecy. God told Jeremiah he wasn't too young, and God had planned to make him a prophet even before his birth. The prophet Amos was not a learned person. He was a shepherd and dresser of sycamores. He was doing common farm labor and felt utterly unfit for the call to be a messenger of God. Jonah was infuriated with God when God instructed him to preach repentance to the Ninivites. Jonah hated the Ninivites and only wished suffering upon them. He tried to flee from God's call, and even when God forced him to be a prophet to Ninevah, he hoped he would be unsuccessful as their prophet.

Malachi, the author of our first reading, was also reluctant to be a prophet. Some scholars propose he may have been so unwilling to take on unexpected responsibilities that he wrote his prophecies anonymously or used Malachi as a pen name to escape reprisals from those to whom he aimed his words.

Mary and Joseph found themselves having unexpected responsibilities thrust on them, too. In today's gospel, they are in the Jerusalem Temple, intending, like all new parents of a firstborn son, to be faithful to the Law of Moses by offering the sacrifice required to redeem him.

Suddenly, the holy man Simeone happens upon them. We heard:

"The child's father and mother were amazed at what was said about him;

and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, "Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted

(and you yourself a sword will pierce) so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed."

Joseph and Mary must have realized again just how special a baby Jesus was and the kind of man he would grow to be when the prophetess, Anna, also came and

"...spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Jerusalem."

Luke tells us Jesus' parents accepted their unexpected responsibilities:

"When they had fulfilled all the prescriptions of the law of the Lord,

they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.

The child grew and became strong,

filled with wisdom, and the favor of God was upon him."

We will be called to carry out a challenging mission sometime in our lives. God will give us a difficult message to bring to our corner of the world. It will be a unique communication only you will be able to share. When God speaks, don't claim youth, lack of skills, or partisanship as your excuse to turn God down. If you refuse God, it will be left undone.

God has a special mission for you and only you. We must respond to that mission by embracing our unexpected circumstances and carrying out God's will. We will reveal God's power, protection, and glory when we do.

From the Pastor Feb 8/9

Wed, 05 Feb 2025 21:22:41 GMT

From the Pastor Feb 8/9

Not Quite Las Vegas

We celebrate our share of weddings here at Holy Redeemer. Last year, we had twenty-five, and we already have dates reserved for twenty-nine this year. We aren't quite Las Vegas, but Chatham is very popular for destination weddings. Very few of our weddings involve parishioners. The vast majority are couples who want a Cape Cod wedding. Luckily, I only have to officiate at about half of the weddings. Many couples bring in a visiting priest, maybe their college chaplain, the priest from their home parish, a family friend, or a relation. I still must be on-call if the planned celebrant has a flight canceled or gets caught in Cape traffic.

Since so many couples come here from out-of-town, I don't do much of the marriage prep for these couples. When a couple calls me to ask if they can have their wedding at Holy Redeemer, I say yes, but they have a few hoops to jump through. Only people who live in Chatham or who own a summer home here in the parish have a right to get married here. So, if they don't qualify, they need permission from their local parish priest. That is because he has "custody of their soul." It sounds ominous, but according to Canon Law, the priest in their home parish is responsible for giving them the sacraments. He can hand that right off to me by writing a letter of permission. I've never had a pastor refuse to do that for a couple.

Even though the couple won't have their wedding in their home parish, I always send them there for their marriage preparation program. It is much easier for the engaged rather than trying to schedule them to come here from Boston, New York, or points beyond. Besides, I want them to get to know the community in their home parish. Hopefully, if they aren't attending Mass, they will establish a relationship with their local pastor and start to go.

I don't mind couples coming to Holy Redeemer for their destination weddings. I want to do everything possible to promote the celebration of a Catholic wedding. The number of Catholics choosing a sacramental wedding in church has dropped considerably in the past couple of decades. It is hard to compete with the beach. So, when a couple wants to marry in church, I try to facilitate that. Also, it's nice when couples come up to me at church to tell me they were married here years ago. Almost every summer, a couple or two will call and ask if they can renew their vows or have an anniversary blessing here because it is where they celebrated their wedding.

This weekend is World Day of Marriage. It is held this weekend in anticipation of St. Valentine's Day next Friday. Today, after the homily, I'm inviting couples to join in renewing their wedding vows. Catholics, among all Christians, take marriage the most seriously. Along with Orthodox Christians, we are the only ones who believe it to be one of the seven sacraments. Among all Christians, only Catholics take seriously Jesus' statement that in marriage, couples enter into an unbreakable bond patterned after God's covenant with us.

Catholics develop their understanding of marriage's importance from scripture. Actually, marriage imagery bookends the Bible. It starts in the Book of Genesis when God creates humans, male and female. God envisions Adam and Eve's relationship as patterned after God's unbreakable covenant with humankind. The final pages of the Bible's last book, Revelation, depict Heaven as a marriage feast.

The Church is here to support Catholics in their marriages. It wants to help couples defend against breakdown, marital fatigue, or lust for others by providing counseling services and retreat programs to help good marriages remain strong and for the renewal of troubled ones.

One of those retreat programs, the Worldwide Marriage Encounter, will be held soon at Corpus Christi Church in E. Sandwich. It is meant for married couples who want a richer, fuller life together. Worldwide Marriage Encounter is designed to deepen and enrich the joys a couple shares together, whether they have been married a short time or many years. The next Marriage Encounter will occur April 25-27th at Corpus Christi Church in E. Sandwich. This weekend encounter is non-residential (overnight). To learn more, Call Corpus Christi Church at 508-888-0209.

We also want to assist those whose marriages ended in divorce, sometimes through no fault of one of the parties. They need to be encouraged to learn if the annulment process can help them, but we want to comfort everyone hurting from the failure of a marriage relationship.

In your charity, please pray for all the couples planning to celebrate their weddings here at Holy Redeemer this year. Ask God to give them a strong resolve to be faithful to their vows. Call down God's blessings on all our parish couples, especially those in stained marriages. Encourage those whose marriages failed but are now in marriages filled with love. May all couples find strength from God's Holy Spirit to live married lives and share family love.

Start Returning Baby Bottles

It is time to return the baby bottles parishioners took to fill with loose change as part of the Baby Bottle Boomerang to celebrate Sanctity of Life Month. Holy Redeemer has held this fundraiser to benefit Your Options Medical Centers for several years. Your Options is an agency that offers pregnant women services such as ultrasound tests and counseling to help women considering abortion know all their options. Pro-life people need to be ready to help women with problem pregnancies with prayerful and financial resources. We need to meet our words with action. Please return the filled bottles to one of the baskets for that purpose at the welcome desks at the entrances to the church.

Catholic University Collection

While many parishioners are Holy Cross and Boston College alumni, and we're all Notre Dame fans, the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., is also a foremost Catholic institution of higher learning. As the national university of the Catholic Church in the United States, founded and sponsored by the bishops of the country with the approval of the Holy See, The Catholic University of America is committed to being a comprehensive Catholic and American institution of higher learning, faithful to the teachings of Jesus Christ as handed on by the Church. Dedicated to advancing the dialogue between faith and reason, The Catholic University of America seeks to discover and impart the truth through excellence in teaching and research, all in service to the Church, the nation, and the world.

This weekend, the annual Catholic University collection will be taken up at the Offertory. Please be generous in your support for this important institution.

Fr. Sullivan on Vacation Next Week

Like many parishioners, Fr. Sullivan will vacation in a warmer climate next week. Fr. Rich Furlong, a retired diocese priest, will be celebrating Masses next weekend and all week long. Please welcome Fr. Furlong and pray for Fr. Sullivan to have a safe and relaxing time away.

Coffee & Donuts

We aim to spoil your appetite. Coffee & donuts or other refreshment will be offered after Masses this weekend and the first weekend of the month as we go forward. Everyone is invited to our newly renovated Parish Center to join the conversation and fraternity of parish life by going to the hall through the elevator lobby doors.

3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time Homily

Tue, 28 Jan 2025 22:31:06 GMT

3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time

The one certainty in life is uncertainty; don’t believe that is some special philosophical insight on my part. Anyone who has lived for very long has experienced unexpected situations. Sometimes, they are happy events, like a couple conceiving a child after many years of trying or an inheritance, comes to us from an uncle everyone thought disappeared in Alaska decades ago. Occasionally, they are unwelcome incidents like the sudden death of a loved one, divorce, or the loss of a job. Unexpected events are always a surprise and can be jarring or overwhelming to us.

While we all encounter unexpected events in our lives, why is it that some people use them to grow and thrive in the face of adversity? They use setbacks to develop their character, while others become angry and disheartened with life. Two people can face the same challenge; one rises to the occasion while the other falls apart. One person uses their situation to grow closer to God, while the other loses faith in God.

This is such an important question because God wants to use the good and bad in life so we can grow closer to God. God is so interested in these situations because God can work through unexpected circumstances since that is when God has our attention. When our legs are swept out from under us, it is natural to call out to God.

Regardless of how well we plan out our lives, unexpected events arise. By definition, they cannot be planned for, no matter how we try. They can be prepared for, though. We can take some spiritual risk management steps to fortify ourselves so we deal well with the unexpected events that come our way.

Over the last several weeks, we have been preaching a series of homilies on the theme, Unexpected. Deacon Art and I have been using the scripture readings to illustrate how people of faith can learn lessons about being prepared for the unexpected from the Bible.

I first told you being part of a parish community is vital. When an unexpected situation knocks us for a loop, we need people to help us stand upright. Sociologists and psychologists have been concerned about a growing loss of community in our culture. Become active in our community here at Holy Redeemer. Don’t just come to church out of a sense of duty. Try to become active here at church. Have you considered becoming a member of a small faith-sharing group?

Recognize that life’s challenges are an opportunity to grow in faith and character. Adversity can make us better individuals. Remember, God is good even when life is not. God loves us and wants to help us through adversity. People who grow in response to adversity help others who are suffering more. The recent California fires give many examples of the benefit of that kind of response.

Last week, we examined that we often end up in unexpected situations because of our bad choices. We tried to take advantage of our circumstances by overlooking doing what is right. What we thought was a shortcut was a short circuit. But our faults and failures don’t define us with God. God is always ready to forgive us and will not exclude us from God’s mercy and grace.

This week, we will learn to prepare for the unexpected by listening to, reading, and reflecting on scripture. Specifically, we will find that lesson in the reading from the Book of Nehemiah and the Gospel of Luke.

The Book of Nehemiah is another of the books of the minor prophets. By minor prophets, we are not saying the book is insignificant, only that it is short. It is an important book for our day because it is all about rebuilding. We are aware that all the Church needs rebuilding. It has been hurt in recent years by increased secularization, the clergy sexual abuse scandal, and COVID-19. We have much rebuilding to do, and the Book of Nehemiah can guide us.

The Book of Nehemiah was written about five hundred years before the birth of Jesus Christ. It tells the tale of the Jewish people returning to Jerusalem after seventy years of exile in Babylon. Unfaithfulness to God allowed the Babylonians to conquer Jerusalem, and most of the people were dragged into exile. Then, Babylonia itself was conquered by the Persians. The Persian King, Cyrus, decided to allow the Jewish people to return to Jerusalem and Judea. He appointed Nehemiah as the new governor of Judea and Ezra as its spiritual leader. Rebuilding always needs both physical and spiritual leadership.

When they got back to Jerusalem, the people found a city in ruins. The walls had been destroyed during the conquest and deteriorated because of neglect since then. In those times, a city without walls was considered a disgrace. It made it weak and vulnerable to attack. Today’s first reading tells of a celebration that was held to commemorate the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls.

We heard:

Now when the seventh month came,

the whole people gathered as one in the square in front of the Water Gate,

and they called upon Ezra the scribe to bring forth the book of the law of Moses which the LORD had commanded for Israel.

The walls were complete, and the people were hungry for a spiritual revival. Several generations of the people lived in exile and lost an understanding of their faith and the Hebrew language. They wanted to know more about their relationship with God.

On the first day of the seventh month, therefore,

Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly,

which consisted of men, women, and those children old enough to understand.

The law referred to here is the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible. That is the books of Genesis and Exodus telling of the development of the People’s relationship with God, and Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy telling of the Law of Moses.

The people were so hungry to hear about God they listened to Ezra, and the Levites read and interpreted the scriptures for five to six hours. Imagine that! They didn’t just let the scriptures go in one ear and out the other. They didn’t just let them wash over them, but they let the Word of God sink into their minds. Can you remember last week’s Mass readings?

The people were so impressed with the word of God and so sorry they and their ancestors had not been faithful to God that they began to cry. They were overwhelmed with awe when they realized all God had done for them. They realized they had missed so much for so long. They were sad to admit all they missed by neglecting God but were also grateful to know what God would do for them in the future.

Then Nehemiah, that is, the governor,

and Ezra the priest-scribe,

and the Levites who were instructing the people said to all the people:

“Today is holy to the LORD your God. Do not lament, do not weep!”

—for all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the law.

He continued:

“Go, eat rich foods and drink sweet drinks,

and allot portions to those who had nothing prepared;

for today is holy to our LORD.

Do not be saddened this day, for rejoicing in the LORD is your strength!”

So, how do the people's reactions in Nehemiah and Ezra’s day pertain to us today, and how do they help us deal with the unexpected? They teach us that growing our faith in everyday life is essential. It comes with daily prayer. It comes by listening to God in our prayer and reading scripture. We grow in our ability to face the unexpected if we come to worship God at Mass weekly. If we make an effort to lend ourselves to the experience of worship through our sung participation, being attentive to the words of the prayers and homily, and thoughtfully and gratefully receiving God’s grace in the Eucharist, the Mass will benefit us by strengthening us to face the unexpected. It will be part of our plan for spiritual risk management. We might even leave Mass feeling excited.

Putting into practice any or all the faith customs we have been telling you about is like making a deposit in a spiritual bank account. We will be depositing the grace we need to draw upon it when unexpected events rock us back on our heels. We will have the resources to weather the storm and even grow in faith.

All relationships grow when we invest time and energy in them. They take effort and energy. They can sometimes become strained and then call for us to recommit to them. Like any investment, we need to be attentive to them for them to grow.

It is the same for our relationship with God. If we want God’s support in our hour of need, we must develop our relationship with God and help equip ourselves for life’s unexpected twists and turns. Reflect on your daily prayer life. How often do you pray, and how much time do you give it? If you do not pray regularly, begin today. Give prayer as little as ten minutes to begin. Find a quiet place and time and listen to and don’t talk at God. Reflecting on a passage of scripture like the daily gospel is always helpful. You will quickly feel your spiritual account growing in your heart.

The Jewish people of Ezra and Nehemiah's day were so full of emotion that they were moved to tears when they realized God’s limitless goodness to them. As we recognize God’s support and protection as we face the unexpected ups and downs of life, may we rejoice and follow Nehemiah’s advice:

“Go, eat rich foods, and drink sweet drinks,

and allot portions to those who had nothing prepared;

for today is holy to our LORD.

Do not be saddened this day, for rejoicing in the LORD is your strength!”

From the Pastor Feb 1/2

Tue, 28 Jan 2025 22:28:30 GMT

From the Pastor February 1/2

It Doesn't Have to Be Like This

President Donald Trump campaigned on the promise to use Executive Orders and not the legislative process to enforce his immigration policies. He did that on Inauguration Day. The Catholic Bishops Conference has expressed grave concern about these orders because of the possible detrimental effects they will have on immigrant families and particularly Trump's rescinding of a long-standing policy preventing ICE agents from making arrests at sensitive locations, including houses of worship, schools, and hospitals.

While most Americans, including most Catholic Americans, would agree it is necessary to return to their country-of-origin serious criminals, the wholesale deportation of undocumented immigrants is inhumane. While every nation has the right to secure its borders and the safety of its citizens, it needs to do so in a just way.

Our immigration system is broken, but the wholesale deportation of people who, like our immigrant ancestors, came to this country to escape war, poverty, religious persecution, or to seek a better life for themselves and their families is inhumane and counter to our national ethos. Last year, a bipartisan group in Congress proposed a bill to reform our immigration policy. It wasn't perfect, but it would have relieved many problems. President Trump was against the bill and threatened Republican politicians to kill the bill, and so we have the chaos we have now.

Several years ago, our bishops proposed Catholic Elements of Immigration Reform. You can read the complete proposal at https://www.usccb.org/resources/immigrationreform.pdf . Here is a short synopsis of the bishop's proposals.

Enforcement efforts should be targeted, proportional, and humane. The bishops state that while a country has the right to secure its borders, enforcement should focus on those who present genuine risks to society. Enforcement procedures should uphold the sanctity of life and everyone's God-given dignity.
Humanitarian protections and due process should be ensured. As I mentioned before, many people coming to our country are escaping violence and deprivation at home. Their lives depend on a safe refuge. Depriving them of protection is contrary to the rule of law and an affront to God.
Long-term residents should have an earned pathway to citizenship. An estimated 80 % of undocumented immigrants have been in this country for over ten years. They contribute over $100 billion in taxes, own property, run businesses, and contribute to our economy. Many are so-called dreamers brought here as young children who know only our American culture. Providing them with a pathway to citizenship would only strengthen our country.
Family unity should remain a cornerstone of the U.S. system. Chain immigration, where members of a family immigrate and then use a portion of their income to help other members immigrate, has long been a practice in our country. Immigration policies need to foster the reunification of families and give them support.
Legal pathways should be expanded, reliable, and efficient. Today, legal immigration is severely restricted. Quotas set by law are no longer responsive to today's social, economic, and political realities. They contribute to illegal immigration. Our country needs new legal pathways, and backlogs resulting in decades-long wait times should be eliminated.
The root causes of forced migration should be addressed. Migration is as old as history. It is natural to move from place to place, seeking better living conditions. Migration should be a free choice, not one caused by hardships and the desire to sustain and protect human life. Countries need to work together to help stem conditions that cause forced migration. Americans need to reconcile with the fact the cause of much of today's immigration over our southern border is attributed to conditions caused by political and economic policies that put America first over the well-being of the citizens of those countries.

It has been almost forty years since U.S. Immigration Laws were last reformed. Just solutions to our immigration problems will only come if our politicians face their need to make substantive reforms to our laws that respect the dignity of our citizens and immigrants who sincerely desire to contribute their gifts to help our country attain the greatness God wants us to achieve.

Start Returning Baby Bottles

Howard Whelden Announces Retirement

Parish Business Manager Howard Whelden has announced his retirement effective June 30, 2025, the last day of our fiscal year. We'll be looking for a replacement. The job is part-time, 20 hours a week. The business manager is responsible for parish accounting, procurement, and other little jobs. We prefer a parishioner for the job. So, if you are interested or know someone who would be a good candidate, please have them call the parish office.

Catholic University Collection

Catholic Schools Week ends this weekend, and we turn our focus to Catholic Higher Education. While many parishioners are Holy Cross and Boston College alumni, and we're all Notre Dame fans, the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., is also a foremost Catholic institution of higher learning.

As the national university of the Catholic Church in the United States, founded and sponsored by the bishops of the country with the approval of the Holy See, The Catholic University of America is committed to being a comprehensive Catholic and American institution of higher learning, faithful to the teachings of Jesus Christ as handed on by the Church.

Dedicated to advancing the dialogue between faith and reason, The Catholic University of America seeks to discover and impart the truth through excellence in teaching and research, all in service to the Church, the nation, and the world.

Next weekend, the annual Catholic University collection will be taken up at the Offertory. Please be generous in your support for this important institution.

2nd Sunday of Ordinary Time Homily

Tue, 21 Jan 2025 20:38:10 GMT

Homily for the 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time: Fr. John Sullivan

Risk Management: Every morning, as I prepare for the day, I have the radio playing in the background. It is tuned to a local station. Day in and day out, I hear the same advertisements for Hyannis Honda, Thurwood Place, and Cape Cod Five. I have listened to them so often I am sure I could recite them from memory. One commercial is for a financial planner. In her ad, she claims her company is set apart by its focus on helping customers be attentive to risk management. She claims that she can help us prepare financially for the unexpected vagaries of life.

Life is full of unexpected events. Some are pleasant surprises, and some are not. They can be unwelcome and jarring to our routine. We all make plans for the course of our lives, but that isn't always how things pan out. When hit with unexpected circumstances and happenings, why do some people thrive and flourish while others are shaken? In the face of challenges, why do some rise to the occasion while others fall apart? Some people grow in their faith in God when tested by life, and others turn their backs and blame God.

God wants to help us through the trials of life, both good and bad, so we can use them to grow and strengthen our faith. God can work through difficult situations because that is when God has our attention. Even those who claim not to be religious will naturally call out for God's intervention when the going is tough. We can never plan for the unexpected events of life; by nature, they are situations we never saw coming, but we can prepare for them with spiritual risk management.

Today, we are at the mid-point of a series of homilies Deacon Art and I have been giving on the theme "Unexpected." We have addressed the need for spiritual risk management. It is a theme that is very relevant for all of us. Perhaps you know someone who would benefit from attending church to hear about this topic? Even though we are at the midpoint of the series, there are still lessons to learn over the next two weeks. So, invite them to come and join us.

I want to remind you that if you have missed either of the previous two homilies in this series, you can catch up on them by listening to them on our Livestream. Each week, we archive one of our Masses on our website. Go to it and click on our Livestream. Just follow the prompts for the film of the Mass you would like to view.

How do we spiritually prepare for the unexpected in life? What key factors help us weather life's storms, right the boat, and head for safe harbor? In my first homily, I told you that community connections are vital. We need a support system. It is much easier to carry any burden when we have people who care about us and want to help. A sense of community is slipping away from more and more people. They feel as if they are adrift.

Commit to this parish community. Don't just come to church with the attitude of fulfilling an obligation you need to get out of the way. Commit to this church. Make sure we have you on our parish rolls and promise to support our parish with your time, talent, and treasure. You'll find a spiritual safety net here. When a problem or challenge arises, resist becoming overwhelmed and confront it as an opportunity to grow and develop virtues you didn't realize you had in you.

Last week, Deacon Art added two other aspects needed for successful spiritual risk management and dealing with the unexpected. Remember, God is good even when life isn't. God isn't a manipulator who places stumbling blocks and hurdles in our way. God wants to heal us, not hurt us. Sinful human nature causes hardships, and sometimes there are innocent victims, but God always wants the fullness of life for us. We can turn to God in need.

Deacon Art's other point was that we can use our pain to help others. The Los Angeles fires prove that point. Media coverage has related stories of residents who have lost everything to the fires yet are now working to bring aid and comfort to their neighbors.

Today, I'd like to tell you how we can grow from our bad choices. Everyone has found themselves in situations they never wanted. They are circumstances we thought happened to other people. They are situations where, realistically, we know we only have ourselves to blame.

Sometimes, a series of small mistakes build up, and we find ourselves in trouble. Maybe we focused so much on our careers or business and had no time for family. Now, they are strangers to us. We're in debt because, little bit by little bit, we failed to restrain our desire for more things. We didn't intend to flunk school, but couldn't resist a party. We let ourselves lose interest in our job and are just mailing it in these days. We live in isolation because we don't follow up to support our relationships.

Every human being sins. We fail to do what God wants of us, do regretful things, and hurt others, especially those we say we love. Sin can become like the puddingstones we see along the highway. One small sin combines with other minor sins to create a heavy load for us to carry. If we are open to God's grace and forgiveness and face our bad behaviors, we can grow closer to God while correcting our sinful situations. Sin doesn't disqualify us from receiving God's mercy and compassion. It can be the entryway into a new relationship level with God.

That is the lesson on spiritual risk management and dealing with the unexpected that the prophet Isaiah wants to teach in today's first reading. The Book of the prophet Isaiah is one of the longest books in the Bible. We read excerpts from it very often at Mass. Bible scholars believe the Book of Isaiah to be at least three books written over a hundred years.

The beginning of the Book of Isaiah focuses on reproaching the people of Israel for their unfaithfulness to God. It tells the people how God established a special relationship with them as they wandered in the desert after the Exodus. They were supposed to be the light of the nations. God's plan was for them to live as a people dedicated to following God's law of loving kindness. Their faithfulness to God would help them to prosper so much that they would impress the nations with whom they had contact that others would want to worship the one true God. At least, that was God's plan.

Israel became prideful, though. They turned away from God. God allowed this to happen so they could experience the consequences. Their unfaithfulness caused instability in Israel, and they eventually were conquered by the Babylonians and forced into exile. They suffered greatly because of their unfaithfulness.

Today's reading is part of the Book of Isaiah, known as Second Isaiah, written as the exile ended. The punishment of the people was subsiding, and the Persians were allowing the Jews to return home. Second, Isaiah is much more upbeat and hopeful. It proclaims God's new relationship with a chastised people. In Second Isaiah, the author tells the people how a Messiah will come and restore God's relationship with God's people.

Isaiah wrote:

For Zion's sake I will not be silent,

for Jerusalem's sake I will not keep still,

Until her vindication shines forth like the dawn

and her salvation like a burning torch.

God declares the people vindication. The Bible uses that term a little differently than our everyday usage. When we say someone is vindicated, we usually mean they are off the hook. Unjustly accused, now the evidence proves the charges are false.

Isaiah used the word vindication to mean the Messiah would come and teach the people to clean up their mess. Verse two said:

Nations shall behold your vindication,

and all kings your glory;

You shall be called by a new name

bestowed by the mouth of the LORD.

God will rename the people. God will give them a new identity.

No more shall you be called "Forsaken,"

nor your land called "Desolate,"

But you shall be called "My Delight is in her,"

and your land "Espoused."

For the LORD delights in you,

and your land shall be espoused.

Often, others give us names they want to use to define us. It is the usual practice of bullies and has become very popular among some in our culture. People try to define others by the names they call them, such as loser, liar, drunk, or dumb. Sometimes, we pin those names on ourselves.

In primitive cultures, renaming a person as they progressed through life was common, especially as they entered a new reality. God renamed Abram, Abraham, and Jacob, Israel. Isaiah tells the people God is going to rename them. God will change their name from "Forsaken and Desolate," the names they were called by the conquers, to "My Delight and Espoused," the names a bridegroom would use to describe their beloved. With a new name, God will wipe away their nation's past sinfulness and start a new relationship of trust and faithfulness.

God knows the names used by the people trying to define you negatively. Some of those names might have been true. God wants to let us know our past doesn't need to define us. God wants to bring about our vindication. God wants to give us the grace to clean up our mess.

Isaiah wrote:

For as a young man marries a virgin,

your Builder shall marry you;

And as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride

so shall your God rejoice in you.

Despite our sinfulness, God delights in us and is fond of us. God overlooks our past faults and pledges to love us. God is committed to us, not only if we do good deeds but whenever we accept God's rule in our lives. God still loves us if we sin. We can't earn God's love; baptism gives it to us freely.

God allows us to suffer the consequences we earned because of our sinful behavior so that we will learn and deepen our faith. God allows suffering so we can start seeing our way down the more faithful way. People who grow in faith acknowledge their sins before God, accept God's forgiveness, and seek mercy. They grow in the knowledge of God's love for them and become the Lord's instruments of mercy, forgiveness, and compassion. Let's accept God's forgiveness and become instruments of love because God knows God needs us.

From the Pastor Week of January 25/26

Tue, 21 Jan 2025 20:35:55 GMT

From the Pastor January 25/26

A Year of Celebration

Hopefully, almost everyone has heard that 2025 is a Holy Year, a year set aside to celebrate God's mercy and to practice mercy ourselves. This year is also the 1,700th anniversary of the beginning of the Council of Nicea. It was the second Ecumenical Council of the Church after the Council of Jerusalem mentioned in the Book of the Acts of the Apostles. We remember the Council of Nicea for developing the concise statement of the precepts of the Christian faith known as the Nicene Creed and for setting a date for Easter followed by all the Church up until the implementation of the Gregorian Calendar by the West.

Pope Francis has said he hopes to use this anniversary year to build Christian unity, specifically working with the churches of the East to encourage everyone to celebrate Easter on the same day again. We have been celebrating the Octave of Prayer for Christian Unity this week, so maybe include cooperation on a uniform day for Easter in your prayers.

While those two issues are what we recall about the Nicene Council, they weren't the principal reason for calling the council together back in 325. The reason was a dispute between a priest-theologian named Arius and Bishop Athanasius of Alexandria over the nature of Jesus Christ. Arius taught that since the Son comes from the Father, the Son is created by the Father and not fully God. Athanasius countered with the belief that Christ was co-eternal and consubstantial with the Father.

Although the Council Fathers at Nieca rejected Arianism, it took a great deal of effort for the Church to eradicate it. It still hasn't gone away completely. Pope Francis addressed Arianism's revival in his homily for the Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God, a celebration to remind us that Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, both human and divine. In that homily on New Year's, he said:

"There is a temptation, which many people today find attractive, but can also mislead many Christians, to imagine or invent a God 'in the abstract, associated with some vague religious feeling of fleeting emotion. No, God was 'born of a woman'; he has a face and a name and calls us to have a relationship with him."

Other commentators suggest that Arianism takes the appearance of the belief that rather than being God, Jesus was just a good teacher, wise rabbi, and noble martyr for a good cause. It is the belief that Jesus was a human being who was so self-actualized that he became divine. There is a sense that Jesus "grew into" being divine rather than it being part of Jesus' eternal nature. No, Jesus had to develop an understanding of his divinity in his humanness, but it was always part of Jesus' nature. Believing in the divinity of Jesus Christ is central to our Christian faith, which is why we reaffirm it in the Creed every weekend Mass.

An article published by the Crux Catholic News Service pointed out that even the most conservative Christians can get swept up by Arianism. They can unwittingly put the Son on a lower level than the Father and often unwittingly deny the words of the Nicene Creed.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten not made consubstantial with the Father.

Pope Francis encourages us to celebrate the Nicean anniversary by recommitting our Christian belief in Jesus' divinity and proclaiming it in our words this year.

Latin America Collection Today

This weekend, we will conduct the annual collection for the Church in Latin America. In much of that region, the Catholic Church is the most stable institution in society. While many nations suffer political upheaval and corruption, the Church provides many basic safety net institutions providing health care and education. Please be generous to today's collection to help provide the financial resources to grow the faith in Latin America.

Annual Diocesan Wedding Anniversary Mass

Married couples celebrating a significant wedding anniversary in 2025 are invited to renew their wedding vows with Most Rev. Edgar M. DaCunha, S.D.V., D.D., at the Annual Diocesan Wedding Anniversary Mass, Sunday, February 9, 2025, at a 3:00 p.m. Mass at the Cathedral of the St. Mary of the Assumption, 327 Second Street, Fall River, MA 02721. To register, please get in touch with the Parish Office at 508-945-0677.

Baby Bottle Boomerang

January is Sanctity of Life Month. This month, we pray for respect for life from conception to natural death. While we rejoice in the Dobbs case reversing the Roe v. Wade abortion decision, we recognize we have much work to do to protect life against abortion and euthanasia. It is very possible that the Massachusetts Legislature will consider legalizing euthanasia or assisted suicide in the coming year. It is an issue all Catholics must be aware of and ready to fight against.

Holy Redeemer has held a fundraiser called the Baby Bottle Boomerang for the past several years to benefit Your Options Medical Centers. Your Options is an agency that offers pregnant women services such as ultrasound tests and counseling to help women considering abortion know all their options. Pro-life people need to be ready to help women with problem pregnancies with prayerful and financial resources. We need to meet our words with action.

Parishioners participate in the Boomerang by taking a baby bottle, filling it with the loose change we receive during the month, and returning it in early February. Take a baby bottle as you leave Mass today and help support Holy Redeemer's effort to support pregnant women and families.

In observance of Respect Life Month, consider joining these prayer initiatives. 9 Days for Life, January 16-24. For more information, go to the website www.respectlife.org/9-days-signup . Commemorate Day for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children on Wednesday, January 22. For more information, google www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship /resources/January-22-day-of-prayer.cfm.

Howard Whelden Announces Retirement

Parish Business Manager Howard Whelden has announced his retirement effective June 30, 2025, the last day of our fiscal year. Howard has been the business manager for the last eight years and has been a vital asset in helping us through our church renovation project. He is also a great guy to have around the office. We'll be looking for a replacement. The job is part-time, 20 hours a week. The business manager is responsible for parish accounting, procurement, and other little jobs. We prefer a parishioner for the job. So, if you are interested or know someone who would be a good candidate, please have them call the parish office.

Annual Divorced and Separated Healing Mass

The Family and Respect Life Office of the Diocese of Fall River invites you to join them for the Annual Divorced and Separated Healing Mass at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption 327 Second Street, Fall River, MA on Sunday, January 26, 2025, at 10:30 a.m.

Baptism of the Lord Homily

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 22:38:24 GMT

The Baptism of the Lord- Homily by Deacon Art LaChance

Soon after the explosions at the finish line of the 2013 Boston Marathon, a video of the tragic moment appeared on The Boston Globe website.

Runners in the marathon are jogging across the finish line and everyone is cheering. There is a sudden clap of thunder and an orange bloom of fire from within a ring of flags honoring the nations represented in the race. It is followed, seconds later, by another blast from just down the street.

The cheers become shrieks and high-pitched shrills of panic and fear.

The cameraman carries us forward, to where the smoke is drifting and police, runners and bystanders rip barricades apart trying to reach the center of the chaos.

"We need help!" someone cries.

And the cameraman whispers three words to himself, "Oh, my God," he says. He says it again. "Oh, my God. "He keeps saying it – "Oh, my God."

In a moment of pain, lamentation and loss — on an afternoon that required a presidential expression of empathy and resolve — on a day filled with expert analysis and speculation — no one said words more fitting than those.

Oh, my God — because blood pooled on the sidewalk.

Oh, my God — because broken and twisted bodies covered the ground.

Oh, my God — because our nightmare had become our reality.

I don’t know if the cameraman was even aware of what he was saying. But, to me it is clear that, in a moment of death and devastation, as he peered through the lens of his camera, he peered also through the lens of faith – and, whether conscientiously or sub-conscientiously, he recognized a greater wisdom, a nurturing presence, intertwined with his own – that led him, and us to a new place of grace.

Can the same be said of our tragedies?

When the ambulance takes our child or the disease takes our spouse? When the economy takes our retirement or the two-timer takes our heart — can we, like the camera man, find God in the crisis?

We can! — if we are prepared for it.

This is the second week of our series for the new year. We’re talking about the “unexpected” in life.

This is important because God wants to use the circumstances of our lives to grow our faith.

In fact, it is exactly in times of the unexpected, that God can work most effectively because he’s got our attention. C. S. Lewis describes something of this paradox when he says: “God whispers in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains…”

In our homily series we are looking at how to prepare for the unexpected and what to do with it once it inevitably arrives — Because, it is a key factor in growing in faith.

Last week, Father introduced two: First, people who grow in faith in unexpected circumstances grow because they’re connected to the community. Second: People who build their faith in unexpected circumstances see the problem as an opportunity to grow.

Today, we add to that list: People who grow in faith in unexpected circumstances accept the reality that God is good — even when life is not .

Some people come to problems or pain and believe that somehow discounts God’s goodness or competence. It’s human nature to want to blame someone for our troubles — And it’s okay to blame God — He can handle it. You can get mad at God — He can take your anger. But, the presence of suffering does not discount God’s goodness or love.

God never intended for us to suffer. He created a world without pain, death and grief. God gave us the freedom to choose to love him — which also gave us the freedom to reject him. God's goal was always relationship — not obedience.

It was the choice of Adam and Eve to reject God that brought sin into the world. It is sin that brought suffering into God's perfect world. God’s answer to sin is Jesus!

As we heard in our second reading: “When the kindness and generous love of God our savior appeared … he saved us through the bath of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he richly poured out on us through Jesus Christ our savior, so that we might be justified by his grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life.”

God sends his Son to bring justice to an unjust world. God sends Son to bring healing to a broken world. Jesus is — as Isaiah was inspired to proclaim — the Servant who is gentle with the bruised and beaten. Even though suffering is all around us, we can have faith in a good God who truly cares, and trust Him to be at work in our pain.

This is why it is so important to spend time with the Bible — Why it is so paramount for us to be here.

This is why participation in Small Groups is far reaching.

We need to hear that God is still in control.

We need to hold dear that it’s not over until God says so. We need to be reminded that life’s mishaps and tragedies are not a reason to bail out — They are a reason to hold tight.

God’s Word is God’s cure for a broken heart, a broken body, a broken life. We can invite God into our suffering to give us comfort and peace, to make us better, not bitter. And then we need to share what we know with others.

Which leads us to our fourth lession: People who grow in faith in unexpected circumstances identify opportunities to use their pain to help others .

The Gospel highlights Jesus’ specialness as God’s beloved. While the divine voice at Jesus’ baptism is directed to him, “You are my beloved Son,” Luke has added “all the people” to the scene. In this way, Luke hints that they, too, experience the delight of God in them, as they are washed clean, newly born and favored.

As we recall our own baptism, we know that we, too, have been in that thin space where “heaven was opened” and the barrier between humanity and divinity is dissolved.

With Jesus’ taking on human flesh and then inviting us to partake of his flesh and blood, the special place he holds in God’s affection is extended to all of us.

That God is partial to each of us is something startling. This divine favor causes wonder and also carries with it a mission.

In the first reading, Isaiah elaborates the mission entrusted to a chosen servant: to bring forth justice.

In biblical lingo, justice does not imply that everyone gets what he or she deserves.

Rather, it signifies that those who know themselves to be favored by God undeservedly have been empowered by the Spirit to be light — to speak truth — and to be compassionate to those who feel like “a bruised reed,” fanning into flame the spark of God’s love wherever a smoldering wick is found.

In the wake of every unexpected event — be it acts of violence, natural disaster, or personal travesty — we will always find people who are helping. Images from the Marathon bombings show bystanders and first responders rushing in without regard for personal safety.

On the street corners, people with fallen hearts and teary eyes embraced people they did not know. In churches, synagogues and mosques people gathered to seek release from pain or simply to whisper again and again: Oh, my God! In hospital waiting rooms, strangers lent one another strength.

In my years of hospital work and ministry, I feel blessed each time I witness such compellingly clear manifestations of faith. The Holy Spirit permeates the shock, sadness, and fears that accompanies brutal cruelty, and shows as a gentle and loving gateway to faith, hope, and life in Christ.

Ultimately, this is the story about the continual mission of Christ who came, and comes, to seek and heal in love. It is a story of faithful discipleship, offering prayer and physical assistance in times of need. And it is the story of the harmony of members of Christ’s body united in fulfilling the Church’s great mission.

It is our story. To build up the Body of Christ — to promote the reign of God — to help others draw closer to God.

Because — sometimes in the unexpected – Oh, my God – words and tears are not enough.

From the Pastor January 18/19

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 22:40:57 GMT

From the Pastor January 18/19

The Message Goes Out to All the World

Jesus’ final charge to his Apostles before he ascended back to Heaven was to share the gospel message with all the world. All of us have heard, for better or worse, that the Internet connects us all and that we live in a global village. The live-streaming of our Masses is a case in point. We began live-streaming Masses during the pandemic. We started using an iPad as the camera for the first few weekends. Soon, we had a mounted camera that connected with our website. We discontinued live-streaming during renovation and then had some issues starting it again once we returned to the church.

Our Livestream was made available again in December, just in time for Christmas. It paid off! While there was a very gradual growth in the number of people who viewed our Masses via livestream in December, it took off over Christmas. There were about 140 viewers for our 4 p.m. Christmas Eve Mass. That was followed up by about the same number of viewers for the Masses the next weekend, December 27/28. Numbers have dropped off since the holidays, but we had close to 45 last weekend.

Most viewers are local, but strange to say, according to our information, none are in Chatham! Our biggest following are people from New Bedford and Harwich. Viewers come from around the Northeast. A few come from more distant locations. On Christmas, we had participants from Texas and Oregon and even two from the Netherlands! In the last two weeks, the most exotic places participants have come from are Castries, St. Lucia, in the Caribbean, and The Bronx!

The Livestream is a good tool for evangelizing. People interested in knowing more about our parish and what goes on here but not quite ready to make the move to come in person can view our Masses in the comfort of their homes. If you know people like that, encourage them to use it until they are comfortable enough to join us in person. It’s a good tool to reach out to homebound and disabled parishioners but it never replaces being here in person. A Livestream cannot replace the sense of community and fellowship we get from being with our fellow parishioners. The Livestream helps us in our need to spread the message of Jesus Christ to the world, but it cannot replace being together as God’s adopted sons and daughters.

Successful Holiday Giving

Parishioner's response to the St. Vincent de Paul holiday fundraisers was heartwarming. Twelve families received three bags of food to prepare a Thanksgiving meal and a gift card to help cover the cost of perishables. An additional ten bags of food were delivered to the Chatham Food Pantry.

After Thanksgiving, our Reverse Advent Calendar collection began. We collected personal care items, paper goods, and “treats” such as coffee, tea, cookies, and cocoa. Those items filled the back of a large SUV and the cab of a 4-door pickup truck. The director of the Chatham Food Pantry said it is the single largest donation they’ve ever received! Thanks to you, many who cannot afford groceries will not have to go without. Finally, parishioners and visitors again made generous donations to the SVDP’s Giving Tree this year. Gifts from the Giving Tree support the work of Vincentians with the poor of our community all year long.

Annual Diocesan Wedding Anniversary Mass

Baby Bottle Boomerang

Annual Divorced and Separated Healing Mass

Marriage Encounter Retreat

For the first time in four years, the Holy Cross Retreat House, 490 Washington Street, North Easton, will offer the Worldwide Marriage Encounter Residential Weekend Retreat on January 24-26, 2025. The Marriage Encounter is designed to deepen and enrich the joys a couple shares together, whether they have been married a short time or for many years. Contact Matt & Julie King at (978) 870-5646 for registration or more information.

From the Pastor January 11/12

Tue, 07 Jan 2025 22:50:35 GMT

From the Pastor January 11/12

A Time for Fortitude

My twin brother, his wife, and one of my sisters were here for Christmas Eve. They came to the 4 p.m. Christmas Eve Mass. When I returned to the rectory after the 6 p.m. Mass, I was pleasantly surprised. I was hardly in the door when my sister Celia said, "John, that was an excellent homily, and you seemed so relaxed and happy." I don't know about your family, but mine doesn't freely hand out compliments. Hearing her say I appeared tranquil meant a lot to me. I want to convey my joy and love of God to parishioners, and I was glad to hear she felt she saw me doing that. Her comment echoed the comments of a parishioner who also said I seemed content and heard other parishioners say the same thing. I do feel happy, relaxed, and comfortable in my skin. I feel joy about my situation in life and my service to the parish and God, and I am happy I demonstrate it to people. No parish can be healthy if the pastor isn't healthy.

Bishop Da Cuhna feels the same way about the vibrancy of parishes. Early in December, he published a pastoral letter entitled, A Time for Fortitude: Stronger Priests, Stronger Parishes, Stronger Church. The letter outlined "A vision that focuses on moving the local Church forward in relationship to Christ by actively working towards bringing our priests more stability, hope, holiness, and wellbeing."

When Bishop Da Cunha announced at the October Priests Convocation that he was gathering the priests again on December 3 to present this new pastoral planning initiative, my heart sank. I've listened to many of these over the years. They are depressing. They are usually filled with dreary statistics about declining Mass participation, shortages of resources, and the declining number of priests, news that will sap the joy of the most optimistic.

These issues did prompt Bishop Da Cunha's plan for action, but his approach is novel. He recognizes that progress won't be made only by closing parishes and retreating but by helping foster the physical, emotional, and spiritual health of the priests of our diocese.

In his letter, he offers two reasons for the evolution of the vision.

Thriving priests lead to vibrant parishes and apostolates.
New unprecedented challenges and realities are being imposed on our priests, making it more difficult than, perhaps, at any time in our Diocesan history for them to thrive.

The bishop wrote, "The Spiritual Law of Causality points out that there is a causal relationship between the priest's holiness and the laity's holiness." A Diocese with a Priesthood living their best lives in wellness and holiness will be a Diocese that is set aflame for the love of the Lord and the Eucharist."

The bishop asks for three things from the laity to support this initiative.

Embrace fortitude: "As a cardinal virtue and a gift of the Holy Spirit, fortitude strengthens us to joyfully and confidently do God's holy will despite fear, risk, and rejection." Let's all be courageous concerning sharing our faith!
Increase Prayer: We never receive anything from God unless we ask for it. So, let's all pray. Find a prayer card for the initiative at the welcome desks. A tri-lingual brochure also answers simple questions about the initiative and includes the prayer. We all must bombard Heaven with prayer.
Take Action: Support this mission according to your station in life. Use all the gifts God has provided you to support the "A Time for Fortitude:" initiative. Share your time, talent, and treasure to help make it a success.

If you want to print a copy of Bishop Da Cunha's Letter, A Time for Fortitude: Stronger Priets, Stronger Parishes, Stronger Church. Go to https://www.fallriverdiocese.org/stronger-priests-stronger-parishes-stronger-church-initiative .

None of us may live to see the full fruit of this initiative, but we can't let that frustrate our work to support the work of Christ's Church here in our diocese.

Annual Diocesan Wedding Anniversary Mass

Baby Bottle Boomerang

Annual Divorced and Separated Healing Mass

Marriage Encounter Retreat

From the Pastor January 4/5

Mon, 30 Dec 2024 20:08:56 GMT

From the Pastor January 4/5

Reverse Advent Calendar Donations

During Advent, parishioners were encouraged to participate in the Reverse Advent Calendar. Each day, the calendar suggested a food or healthcare item you could contribute to the Chatham Food Pantry. These efforts bring comfort to those in need right in our backyard. You can begin to bring your items to church this weekend, January 4-5. Boxes for them are in the elevator lobby on the parking lot side of the church. The doors will be open on Sunday afternoon and until 3 p.m. this week to make returns if you don’t have them with you today. Thank you for participating.

Annual Diocesan Wedding Anniversary Mass

Baby Bottle Boomerang

Christmas Thank-Yous

Thank you to the Music Ministry, led by Music Director Teresa Lim, the Hospitality Ministry, who made everyone feel welcome, and our decorators, who helped make our church so beautiful this Christmas. There were many, many compliments. We all deserve to be proud of ourselves. Thank you to those parishioners who sent the parish staff a Christmas card or shared one of their holiday baking traditions. Your thoughtfulness is appreciated. May you receive God’s blessings in 2025.

From the Pastor December 28/29

Thu, 19 Dec 2024 21:40:29 GMT

From the Pastor December 28/29

The Jubilee Year Begins

Pope Francis opened the Jubilee Door at St Peter’s Basilica on Christmas Eve and began the Holy Year 2025. This Holy Year’s theme is “Pilgrims of Hope”. A Holy Year held every twenty-five years has been a Church tradition since 1300, and its roots are in the Jewish tradition of a jubilee year when debts were forgiven and forfeited land was restored to its original owners. Occasionally, popes have declared extraordinary Holy Years. Pope Francis did that in 2015.

Since the Holy Year emphasizes forgiveness and restoring our relationship with God, a primary focus is on the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Pilgrims to Rome who walk through the Holy Year Doors at one of the four major basilicas, St. Peter’s, St John Lateran, St. Mary Major, or St. Paul Outside the Walls and celebrate the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist receive a plenary indulgence.

During the last Holy Year, Pope Francis encouraged local bishops to designate a door of their cathedral as a Holy Year Door. That will not be the case this year. Only the doors at the four traditional basilicas and one at Rebibbia Prison have been designated as Holy Year Doors this year. Pilgrims will need to travel to Rome to receive the indulgence.

Pope Francis is, however, asking each local bishop to celebrate Masses to mark the beginning of the Jubilee year. Bishop da Cunha will do that this Sunday, December 22, at 3 p.m. in St. Mary’s in Fall River. All are invited to participate.

If you go to Rome, pilgrims should expect it to be even more crowded this year than in the last few years when tourism has been booming. In preparation for the celebration, Rome is being transformed by restoration and renewal projects. Italian tourist officials expect 35 million visitors to Rome. That is more than triple the 13 million tourists in 2023.

In the papal bull announcing the Holy Year, Pope Francis expressed the desire that the year would call Christians to action to bring world peace, openness to life, and responsible parenthood. He hopes that as a result of the year, we grow closer to prisoners, the poor, sick, young, elderly, migrants, and all people in difficult situations. Francis has encouraged affluent countries to forgive the debts of poorer ones and to address the ecological debts.

A special feature of this Holy Year is that it coincides with the 1700 anniversary of the beginning of the Council of Nicaea. This council was only the second Ecumenical Council for the church. It formulated the Nicaean Creed, our Christian statement of faith we recite at every Sunday Mass. Serendipitously, this year, the date of Easter aligns for the Roman and Orthodox Churches. Pope Francis is advocating for an agreement between all Christian churches to establish a uniform date for Easter since that was also one of Nicaea’s major tasks. Western churches make the date of Easter according to the Gregorian calendar, and Eastern or Orthodox churches make it according to the Julian calendar.

The Holy Year’s focus on the Sacrament of Reconciliation encourages us to reflect on our use of that Sacrament. A few weeks ago, Holy Redeemer conducted our Advent Reconciliation Service. About twenty parishioners attended. That was disappointing. Fr. Sullivan is in the Reconciliation Room every Saturday from 3:00-3:45. Sometimes, no penitents come to confess. We’d like to believe no one in Holy Redeemer parish sins, but that obviously isn’t the case. Come, Lent, Fr. Sullivan and Deacon Art LaChance will preach on Reconciliation.

This Holy Year will probably also focus on the two thousandth anniversary of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection coming up in 2033. Even if we can’t go on a pilgrimage to Rome for the Holy Year, we can still observe it by growing closer to God by seeking God’s pardon and mercy through the Sacrament of Reconciliation and, having received forgiveness, offer it to our brothers and sisters.

Advent Giving

The Christmas Season is a time of giving. We thank parishioners for donating to the St. Vincent de Paul Society’s Giving Tree. Funds from this activity help the society support the needy of our parish. It is wonderful to see the tree almost covered with white tags representing the many intentions of the donors.

Also, we hope parishioners are participating in the Reverse Advent Calendar. Each day, the calendar suggests a food or healthcare item you can contribute to the Chatham Food Pantry. These efforts bring comfort to those in need right in our backyard. You can begin to bring your items to church next weekend, January 4-5.

Annual Diocesan Wedding Anniversary Mass

Baby Bottle Boomerang

January is Sanctity of Life Month. Next month, we pray for respect for life from conception to natural death. While we rejoice in the Dobbs case reversing the Roe v. Wade abortion decision, we recognize we have much work to do to protect life against abortion and euthanasia. It is very possible that the Massachusetts Legislature will consider legalizing euthanasia or assisted suicide in the coming year. It is an issue all Catholics must be aware of and ready to fight against.

Christmas Thank-You

Thank you to those parishioners who sent the parish staff a Christmas card or shared one of their holiday baking traditions. Your thoughtfulness is appreciated. May you receive God’s blessings in 2025.

From the Pastor December 21/22

Tue, 10 Dec 2024 20:34:26 GMT

Where Did Those Carols Come From?

It is the season for the plenteous playing of Christmas carols. We hear them in all the stores, at local concerts, and on the radio. Even popular music performers sing them at concerts this time of year. Everyone knows the words to some of the most standard ones. Christmas carols never lose their popularity.

Like many other holiday traditions, music historians believe that singing this time of year is rooted in pagan or pre-Christian practices. Christmas comes on one of the darkest days of the year in our northern hemisphere, and this has long been the occasion for singing, dancing, and feasting as people celebrate the victory of light over darkness as the shortest days of the year are behind us. We need festive ways to brighten the often bleak days of mid-winter.

Historians date the earliest Christmas carols to the 14th Century, but their evolution dates back much earlier. Christmas songs date back to the early days of the Church, and some were doctrinal. They helped to spread orthodox teaching about the Christian faith and fight heresy. One such carol is “Of the Father’s Love Begotten.” This song, now considered a Christmas carol, was written as a poem by a Roman theologian, Aurelius Clemens Prudentius, for people to recite to learn orthodox theology and combat the Arian heresy. The poem, later set to music in about the 13th Century, promoted the teachings of the Council of Nicaea that Christ is coeternal with the Father.

People also consider The Twelve Days of Christmas to be doctrinal. The song is an English children’s “memory-and-forfeits” game to train young children’s memories. Some historians believe English Catholics adapted it to teach children the precepts of the faith during the years when it was unlawful to practice Catholicism in England.

Other Christmas carols like “O Little Town of Bethlehem” and “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Morn” originate with the personal experiences of their writers. The words of “O Little Town of Bethlehem” were a poem by Phillips Brooks, an Episcopal priest, who was inspired during a visit to the Holy Land in 1865. He later collaborated with his church organist, Lewis Redner, to put the poem to music. The unique thing about this hymn is that while here in the US, we sing it to Redner’s tune we call “St. Louis,” in England, Canada, Ireland, and other English-speaking countries, they sing it to an English melody known as “Forest Green” an English melody collected by Ralph Vaughan Williams.

“I Heard the Bells On Christmas Morn” is another carol that started as a poem expressing the sentiments of its author. The poem, written by the famous American poet Henry Wordsworth Longfellow, expresses his depressing feelings that turn to joy when the writer considers the graciousness of God. Longfellow was at a low point when he wrote the poem. Recently, his wife died from burns, suffered in a freak accident, and his eldest son was wounded in a Civil War battle. The Union war effort was stalled, and he felt despair. But as he listened to the Christmas bells, his mood changed, and he became hopeful.

So many of our favorite Christmas carols have fascinating origins that tell us how the joy of contemplating the coming of Jesus Christ turned people’s sense of despair into hope and joy. As you hear the strains of Christmas music during these holidays, join in the singing. It will lift your spirits, remind you that Jesus is the reason for the season, and help you drive the bleak winter away.

Hospitality is the Key

Warm personal interactions that make visitors feel noticed and valued are the key to making newcomers want to join the parish. Any year, Christmas offers a unique chance to welcome lapsed parishioners, cultural Catholics who attend church only on Christmas and Easter, and people with no religious background but seek a possible relationship with Jesus Christ to join our parish. That is especially true in 2024. This Christmas is our first in our renovated church, and we want to show it off. We want all the family at our house for Christmas.

This Christmas, we plan to offer our visitors layers of welcome. First, we want to greet them as they enter the parking lot, wish them Merry Christmas, and direct them to a parking space. Next, we plan to have friendly faces open the doors and usher them into the building. Hosts will be available inside the church, helping people find seats to make everyone comfortable.

Even if you didn’t sign up for the hospitality ministry, you need to be welcoming this Christmas. The 4 p.m. Mass is always the most crowded, so maybe you can be welcoming by planning to attend the 6 p.m. Christmas Eve or 10 a.m. Christmas morning Mass. The Christmas morning Mass is excellent for families with young children. The excitement for Santa’s coming and opening presents is over, and they are less distracted. All parishioners can warmly greet visitors at Mass and avoid disparaging in any way those who seldom come to Mass. We must all do what we can to make this Christmas a warm and inviting experience for everyone.

Holy Redeemer Holiday Masses

Christmas Eve, Tuesday, December 24, 4 & 6 p.m.

Christmas Day, Wednesday, December 25, 10 a.m.

Solemnity of the Holy Family, December 28 & 29 Vigil 4 p.m. Morning 8 & 10 a.m.

Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God, January 1 Vigil 4 p.m. Morning 10 a.m.

Advent Giving

The Christmas Season is a time of giving. We encourage parishioners to donate to the St. Vincent de Paul Society’s Giving Tree. Funds from this activity help the society support the needy of our parish. Let’s cover the whole tree with the names of our intentions this Advent.

From the Pastor December 14/15

Sat, 07 Dec 2024 21:15:09 GMT

Hospitality is Key

Warm personal interactions that make visitors feel noticed and valued are the key to making newcomers want to become part of a parish. They are critical to helping foster feelings of loyalty to a church community. Those were the findings of the American Beliefs Study conducted by ACS Technologies through surveys carried out from 2013-21 and again in February of this year.

Those observations are especially timely during the Christmas holiday season.

Any year, Christmas offers a unique chance to welcome lapsed parishioners, cultural Catholics who attend church only on Christmas and Easter, and people with no religious background but who are seeking a possible relationship with Jesus Christ to join our parish. That is especially true in 2024. This Christmas is our first in our renovated church, and we want to show it off. We want all the family at our house for Christmas.

The American Beliefs Study found that newcomers to a parish look for warm and friendly encounters when they visit a new church. They seek:

A warm greeting at the door. Even better one in the parking lot.
Recognizing friends and acquaintances among attendees.
Receiving a personal invitation to Mass.
It is being personally directed to a seat by a host.
Hearing the congregation welcomed by a church leader.
Receiving personalized invitations to future church events.

To help meet these expectations, we plan to enhance our hospitality ministry for Christmas. We will need six parking lot attendants for the 4 and 6 p.m. Christmas Eve Masses and 4 for the 10 a.m. Christmas morning Mass. These should be people who are a little “laid back” and will wish drivers a Merry Christmas. Then, direct them to park so they don’t leave gaps or try to park the wrong way at the back of the lot.

We are looking for eight greeters for both Christmas Eve Masses and four for Christmas morning Mass. They will be at the doors, holding them open and giving churchgoers a holiday greeting. They will need to be on the lookout for people with a disability and show them the way to our new elevator. They will direct people to the restrooms and guide those unfamiliar with our building. The same number of hosts are needed inside the church to help people find seats so everyone can be comfortable during Mass. That makes for a total of sixty volunteers. Sign up your whole family to help. The grandkids will love getting involved.

We need to have everyone in place for our hospitality ministry by the end of this weekend because we want to have short, very short training sessions this week.

We have been handing out invitations with our Christmas Mass Schedule for you to personally ask your family and friends to church, just as the Beliefs Study found people appreciate. Take a few more today.

We are justifiably proud of our new worship space, but even more so that our parishioners are growing in their faith and spirituality and feeling a stronger sense of community. We want to share it with everyone coming to our house this Christmas.

Advent Reconciliation Service

Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m. The parish will hold an Advent Reconciliation Service at Holy Redeemer Church. Two other priests will assist Fr. Sullivan in celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation with parishioners. Sadly, the celebration of Reconciliation is a neglected sacrament in today’s Church. Yet, when people who have not celebrated it for years finally come, they say how much they feel renewed by God’s grace and mercy. Jeff Bernard, a parishioner who converted a couple of years ago, believes it is one of the best things about being Catholic! Come with all the family and prepare to celebrate Christmas with a freshly renewed soul.

Advent Giving

Vestiture for Deacon Art

Dalmatics are the vestments worn by deacons. They are different from a priest’s. They are tapered through the torso and arms rather than flowing like a priest’s to symbolize the deacon’s role of service. We want to buy six dalmatics, one in each of the six liturgical colors. Each one costs $750. They make a suitable gift for someone you would like to memorialize. A memorial tag will be sowed into the back of the vestment as a reminder to pray for the person being memorialized. We have received gifts for a white dalmatic from Gerry Kirby in memory of his wife, Claire, a purple one from Suzanne Summers in memory of her grandfather, Cornelius Hurley, and a green one from Georgia Pearson. If you would like to arrange the purchase of a dalmatic, contact Fr. Sullivan at the parish office.

Annual Diocesan Wedding Anniversary Mass

From the Pastor Dec 7/8

Mon, 25 Nov 2024 22:02:13 GMT

From the Pastor Week of Dec. 7/8

Youthful Holiness

Pope Francis recently announced plans to canonize two examples of youthful holiness. They are Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati. Carlo Acutis might be more recognizable to us because of a growing devotion to him due to the ongoing Eucharistic Revival. One of our small groups has placed themselves under his patronage. Carlo Acutis was a teenage Italian who developed a great devotion to the Eucharist from a very young age. Computer savvy, he developed a website that was the go-to source for information on Eucharistic miracles while still in his early teens. His peers knew Carlo to be a very compassionate friend and lead the life of a typical teen. At just 15 years of age, he tragically succumbed to a very fast-moving cancer in 2006.

Pier Giorgio Frassati isn’t as well known here in the United States. He lived in the early years of the last century and advocated for the poor. Pier was born into wealth and prestige; his parents were Alfredo Frassati, the owner of the Italian newspaper La Stampa, still published today, also a politician, and Adelaide Ametis, a noted painter. At a very young age, he developed a strong social conscience. At his beatification in 1990, Pope John Paul II referred to him as a man of the eight Beatitudes.

While still in his teens, he joined various Catholic spiritual, charitable, and social action groups. He was a Third Order Dominican, St. Vincent de Paul Society member, and activist with Catholic Action. While personally generous, he recognized the need for systemic change. He is quoted as saying, “Charity is not enough. We need social reform.” He opposed the Fascist regime of Mussolini and was arrested for participating in a demonstration opposed to the government. Like Carlo, Pier lived a very typical life. He was an alpinist, swimmer, and very physically active. He tragically died of polio at the age of 24. Pier’s family and friends believed Turin’s elites and his many youthful companions would attend his funeral. They were overwhelmed when scores of the poor he had personally befriended showed up and lined the street.

Coincidentally, Carlo and Piers were born into families that were not particularly religious. While his parents baptized Carlo as an infant, he owed much of his spiritual foundation to his Polish nanny, who took him on daily walks and would visit churches and spend time in Eucharistic devotion. Piers’ father was a professed agnostic. They are proof the Holy Spirit moves where it wills. Both young me are powerful examples for Catholic youth and inspirational for all age levels.

Neither Carlo nor Piers will be canonized because they are martyrs. Pope Francis reflected on that streamlined path to sainthood while addressing a congress organized by the Dicastery for the Cause of the Saints, the Vatican department responsible for evaluating candidates for canonization. Francis pointed out that the canonization of martyrs doesn’t require the candidate to have performed miracles. A great savings of time, prayers, and money, he joked.

In his address, Francis pointed out that a martyr becomes a candidate for sainthood by allowing themselves “to be transformed by the power of God’s love, which is greater than us and makes us capable of loving even beyond what we thought we were capable of.” A martyr, he said, “in the face of opposition assumes an unexpected attitude of charity, patience, and meekness in imitation of the crucified Jesus.” Martyrs aren’t people of the past but among us today. Members of the Christian faith still today face persecution and violence because of their faith. Unfortunately, it comes at the hands of persecutors who often have a Christian background. Saints-to-be Carlo and Piers and modern-day martyrs all stand ready to intercede for us and ask us to be open to the grace of God, which enables us to live a life of holiness.

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception Holiday Masses

Monday, December 9, is the observance of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. The feast is usually celebrated on December 8, but since that is the 2nd Sunday of Advent this year, we move its observance of the Holy Day to Monday. Our Mass schedule for the Holy Day of Obligation is 8 a.m., 12:05 p.m., and 4 p.m.

Retirement Fund For Religious

Today, a second collection for the Fund for Retired Religious will be taken up at all masses. The Fund supports retired Religious Sisters, Brothers, and priests. So many parishioners have benefited from the work of these Religious who helped staff parochial schools, hospitals, and other Catholic institutions. They now need your support, so please be generous to today’s collection.

Advent Giving

Annual Diocesan Wedding Anniversary Mass

Married couples celebrating a significant wedding anniversary in 2025 are invited to renew their wedding vows with Most Rev. Edgar M. DaCunha, S.D.V., D.D., at the Annual Diocesan Wedding Anniversary Mass, Sunday, February 9, 2025, at a 3:00 p.m. Mass at the cathedral of the St. Mary of the Assumption, 327 Second Street, Fall River, MA 02721. To register, please contact the Parish Office at 508-945-0677.

From the Pastor

Sat, 23 Nov 2024 13:08:12 GMT

From the Pastor, Week of November 30

St. Peter’s Without the Crowds

Many European cities are complaining about the hoards of tourists they have been dealing with since the end of the pandemic. Last summer, there were demonstrations in Barcelona and several other Spanish cities pleading for limits on tourists. In October 2023, I visited Florence and Rome, and despite the height of the tourist season supposedly being over, the crowds were immense. It took two and a half hours to get through security and into the Vatican Basilica. Luckily, we had an excellent guide who explained much of the architecture and history of St. Peter’s Square and the Basilica, which kept us occupied and made the wait more tolerable.

Crowds in Rome won’t be any smaller this summer because, on Christmas Eve, Pope Francis will break through the bricks that seal St. Peter’s Holy Year Door and usher in the beginning of the Holy Year 2025. For centuries, the Church has proclaimed a year of mercy every twenty-five years. This tradition is rooted in the jubilee years of forgiveness of debts and the return of land as stipulated in Sacred Scripture. On occasion, the pope will declare an extraordinary jubilee year.

Holy Years usually bring incredible crowds of tourists to Rome as pilgrims seek to pass through St. Peter’s Holy Door and the Holy Doors of the three other Major Roman Basilicas, St. John Lateran, St. Mary Major, and St. Paul’s Outside the Walls. Pilgrims receive a plenary indulgence for passing through the doors, celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and receiving the Eucharist within a set number of days.

Some observers have been discouraging pilgrims to Rome because of the expected crush of tourists. If you were considering a trip to the Vatican but now feel disheartened by the crowds, you have an alternative. A few weeks ago, Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, the Vatican official responsible for the care of St. Peter’s, announced the development of a digital twin of St. Peter’s set to launch on Sunday using cutting-edge technology.

The model results from collaboration between the Vatican, Microsoft’s AI for Good Lab, and a French company, Iconem. Technicians using drones, high-resolution cameras, and laser imaging took 400,000 pictures of the Basilica and developed an ultra-precise 3D model of St. Peter’s. They aimed to create a tool to preserve and share the Basilica’s historical, artistic, and spiritual wealth for a global audience. Cardinal Gambetti said the pictures are so precise that the cameras observed small cracks and missing tiles from some mosaics. The cameras detected even small spider nests in St. Peter’s Dome.

So, if you were considering a trip to Rome but are now shying away because of the crowds, you can tour St. Peters using this tour. I understand that a Boston television news program gave viewers a preview a few mornings ago. It might satisfy your yearning to visit the Basilica, at least for this year.

You don’t necessarily have to make a pilgrimage to Rome to satisfy your desire to receive the plenary indulgence the Holy Year offers. There are several other major churches throughout the world. North America’s only holy door is in Quebec City at the Cathedral of Notre Dame. If you have never been to Quebec City, I recommend it. It is a bit of the Old World close to us.

It is also a tradition for bishops to designate local churches as sites for pilgrims. I don’t know when or if Bishop Da Cunha will pick a diocesan church for that purpose, but I’ll let you know when I hear. I wish you a happy, holy, and healthy Holy Year 2025.

George Lane to Receive the Marian Medal

Parishioner George Lane will receive the Marian Medal from Bishop Edgar Da Cunha at a Prayer Service at St. Mary’s Cathedral on Sunday at 3 p.m. The Marian Medal is the Diocese of Fall River’s highest service award. George is an exemplary parishioner. He, his wife Thea, and daughter Aimee have been parishioners since retiring to Chatham from Harrisburg, PA. George is a Lector and Eucharistic Minister. He was a member of the Parish Pastoral Council for several years. Most recently, George has been indispensable as the small faith-sharing group coordinator. He has a passion for them, and that has enabled their success. We are deeply grateful to him for his service to the parish. Please congratulate George when you see him and show appreciation by joining a small group!

It’s Advent!

This weekend marks the beginning of Advent and a new Liturgical Year. Advent is our season of preparation for celebrating the Incarnation of Jesus Christ in human form. It is a penitential season, but not as strict as Lent. It is an excellent time to practice fasting and be more devoted to prayer. We will have an Advent Reconciliation Service next Sunday, December 8, at 3 p.m. Fr. Sullivan will be assisted by a couple of other priests. Plan to come and experience God’s loving mercy as a preparation for Christmas.

Annual Diocesan Wedding Anniversary Mass

Married couples celebrating a significant wedding anniversary in 2025 are invited to renew their wedding vows with Most Rev. Edgar M. DaCunha, S.D.V., D.D., at the Annual Diocesan Wedding Anniversary Mass, Sunday, February 9, 2025, at a 3:00 p.m. Mass at the cathedral of the St. Mary of the Assumption, 327 Second Street, Fall River, MA 02721. To register, please contact the Parish Office at 508-945-0677.

Hurricane Relief Collection

We pledged the proceeds from our All Souls Day Book of the Dead envelopes as a parish donation for the victims of Hurricanes Milton and Helene. We sent gifts amounting to $4,116.00 to Catholic Charities USA. Thank you to everyone who donated. We pray those affected by the storm will soon be restored to their homes.

33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time

Fri, 22 Nov 2024 01:16:47 GMT

33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time- Fr. John Sullivan Homily

It has been a remarkable year for Holy Redeemer Parish. In June, we completed our renovation project, giving the church a full-scale elevator, new lighting, expanded restrooms, and much more. Bishop Da Cunha came in July to consecrate the new altar and bless the church. Reaction from parishioners and visitors has been overwhelmingly positive. I don’t remember hearing one negative comment. I’m very proud of our new church and believe you are also.

As 2024 draws to a close, I’ve been reflecting and formulating some plans for 2025. Now that we have completed our work to make Holy Redeemer physically welcoming, we must continue to make it spiritually inviting. When we kicked off the Capital Campaign to fund the renovations, you will remember I spoke about how our efforts to make the church more physically attractive and accessible would be futile unless we make it a spiritually inviting place of worship.

Over the last few decades, the face of religion in America has changed. Many of the structures that promoted church attendance are gone. Church attendance was a foregone expectation a few decades ago, but that isn’t the case today. Only a little more than half of Americans claim a close affiliation with a place of worship. While in the 1960s, almost 70% of Catholics claimed to attend Mass every Sunday, today, less than a quarter pass through the doors of a church each weekend. Church membership is becoming a middle-class value. Many people from a lower economic status no longer feel they have a place in church.

We must be open to experimentation and change as a parish and a wider Church. The old understanding that if you build it, they will come doesn’t work now. We need to return to our call to be a missionary church. We need to transform into a community sharing our excitement about the good news of Jesus Christ and God’s love for everyone.

Over the years, you have heard me say the church can’t be a clubhouse for Catholics. Our focus can’t be only on parishioners, the people in the pews. Our concentration and purpose for being have to be on reaching out and encouraging the lost and alienated to develop a relationship with God so they can enjoy the fullness of life.

We have developed a parish mission statement: Living in Faith, Growing in Faith, Sharing in Faith. You’ll see it printed on every bulletin, our stationery, and every parish communication. We have expanded our understanding of that mission in our Vision Statement, which is:

Through a culture of excellence in worship, we are a Christ-centered welcoming parish dedicated to life-long faith formation, evangelization, social works of justice, and community outreach that strengthens the Catholic Church on the Lower Cape. Through gifts of time, talent, and treasure, we embrace all people as brothers and sisters.

We must make that more than a vision. It must become our reality. We want to be a model parish. We might be here on the elbow of Cape Cod, a somewhat out-of-the-way place, but we have the potential for influence on a significant scale. We can punch above our weight because many visitors come every summer and throughout the year. That gives us the potential to be very influential. Visitors and summer residents come, are impressed with our activity, and take it home to help change their parishes.

As a parish, we must be open to experimentation. Since the old ways no longer work, we must be inclined to try new ways. Change can be scary, but historically, we have witnessed how it brings new life. We hear that in Mark’s gospel today. Jesus warned his disciples he had come to shake things up and start a revolution. He told them:

In those days after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened,

and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from the sky

and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.

As Jesus nears the end of his public ministry, he warns the disciples new ways are about to begin. While speaking more metaphorically than literally, Jesus reveals that big events will occur. He will suffer his Passion, Death, and Resurrection, God’s Kingdom will be established, and the Temple and its system of worship will pass away.

The concept of the Temple’s destruction was inconceivable to the Jews. They recognized the Temple as the meeting point of Heaven and Earth. It was a microcosm of the Universe. They felt assured God would prevent its obliteration. Sadly, the Romans destroyed the Temple in 72 A.D. during the Jewish Revolt, and everything changed for the Jews.

Jesus tells his disciples that a new order is about to be established. It is an era when Jesus will be the new Temple. He will be where we meet God. Jesus’ Real Presence in the Eucharist, not the Temple, will be the fountain of God’s grace.

Jesus’ words speak of the truth that God can use new systems, structures, and strategies to help us grow in our love for God. Things fall apart. They need renovation and renewal for a new age. Just as our physical church has undergone a makeover, our spiritual life must be open to conversion and renewal. What encouraged and supported faith years ago no longer works today. We need to foster revitalization and updating to communicate with a new generation.

As we say while blessing the Pascal Candle at the Easter Vigil, Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow; but how we bring Jesus into our world needs continuous updating and renewal. The church must implement new ways to call people back to experience God’s love.

This year, we have made great strides in doing this, and I want to share plans for doing that even more in 2025. While our church is full and overflowing during the summer, we have plenty of room at other times of the year. Even when it isn’t the tourist season, our community has the number of at least cultural Catholics to fill our pews.

Small group formation was one of the big initiatives we took this year to help parishioners grow in their faith and have the confidence to want to share it. We have formed seven small groups with over seventy members. We want to become not only a parish with small groups but a parish of small groups. Increasing membership in small groups will be a focus in 2025.

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated a trend of increased isolation in our country. Not only are houses of worship seeing smaller membership, but civic engagement of all kinds has been suffering in recent years. That isolation from people with different views and backgrounds is a cause of the partisanship and division we suffer today. Small groups fight that trend and help us learn to love others.

While we have a devoted number of parish volunteers and had a great response at our Parish Ministry Fair a few weeks ago, the day is approaching when I will need more help administrating and growing our efforts. Present part-time staff will need to become full-time, and new projects will need skilled personnel committed to helping them succeed.

Social media and the Internet aren’t a fad. They are here to stay. They offer valuable tools to help spread our message. This year, I’d like to make developing our presence on social media a focus of effort. We are redesigning our parish website: www.holyredeemerchatham.org . We intend it to become active in a few weeks.

Just in time for Christmas, we hope to have our LiveStream of parish Masses up and running again. Our LiveSteam is an excellent opportunity to keep the homebound feeling attached to the parish, but not a substitute for attending Mass in person. It can be an evangelizing tool. When people first consider attending church, they can feel uncertain because they don’t know what to expect. Watching a livestream of Mass helps them observe us and see they are welcome.

Flock Note, our parish emails we circulate weekly are another beneficial tool for growing our faith. Metrics tell us that about 60% of recipients open our messages. That is an extraordinary response. This year, we plan to use them to even better advantage. Our Children’s Liturgy of the Word is slowly growing at the 10 am Mass. We face an older demographic here in Chatham, but we still should have more families and young people in Mass. Evangelizing families needs to be a focus this coming year.

I’m excited about our plans for the new year. Here in church, we begin it early. It starts in only two weeks on the First Sunday of Advent. I hope you are excited, too. I hope you want our parish to grow and flourish. To bring our plans to fruition, we need resources. We need people to share their time, talent, and treasure. I ask you to make giving to your parish a priority. Don’t make your donation the smallest bill in your wallet or the change in your pocket. Begin to make a sacrificial gift.

The best way to contribute is electronically. Even the most consistent Massgoers are absent from their home parish about a third of the year. You are away on vacation, attending family members’ events, or maybe not feeling well. Electronic giving allows you to set it and forget it. It is the way I contribute to our parish. If you are a seasonal resident, you can choose to make gifts only during the weeks you are here or apportion them between your various churches.

You can establish electronic giving by visiting our parish website, www.holyredeemercatham.org . Look for the Donate tab on the Home Page, click on it, and follow the prompts. If you have a problem, call the Parish Office, and we will gladly walk you through the process.

When was the last time you reflected on your gift to the church? I’d like you to consider donating a percentage of your income. The Biblical tithe of 10% percent might be too challenging for a start, but it is the percent and not the ten that is important. What about even 1 or 2%? Committing to progressing in our level of giving is a sign of our deepening love of God and a commitment to helping our parish grow. The only limit to our ability to flourish as a parish is the limits you put on your willingness to contribute to it.

In today’s first reading, we heard of the prophet Daniel’s vision of the enormous changes God would bring about in the world. In his vision, he saw all of creation getting involved. The stars, wind, water, and every other element took part to help bring about God’s plans for renewal and a deeper commitment to God. I pray you will join me and your fellow parishioners in being part of the plan to grow Holy Redeemer parish here in our corner of the Kingdom of God.

32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time

Fri, 22 Nov 2024 01:09:29 GMT

32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time- Deacon Art LaChance Homily

On Monday night, December 11, 1995, fire broke out in the factory complex of Malden Mills – a textile manufacturing plant in Lawrence Massachusetts.

By the time firefighters from Lawrence and several surrounding communities were able to bring the fire under control, most of the buildings were gone.

Fortunately, no lives were lost — but the physiological and economical impact to the city of Lawrence was devastating. Malden Mills’ 3000 employees faced the prospect of no jobs 2 weeks before Christmas.

Almost everyone in Lawrence assumed that the Mills’ owner would take advantage of the opportunity to relocate his plant to a low wage area of the south or overseas. They feared the city would lose its biggest economic asset.

It didn’t happen.

The day after the fire, the owner of Malden Mills announced that all the people on his payroll would receive their salaries for the next 3 months — though there would be no work for them to do, and that he would rebuild the plant on its site.

He was quoted as saying; “I have a responsibility to the workers and an equal responsibility to the community. It would be unconscionable to put 3000 people on the streets and deliver a death blow to the city of Lawrence.”

What makes a man like this act so decently – putting the welfare of his workers and their community ahead of his own financial self-interest?

To start — he is a religious man. But as we know, many devote people can be less than ideal neighbors and citizens.

Yet his faith has given him an additional quality – one that can be summed up in a word that was used repeatedly when the media told the Malden Mills story — Integrity.

Integrity means being whole — unbroken — undivided.

It describes a person who has united the different parts of his or her personality so that there is no split in the soul.

When a soul is divided — part of us wants to do one thing, while part wants to do something else.

— Do we tell the prospective buyer of our home about the plumbing problem, or do we keep quiet unless they ask?

— Do we jealously guard our time, or do we share it by volunteering?

— Do we spend our money on that new gadget we’ve had our eye on, or do we give it to charity?

We’re at war with ourselves, and the struggle leaves us uncomfortable.

When we have integrity, all of our aspirations are focused in one direction. For the person of integrity, life may not be easy, but it is simple. Figure out what is right and do it. All other considerations come in second.

The person of integrity has — for all intents and purposes — given up control.

This is the 5th week of our series we’re calling Confessions of a Control Freak.”

We began with the realization that — in one way or another, we are all control freaks…

Cooking or cleaning — driving or working — saving or shopping…. Each of us clutches onto something that becomes an issue of trust for us — something that can actually get in the way of a relationship with God.

Three weeks ago, Father talked about letting go of our preconceptions of what a great life looks like. Turns out —a great life is found in serving others.

Two weeks ago, Father talked about how trying to control our public image can slow us down and lead to a false identity — and keep us from entering into the life God wants for us.

Last week he talked about controlling people. We are called and designed to be influential in the lives of the people around us — those we care most about — but we are not meant to be controllers..

Today we are looking at control when it comes to the most difficult thing to give up control of — our treasure - our money.

Because money is the medium used to accomplish so many transactions in our day to day living, it serves as a sign, an indicator, of our priorities and values — and a gauge of our integrity.

We shy away from talking about money. This has to do with that intimate place in our heart where we need security. We don’t want to reveal our need or put ourselves in a position of being dependent — so we feel the need to hold tightly to what money we have.

Combine that with a culture that encourages us to spend, acquire and consume — and we should not be surprised to find that people become defensive when they are challenged to share their material possessions in justice and love with others.

That’s why — at first glance the owner of Malden Mills actions might seem incomprehensible.

But there's a very good chance that his course of action was almost predictable!

That kind of generosity rarely comes from nowhere. It comes from the heart.

Like to owner of Malden Mills — it comes from the inner person that we have created - a tiny piece at a time - through thousands of choices across many years.

Just as we are what we eat, we become what we choose.

It happens so slowly that we rarely notice — but through our daily choices we shape our soul as surely as a sculptor shapes his clay. And our soul in turn impresses its shape on our hearts.

Not one of our thousands of tiny decisions to be compassionate, gracious, and true ever gets lost.

Every one of them is incorporated into the fabric of our souls — and piece-by-piece they help to shape the deeds that come after them. The heart remains open, and we cannot help but give of ourselves to others – without hesitation.

The two widows in our Scripture readings had built gracious and true hearts in just that way over the years. And so, when each was asked to give up control of all she had left, the decision almost made itself.

It didn't come from some last-ditch hope. It came from the gracious inner person each widow had created one action at a time.

What kind of person are you creating?

Pick a time in the not too distant past - A year or two ago - and ask yourself a few questions…

How does my prayer life today compare with then?

How about my giving? When was the last time I evaluated what I give to the Parish?

How about my church participation? Am I sharing my talent?

And Bible study? Am I learning to learn?

We have, with God's help, the power to create for ourselves hearts and lives that are compassionate, noble, and true. We have the power to shape our future by shaping our present – right here and right now.

And if we could learn to release our grip — just a little bit — the quality of our relationships — along with the quality of our lives — would actually increase.

Taking small steps, daily, toward easing control of our treasure boils down to trust – believing that God, who takes care of all of His creation, will take care of us.

Trusting that in giving to God first, we are both acknowledging that our blessings come from Him — and that we are thankful He chose to give them to us.

And finally, trusting that if we give to Him first, everything else will fall into place — because “ He ” is ultimately the ONE in control .

31st Sunday of Ordinary Time

Fri, 22 Nov 2024 01:06:43 GMT

31st Sunday of Ordinary Time- Fr. J ohn Sullivan Homily

All of us have silly places in our lives where we feel we must exercise control. Maybe we require family and guests to put dirty dishes in the sink or on the counter because not everyone has the proper skills to put them in the dishwasher properly. Our sock drawer is another place where we need to have complete control. The black ones are on the right, the blue ones are on the left, and the argyles in the middle. Maybe we are the type of person who must be the driver everywhere we go. These are small situations, and our control over them mostly does no harm.

Then, some of us must be in control over more critical areas. Over the last few weeks, our homilies have been looking into those areas. We first looked at control of our material goods. The gospel presented the story of the rich man who approached Jesus and asked what he needed to do to enter the Kingdom of God. He claimed he devotedly followed all the commandments. Jesus asks him to sell his possessions and follow him. The man left sad because he didn’t want to give up control over his wealth to follow our Savior. Not even our material things can hinder our following Jesus.

Next, we examined how the desire for power and prestige can control our actions. Two apostles approached Jesus and asked for places at his right and left when he entered his kingdom. They wanted to be powerbrokers when Jesus began his reign. Jesus told them honor in his kingdom comes when we relinquish control and are servants to others.

Last week, we looked at how concern for our self-image can block our getting the fullness of life. Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, wouldn’t let his image stand in the way of his receiving new sight from Jesus. He wouldn’t let his image of someone on the margins of society block him from coming to Jesus, receiving sight, and following Jesus on the way. We can’t let what others think of control us.

Needing to control these more critical areas can damage or stifle the growth of our relationships with others and, most of all, with God. We need to loosen our grip on these areas of our lives so we can have better-quality relationships with others. Relationships that nurture our well-being. We must be willing to give up control of some critical facets of our lives to grow our relationship with God.

This week, we’ll be considering our tendency to want to control other people. I’m not referring to wanting to influence others. Influencing other people is a part of our human nature. Helping others by sharing our wisdom, knowledge of a similar situation and telling what we have learned from our mistakes is laudable. Offering guidance to our children and those less experienced than ourselves is necessary for the development of the world. We must help guide others on the right path. Our trying to influence others is a sign of love and caring for others. Our efforts to prevent others from making bad decisions and going down the wrong path should be commended.

A problem arises when our caring turns to controlling. When trying to influence others turns into forcing them to do our will, that is when the problems begin. When we use fear or intimidation to carry out our will, conflict can’t help but arise. Attempting to control people usually backfires. Everyone can become frustrated and try to strike out, and any attempt at a relationship of love dies, and we end up driving people away from us.

I’m not trying to suggest we don’t become involved in each other’s lives. I don’t want to suggest isolating ourselves from others, having a hands-off attitude towards our interactions, or letting others thoughtlessly enter situations that will harm them. We can’t watch unsuspecting people drive off a cliff. We must fulfill our legitimate need to influence the behavior of our loved ones, but we have to guard against becoming controlling of their behaviors.

In today’s gospel, Jesus has just faced down people who tried to control him. Last week in the gospel, we hear that Jesus is on the final leg of his journey to Jerusalem. He is part of a large crowd of pilgrims going to the Holy City to celebrate Passover. Jesus’ objective is different from the others. He goes to Jerusalem to experience his passion and death.

Today’s gospel places Jesus in the Temple. We have jumped over two whole chapters of Mark’s Gospel. Those pages told of Jesus’ triumphant entrance into Jerusalem and the acclaim he received from the crowds. We missed hearing how he went to the Temple, saw the moneychangers and animal sellers desecrating the sacred place, and chased them away.

His actions angered the religious authorities, who began to believe Jesus was a threat to their control of religious life. In an attempt to retain control, they tried to humiliate Jesus. The chief priests, scribes, and elders approach Jesus to question his authority. Different groups present numerous questions to try to trip up Jesus, hoping he will lose honor among the people. Nothing works, and they all go away shamefaced, fearful they might lose power and control.

Finally, in today’s gospel, we hear of another scribe who comes to question Jesus. Scribes were well-educated men who studied the Law of Moses and were experts in it. This one is different, and his heart is more open to Jesus and God. Apparently, he has been listening and seems impressed with Jesus’ answers to the powerbrokers.

His question is tricky, but it isn’t meant to control Jesus. He seems more sincere. He asks, “Which is the first of all the commandments?” This question was often posed to the rabbis and was considered the test of their excellence as teachers. The scribe seems open to possibly surrendering his sense of control as someone knowledgeable in the law to follow the humble rabbi, Jesus, out of love. He asks his question before he makes a final decision to follow Jesus.

Jesus answers:

Hear, O Israel!

The Lord our God is Lord alone!

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,

With all your soul,

With all your mind,

And with all your strength.

The second is this:

You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

For the first time, Jesus combined the obligation to love God with our love of neighbor. It was revolutionary and has become the summation of the core principle of the Christian life. Jesus said we practice the love of the God, we cannot see central to our lives when we love the neighbor we can see regardless of their race, color, creed, or political leanings.

Jesus said we can have only one thing central in our relationship with God and others. We can try to control or love God and our brothers and sisters. God did not create us to control us and make us love God. God created us to have free will and the ability to choose to love God.

The love of God is more than a sentimental attachment. Love of God is total loyalty and our surrender to God. St. Paul describes love in chapter 13 of his First Letter to the Corinthians.

Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing, but rejoices with truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails

Love is the opposite of control. Since God is love, God is the opposite of control. God is for freedom, and freedom comes through God’s love and the love we show our neighbor.

Mark tells us that Jesus praised the scribe and told him he was not far from the kingdom of God. That would be a happy ending, but Mark doesn’t end the story there. He ends the story by telling us,

And no one dared to ask him any more questions.

Sadly, they didn’t ask more questions because they were unwilling to surrender their sense of control. They lack the love and desire to be faithful to Jesus. That failure will send Jesus to the cross in just a few days. God will not be controlled. A loving God, the Father will show power by raising Jesus from death and promising that we who don’t try to control God but work to deepen our relationship of love of God through prayer will share the same resurrection and the gift of eternal life.

Oooohs and Aahs?

test@4lpi.com (Web Team) — Fri, 12 Jul 2024 13:19:30 GMT

The new season is a great reason to make and keep resolutions. Whether it’s eating right or cleaning out the garage, here are some tips for making and keeping resolutions.

Make a list

Lists are great ways to stay on track. Write down some big things you want to accomplish and some smaller things, too.

Check the list regularly

Don’t forget to check in and see how you’re doing. Just because you don’t achieve the big goals right away doesn’t mean you’re not making progress.

Reward yourself

When you succeed in achieving a goal, be it a big one or a small one, make sure to pat yourself on the back.

Think positively

Positive thinking is a major factor in success. So instead of mulling over things that didn’t go quite right, remind yourself of things that did.

Some Things Stay the Same

test@4lpi.com (Web Team) — Fri, 12 Jul 2024 13:19:30 GMT

There are so many good reasons to communicate with site visitors. Tell them about sales and new products or update them with tips and information.

Here are some reasons to make blogging part of your regular routine.

Blogging is an easy way to engage with site visitors

Writing a blog post is easy once you get the hang of it. Posts don’t need to be long or complicated. Just write about what you know, and do your best to write well.

Show customers your personality

When you write a blog post, you can really let your personality shine through. This can be a great tool for showing your distinct personality.

Blogging is a terrific form of communication

Blogs are a great communication tool. They tend to be longer than social media posts, which gives you plenty of space for sharing insights, handy tips and more.

It’s a great way to support and boost SEO

Search engines like sites that regularly post fresh content, and a blog is a great way of doing this. With relevant metadata for every post so search engines can find your content.

Drive traffic to your site

Every time you add a new post, people who have subscribed to it will have a reason to come back to your site. If the post is a good read, they’ll share it with others, bringing even more traffic!

Blogging is free

Maintaining a blog on your site is absolutely free. You can hire bloggers if you like or assign regularly blogging tasks to everyone in your company.

A natural way to build your brand

A blog is a wonderful way to build your brand’s distinct voice. Write about issues that are related to your industry and your customers.

Blessings

test@4lpi.com (Web Team) — Fri, 12 Jul 2024 13:19:30 GMT

Write about something you know. If you don’t know much about a specific topic that will interest your readers, invite an expert to write about it.

Speak to your audience

You know your audience better than anyone else, so keep them in mind as you write your blog posts. Write about things they care about. If you have a company Facebook page, look here to find topics to write about

Take a few moments to plan your post

Once you have a great idea for a post, write the first draft. Some people like to start with the title and then work on the paragraphs. Other people like to start with subtitles and go from there. Choose the method that works for you.

Don’t forget to add images

Be sure to include a few high-quality images in your blog. Images break up the text and make it more readable. They can also convey emotions or ideas that are hard to put into words.

Edit carefully before posting

Once you’re happy with the text, put it aside for a day or two, and then re-read it. You’ll probably find a few things you want to add, and a couple more that you want to remove. Have a friend or colleague look it over to make sure there are no mistakes. When your post is error-free, set it up in your blog and publish.

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