Bishop Ray’s Blog
Finding Meaning in Each Day
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Homily Given at St. Helen Church in Howard Beach on September 23, 2026, for the Feast Day of Padre Pio
Read more: Homily Given at St. Helen Church in Howard Beach on September 23, 2026, for the Feast Day of Padre PioThere are many moments in life when we need strength, peace, and the reassurance that someone is praying for us. Perhaps it is a concern for yourself, a concern for a loved one, a burden quietly carried in your heart, or a need for healing, a need for hope, or a need for guidance during a difficult time. SAINT PADRE PIO UNDERSTOOD THESE STRUGGLES DEEPLY. He carried tremendous physical and spiritual sufferings during his own life; this humble Franciscan friar, whose feast we celebrate tonight, became a great source of comfort, healing, and hope for countless people who came to…
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125 Years and Still Growing – 125th Anniversary Homily given at Resurrection Ascension Church, Rego Park, NY for the Missionary Sister Servants of the Holy Spirit in the U.S. on June 20, 2026
Read more: 125 Years and Still Growing – 125th Anniversary Homily given at Resurrection Ascension Church, Rego Park, NY for the Missionary Sister Servants of the Holy Spirit in the U.S. on June 20, 2026Dear Fathers, Sisters, Parishioners and Friends: Today we gather with hearts overflowing with gratitude as we celebrate the 125 years of presence and ministry of the Missionary Sisters Servants of the Holy Spirit in the United States of America! The USA is celebrating 250 years! The sisters have been here for one-half of those years! Today is so much more than an anniversary celebration. It is also a celebration of God’s faithfulness across generations. It is a moment to remember the past, to give thanks for the present, and to look forward to the future with renewed hope. What a…
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About the Children and Sunday Mass
Read more: About the Children and Sunday MassThere was no question about Sunday Mass when my generation of young Catholics was growing up! Of course, we had the support of our parents, the encouragement of the Sisters of St. Joseph who taught in our school and religious formation program, and the Catholic culture that was prevalent at that time. It was something that we were expected to do, yet I do not remember being forced to do it. We attended Sunday mass willingly, but we did know that it was a serious offense against God to miss Sunday Mass. Having a “children’s Mass” created an atmosphere that…
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Loving God and His People for 25 Joy Filled Years Homily given at St. Kevin Church, Flushing, New York on June 17, 2026
Read more: Loving God and His People for 25 Joy Filled Years Homily given at St. Kevin Church, Flushing, New York on June 17, 2026Sisters of St. Joseph at the 375th Anniversary Mass at the Cathedral Basilica at St. James, Brooklyn, November 19, 2025 One of the many blessings of my life as a priest and as a bishop is to have had the privilege and the joy of working with so many different congregations of religious women and men that have been serving here in the Diocese of Brooklyn and Queens. Having been educated as a child by the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Brentwood, I was able to come to know and work with them later in my life of ministry as…
