Dear OLP Family,

I am very happy to welcome Bishop James Checchio to our community today, as he comes to install me as the Pastor of Our Lady of Peace Parish during the 10 AM Mass. Although I had already begun my new assignment here as your Pastor on August 1st, we celebrate this Rite of Installation liturgically today not only to ask God’s blessings on me for my ministry as your shepherd, but also because it reminds all of us of an essential part of being a disciple:

Dear OLP Family,

As you know, I was away for a pilgrimage and am very happy to be back to our parish. I wish to thank the priests who helped us with Masses in my absence - Fr. Sean Winters, Fr. Ken Kolibas, Fr. Justin Akkara - and in a special way Fr. Sebastian Kaithakkal who is our resident priest helping us in many ways.

We were 60 pilgrims in this trip to Poland, Czech Republic and Italy with Fr. Antony from Phillipsburg and myself as chaplains.

Dear OLP Family,

I am out for a Pilgrimage to Poland, Czech Republic, and Italy. I will be back on 28th September evening. I will resume my weekly column on my return, but before leaving, I had prepared the spiritual enrichment that you can read in these pages. I will be keeping all of you in my thoughts and prayers, especially as I pass through the Jubilee Holy Doors in Rome. Please pray for me and the rest of the pilgrims too.

Dear OLP Family,

Today is the 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time, but we are celebrating the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Why? When a Feast of the Lord falls on a Sunday, it replaces the Sunday in Ordinary Time. Examples: The Presentation of the Lord, The Transfiguration of the Lord or The Exaltation of the Holy Cross.

Dear OLP Family,

I wish to share with you brief reflections on three matters:

One: Today is the canonization of Carlo Acutis by Pope Leo XIV. This first millennial saint in the Catholic Church lived only for 15 years as he died of leukemia in 2006. Carlo’s childhood was typical of his generation: loved Pokémon and played PlayStation, wore Nike and played tennis; enjoyed hiking with friends.

Dear OLP Family,

Since Labor Day first became a federal holiday in 1894, the first Monday of September has been set apart to celebrate and value in American society the role of our workers and their work by providing, ironically and fittingly, a day off to rest and enjoy the fruits of one’s labor. But It is also a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the deeper meaning of our work, which the language of faith provides.

Dear OLP Family,

Today’s Gospel has a very controversial question put to Jesus: “Will only a few be saved?” If this question is put to Jehovah’s Witnesses, they will quote the Book of Revelation 7:4 and answer that the saved will be exactly 144,000. But Scripture scholars point out that the same Book of Revelation 7:9 speaks about “a great multitude of those saved, whom no one can count.” Hence, we know that the number 144,000 is symbolic to indicate the great multitude who will be saved, not a limit to those who will be in heaven.

Dear OLP Family,

Last Sunday (August 10) was the feast of St. Lawrence who was a deacon and martyr of Rome. I thanked our Deacon John Raychel who has been serving our parish for the past 15 years. As we need more deacons to serve our parish, I encouraged the men of our parish to consider the vocation to diaconate and speak to our Deacon John. Later on some men asked me about deaconate and I thought of explaining it in this column for general information.

Dear Friends,

I am so very happy to begin my ministry here last weekend. It was an honor for me to preside at the 5PM, 8AM, and 10AM Masses and to concelebrate the 12PM Mass with Fr. Sebastian. Thank you for your warm welcome to this wonderful parish of Our Lady of Peace.