Thank you to all who joined together to pray during our Novena for Our Country. Many people have asked for copies of the novena prayers.
Below is a link to the prayers, readings, and reflections that parishioners at St. Charles Borromeo and St. Augustine / St. Francis Xavier parishes prepared together with Fr. Bill Smith and Fr. John Gribowich.
Please join us to celebrate the Mass on Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Monday, January 18:
Please join us to celebrate the 2nd Sunday of Ordinary Time on Sunday, January 17:
Today’s readings and hymns are available to download here:
We were honored to have our friend Chaplain Barry Pitegoff join us last night for our Novena for Our Country where he spoke about how welcoming strangers is a path to peace for this time. Below is the text of his reflection.
Continue reading “Chaplain Pitegoff’s Reflection for Friday’s Novena”The Thursday night book club is reading Pope’s recent encyclical Fratelli Tutti, the Pope’s recent social encyclical on important contemporary issues.
This Thursday at 7 PM, we will discuss Chapter 7, “Paths of Renewed Encounter” (paragraphs 225-270) and be joined by Larry Chapp, theologian and owner/manager of the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker Farm in Harveys Lake, PA. You can read one of Larry’s recent articles on Pope Francis here.
Please download the worship aid to participate in Friday’s evening prayer. It will begin immediately following the Novena for our Country, which will be said at 5 PM.
Instructions on how to join are available here.
More than 50 people joined for the first night of the Novena for Our Country that we are sponsoring together with St. Augustine and St. Francis Xavier. The novena is being said nightly via Zoom at 5 PM through next Tuesday. For more information, see the “Invitation to Novena for Our Country”. Don’t worry if you missed the first night, you are welcome to join in.
As I mentioned last night, I have received wonderful suggestions for prayers and readings for upcoming nights of the novena. I encourage you to keep emailing them to me, [email protected]. This has truly been a communal effort in a time that certainly needs one, and I see my role for this novena as primarily being editor.
I have included the readings until Thursday below, but you can send prayers whether they fit these readings or not for future use. There will be a special emphasis on Mary for Saturday.
Let us support each other in this most difficult and dangerous time.
I remain
In Christ,
Fr. Bill Smith
