My mission is to share the wisdom and experiences gained over a lifetime dedicated to faith, service, and personal growth. In my retirement, I will use this platform to offer reflections, insights, and stories from my 80 years of life, 54 years as a priest, and 13 years as a bishop. Through openness and humility, I aim to inspire, educate, and resonate with readers, seeking the Holy Spirit’s guidance in all that I write. May this endeavor bring glory to God and foster a sense of shared journey and mutual understanding among all who read.
Bishop Ray’s Blog
Finding Meaning in Each Day
Stay up to date with the latest from our blog.
-
Going to school on Saturdays – We made it work!
Read more: Going to school on Saturdays – We made it work!Cathedral Preparatory Seminary, Clinton Hill, Brooklyn It was an unusual system of education, but we had to deal with it if we wanted to attend. Cathedral Prep Seminary in Brooklyn was the “minor seminary” as it was called since it’s inception in 1914. It was known as a “day hop” seminary. We went there because we thought that God might possibly be calling us to be priests. Entering the school as a High School Freshman in 1959, there were about 150 of us, freshly graduated from the eighth grade in various parochial schools. The first thing we noticed…
-
Summers in Mastic Beach – An unforgettable time!
Read more: Summers in Mastic Beach – An unforgettable time!The Chappetto brothers in front of their Mastic Beach bungalow in 1960: front, Richie, left, and Tom; back, Raymond, left, Charlie and Lou. It all began on Memorial Day in the year 1950 when my parents put down a deposit of $50 on a beautiful bungalow in Mastic Beach. It seemed like an enormous amount of money to spend on a house, but compared to today’s standards, $3800 was dirt cheap for a summer get-a-way place. There were four boys in the family at that time, with the fifth boy to be born one year later. Well, this purchase…
-
Confirmation Experiences – Our Hope for the Future!
Read more: Confirmation Experiences – Our Hope for the Future!Confirmation at Saint Luke RC Church in Whitestone, May 16, 2023 These days, we Bishops (in Brooklyn) average around 10-12 celebrations of Confirmation in the Spring season, and 4-6 Confirmations in the Fall season. For the past 12 years, since my Ordination as a Bishop in 2012, one of the most joyful experiences I have encountered is the celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation. I look forward to these liturgies because, as the Ordinary minister of Confirmation, I have the opportunity to teach and instruct the candidates during the homily about the meaning and purpose of this sacrament. …
-
My Prayer List – it keeps growing!
Read more: My Prayer List – it keeps growing!It happens very frequently. Sometimes before Mass but most often after Mass. People approach me with prayer requests – mostly for their family members who are seriously ill, undergoing surgery, or awaiting a diagnosis after a test. I’m humbled that they ask me to do this for them. I always ask for the first name of the person who needs prayer and people readily offer the name. I immediately make a mental note to include that person on my list of people who have been on the list for a long time or those who are recently added. …
Bishop Ray's Blog 