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 81 years of life, 55 years as a priest, and 14 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
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Cleaning Out the Clutter: A Summer Project
Read more: Cleaning Out the Clutter: A Summer ProjectI have never liked clutter, whether it is in public spaces or my own private spaces. One of the oldest proverbs we learned is: “A place for everything and everything in its place!” Growing up in a household of seven- my parents and four brothers- we didn’t have a lot of room to gather excess “stuff,” but we did have enough space for our clothes and our books (even the comic books!) Our home was clean and well organized! My mom and dad taught us to clean up our games after we finished playing and then put them in…
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The Real Presence: It’s Really Real!
Read more: The Real Presence: It’s Really Real!One of the most sacred doctrines that we, as Catholics, believe is that Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, is truly present in the Holy Eucharist! Under the appearances of bread and wine, He is available for worship, praise, and adoration. We acknowledge His presence at the consecration of the Holy Mass when the priest or bishop says the words that Jesus spoke at the Last Supper, surrounded by His chosen twelve apostles. We are fed from that Eucharistic table, and our spiritual life is nourished and strengthened as we Catholics approach the altar on the communion procession. We know…
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My Long-Time Love of the USPS!
Read more: My Long-Time Love of the USPS!From my childhood, I loved to get mail. I started corresponding with a neighbor’s daughter— a married woman who lived in Connecticut. Her name was Phyllis White. We met one summer and she wrote to me, and I wrote back to her, and this pen-pal relationship lasted a few years. It was a special day for me when her letter would arrive. The postage was 3 cents, and so it was not an expensive experience at all. Perhaps the most vivid memory I have about receiving mail was while in the Seminary. Several family members and friends made an effort…
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Our Beautiful Country – Happy 250th Birthday!
Read more: Our Beautiful Country – Happy 250th Birthday!God bless America, land that I love! We love to sing that patriotic hymn, and we sing it more emphatically and more enthusiastically at this time of the year. We say in the Pledge of Allegiance that the United States of America is one nation, under God. God has always been with us, and our Founding Fathers included mention of a Supreme Being from the very beginning. We are a country that celebrates religious freedom and we welcome people who worship in so many different religious expressions. The freedom of religious practice is one of our greatest blessings! Many…
