On this Feast of St. Andrew, we seek his intercession. As he brought his own brother, Peter to Christ, may he bring us also into this life-giving relationship with the Christ! One of the great opportunities before us in this day and age is to renew the most basic relationship Read more…
Dear friends, Advent is a time for reflecting on basic realities, such as the existence of God and his divine goodness that created all things. The scriptures recall the many different encounters people have with God or Christ and the immediate reaction is one of unworthiness, of one’s sinfulness in Read more…
We have reached a point in this pandemic where it is time to return in person to the source of life, the Sunday Eucharist. Beginning December 8 on the Holy Day of the Immaculate Conception, the Archdiocese of Seattle will reinstate the obligation to receive the Eucharist on Sunday’s and Read more…
Last night at St. James Cathedral we celebrated a Mass in memory of all who died during the COVID-19 pandemic. 700 candles burned to honor the 750,000 people who died in the United States. I invite you to watch the video, and particularly to listen to the homily and prayers. Read more…
Yesterday the Washington State Catholic Conference held our Cornerstone Catholic Conference gathering. Once again this year this event needed to be a virtual gathering rather than in person. As the banner above indicates, the theme this year focused on Forming Disciples for Life and Justice. I hope and pray all Read more…
God in His wisdom and infinite goodness has filled the world with a great diversity which is wonderful to behold. Four years ago the Archdiocese of Seattle began a celebration to bring together all the different ethnic groups that make up the family of faith in Western Washington. This gathering Read more…
A successful Catholic School requires among other things a close working relationship between the principal and the pastor. Holy Family Bilingual Catholic School is on the rise in part because of the dynamic duo of Larkin Temme, principal and Fr. Jose Alvarez, pastor! Yesterday we celebrated the completion of a Read more…
The global pandemic has claimed millions of human lives. In addition, it has revealed clearly flaws in our society that need a closer look and remedial attention so we can build a better home for every member of the human family. All of us can see an increase of human Read more…
I have many great memories from my youth, and today’s Gospel brought one to mind. Jesus poses a great question: “What is the Kingdom of God like?” He goes on to say it is like a mustard seed that when fully grown becomes a place for the birds to dwell. Read more…
This 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time found me installing the new pastor of St. Vincent de Paul parish in Federal Way. It was a joyous celebration and a very good representation of the parish were on hand. If you have never been to an installation ceremony, it is quite instructive. Read more…