Bishop Ray’s Blog
Finding Meaning in Each Day
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Many New Catholics: A Blessing and A Challenge!
Read more: Many New Catholics: A Blessing and A Challenge!What a great blessing it was to read about the phenomenal increase in the number of people who were fully initiated into the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil services on Holy Saturday. As reported in the media, almost all the Dioceses throughout the United States reported record increases in the number of candidates who were welcomed as “new Catholics!” As the Easter season comes to a conclusion, it might be worthwhile to reflect on the blessing this new surge is and will be for our Catholic communities, as well as the challenge that remains in our future evangelization programs.…
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A Vocation to the Priesthood: Saying “Yes” Every Day
Read more: A Vocation to the Priesthood: Saying “Yes” Every DaySt. Joseph’s Church in Astoria, July 24, 2024. Photo: The Tablet/Paula Katinas “Vocation” comes from the Latin word “vocare” which means “to call.” In Catholic circles, it is commonly associated with the call of a person to the priesthood, diaconate, or the religious (consecrated life). There is also a call to the vocation of married life, and often forgotten, a call to single life! We are all called to a state of life; this is different from our job – how we make a living, how we pay our bills! In any state of life, we usually do not receive a direct message from God, but in our hearts, we feel this is what He wants us to do. It is often confirmed by the…
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Bishop Raymond A. Kearney: May He Rest in Peace
Read more: Bishop Raymond A. Kearney: May He Rest in PeaceBishop Raymond A. Kearney was an Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Brooklyn. Let me give you some facts about him and then explain my connection with him. He was born on September 25, 1902, in Jersey City, New Jersey. He was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Brooklyn on March 12, 1927, in Rome. For a brief time after his priestly ordination, he served in his first assignment at Queen of All Saints Church in Brooklyn. Almost immediately, however, his intellectual abilities were recognized, and he was assigned to pursue further studies in canon law, the law…
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Lent and Holy Week – So Unique; So Special!
Read more: Lent and Holy Week – So Unique; So Special!What a beautiful Lenten journey I have experienced! Since Ash Wednesday (Feb. 18th), I’ve been so blessed in so many ways by entering into this most sacred season of the Catholic church’s calendar year. Lent has been extraordinarily graceful this year, and I am profoundly grateful to God for this experience. I’ve enjoyed the scripture readings at Mass – most especially the gospels for the Sundays of Lent. Each of the Sunday gospels have been a beautiful image not only for personal reflection but also for preaching material. The temptations of Christ, the transfiguration, the woman at the well, the man born blind, the raising of Lazarus, and, of course, the Passion Gospel read every year on Palm Sunday. These Cycle A Gospel readings (taken from St. Matthew and St. John), as well…
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