Father Todd O. Strange

You may recall last Sunday, when we heard from the prophet Jeremiah. He was at the end of his rope, in fulfilling the responsibility God had entrusted to him, to speak a difficult message to the people. This Sunday, we hear from the prophet Ezekiel, who likewise was told by God to proclaim a message of warning to the people, telling them to reform their lives. God warned Ezekiel that if he did not proclaim this message, and the people suffer consequences, that Ezekiel himself would be...

On July 19th, in my Pastor’s Note, I proposed some changes to our Works of Mercy collections. Having also directly consulted members of our parishes, we will go forward with the following: At both St. Thomas and at St. Philomena, we will have a second collection on the fourth weekend. We will do this every other month, starting in September, then November, then January, etc. The organizations we will support (and the distribution percentage) are as follows: St. Vincent de Paul (25%) - we...

When I teach about the sacraments, such as Baptism or the Eucharist, seeking to help us understand what they are, I believe it’s important to ask: What is God’s purpose for this sacrament? Why is he giving it to me? How does he intend it to bear effect in me? These questions came to mind as I prayed over the Gospel we hear today, specifically where Jesus says, “Upon this rock I will build my church”. I remember hearing a lecture by biblical scholar Dr. Tim Gray in which he zeroed-in on those...