Before heading to bed, I normally charge my phone and put it on silence mode. I don't sleep with it to avoid distraction except of course in extenuating circumstances. Physical rest is a spiritual moment. It is a sacred and intimate time with the Lord. As St. John XXIII once said, Lord, this is your church. Take care of it. I'm going to rest. Last night (Monday evening), I inadvertently forgot to silence it. Around 5:00 in the morning, I woke up to the sound of four unusual text messages. I'm not used to getting messages early in the morning. This must be something very important and to my surprise, it was a short message from a brother priest greeting all of us, his felllow pastor in the diocese, a Happy Priest Day on the memorial of St. John Marie Vianney, patron saint of parish priests. His pastoral zeal, commmitment to the sacrament of confession by spending countless hours in the confessional, the extraordinary loved shown to his people and the endless admonition to prayer was unmatched.

This Wednesday, August 5 is the memorial of the dedication of the Basilica of St. Mary Major, the oldest basilica in the West built in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God as defined in the Council of Ephesus in 431.   

This Thursday, August 6 is the feast of the transfiguration of the Lord. Below are photos from my Holy Land Pilgrimage 2017. 

We are slowly preparing for the partial reopening of our churches for public (in-person) worship as well as the sacramental reception. 

We send our thoughts and prayers to the bereaved families who have experienced loss of death because of Covid-19. 

We pray for the eternal repose of the souls of the parishioners who recently passed away and offer condolences, sympathy and consolation to the grieving families, relatives and friends. Rest assured, they are included in the prayers of the gathered community.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen.