Pastor’s Corner
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July 26, 2026
Hey y’all, Heaven. Most all Americans, at least according to a Pew Research Center report from 2021, believe in heaven – 73% is the number they came up with. Roman Catholics actually better that percentage: 90% of us believe in heaven according to the survey, but only 74% of us believe in Hell. But for…
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July 19, 2026
Dear SSJ Catholic Community, The smallest seed in the world measures just 0.05 millimeters in length and belongs to the orchid family. These seeds are so tiny they cannot be seen with the naked eye, and it would take approximately 35 million of them to fill a single heaping tablespoon. When we hear the phrase,…
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July 12, 2026
Dear Saints Simon and Jude Parish Community, In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus gives us the familiar and beautiful parable of the sower. A farmer goes out to sow seed, scattering it generously. Some falls on the path, some on rocky ground, some among thorns, and some on rich soil. The seed is the Word of…
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July 5, 2026
Hey y’all, I am usually writing to you here as your Pastor, which is the role that has been given me by the Church. But on this 4th of July weekend, on this singular occasion of the 250th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, I am also proud to write to you…
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June 21, 2026
ar Parishioners & Guests, On Father’s Day, we express gratitude for the fathers and father figures who have shaped our lives—those who have offered guidance, protection, and love in ways both seen and unseen. In today’s Gospel, Jesus speaks words that echo both comfort and challenge: “Do not be afraid.” These words invite us to…
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June 14, 2026
Dear Parishioners and Visitors, In our gospel reading for this weekend, Jesus calls his twelve Apostles together and sends them out on a mission. This reminds me of a fictional letter addressed to Jesus Christ from a management consultant about the twelve candidates Jesus had chosen to be leaders among his disciples. The letter goes…
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June 7, 2026
Dear Parishioners & Guests, This Sunday, we turn to yet another great solemnity in the Church’s liturgical year. It is the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi.) The Catechism of the Catholic Church states the importance of the Eucharist (Thanksgiving) and why we have this great feast. The catechism…
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May 31, 2026
Dear Parishioners and Visitors, Pentecost is often called the birthday of the Church.This is because the coming of the Holy Spirit transformed the Apostles from being a group of followers of Christ into being the Mystical Body of Christ, the living presence of Christ in the world. Three symbols help us understand the work of…