Category: Vocation

Revival, Reform, and Saint Bernard

Annual, Meditations, Moments in Time, OCIA, Prayer, Saints, Vocation

The Catholic Herald reports that for the first time in decades, the Catholic Church in America is growing. They go so far as to say, “If the projections for 2025 hold, this change could represent a significant turning point for American Catholicism.” I’m cautiously optimistic. The Church is a big ship, and she takes a good long while to turn […]

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Francine’s Funeral

community, Deacon Gary Rose, Divine Office, Francine my love, Moments in Time, Rev. Jacob Maurer, Saint Patrick Parish in Tacoma, Society of Saint Odo of Cluny, The Sacred Liturgy, Very Rev. David Mulholland, Vocation

Francine’s funeral arrangements are in place. Vespers for the Dead Vespers from the Office of the Dead will be sung for Francine on Thursday, 10 July, 2025 at 6:30 pm Pacific Time at Saint Patrick Church in Tacoma. The principal celebrant will be our friend, the Rev. Jacob Maurer. Music will be directed by Maestra Amy Gallwas. Vespers will not […]

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How the Assumption Saved my Life: a Reflection

Bishop Peter J. Elliott, Camino, Francine my love, Holy Days, Mary, Meditations, Moments in Time, OCIA, Pope Saint John Paul II, Rev. Carmine Sacco S.J., Rev. Jacob Maurer, Rev. Seamus Laverty, Saint Patrick Parish in Tacoma, Saints, The Sacred Liturgy, Vocation

It was twenty years ago today, and I was a pagan. Now when I say pagan, I don’t mean that I was unchurched or a “None”. No, I was a card-carrying member of an ancient Egyptian reconstructionist church. I am often amused by God’s little jokes. I was raised with no religion, but both my sister and I were sent […]

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Saint Benedict and the Work of God

Annual, Chant, Divine Office, Exhortations, Meditations, Saint Patrick Parish in Tacoma, Saints, The Sacred Liturgy, Vocation

Today is the feast of Saint Benedict of Nursia, who can safely be said to be the father of western monasticism. His monastic Holy Rule, still followed today after almost 1,500 years, spread throughout the west as the Roman Empire collapsed. Pope Pius XII lauded him, for in the perilous times that followed Rome’s fall, it was Benedictine monks who […]

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Saint Romuald’s Brief Rule

Saints, Silence, Vocation, Wisdom

In the Ordinary form of the Roman Rite, today is the memorial of Saint Romuald, abbot and founder of the Camaldolese monks. In my Benedictine breviary (and in the Eastern Churches), his feast is February 7. The explanation for the discrepancy may be found on Wikipedia, but briefly today is the anniversary of his death, while the February date is […]

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Weekend Review and a Reflection on Vocation and the Sacred Liturgy 

Camino, Holy Days, Maestra Amy Gallwas, Meditations, Moments in Time, Rev. Bryan Dolejsi, Rev. Kyle Rink, Saint Patrick Parish in Tacoma, The Sacred Liturgy, Very Rev. David Mulholland, Vocation

There are moments and even days when you can feel the Holy Spirit working. This past weekend was a busy one, and through it all I felt the presence of the Lord very near. Late Sunday night, I had a brief discussion with my friend Rev. Bryan Dolejsi about another such moment, but it occurred to me later that I […]

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The Transitus of Saint Benedict

Annual, Prayer, Saints, Vocation

For the Order of Saint Benedict, today is the Solemnity of the Transitus of Saint Benedict, the anniversary of his death and birth into life eternal, in the year of our Lord 547. Of the transitus, Benedict’s biographer Pope Saint Gregory the Great writes: The same year in which he departed this life, he told the day of his holy […]

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Again, No

Bishop Frank Schuster, community, Deacon James Fish, Francine my love, Meditations, Moments in Time, Rev. Carmine Sacco S.J., Rev. Jacob Maurer, Rev. Michael Wagner, Rev. Nicholas Wichert, Rev. Tuan Nguyen, Saint Patrick Parish in Tacoma, Saints, Very Rev. David Mulholland, Vocation
Arms of the Archdiocese of Seattle

This past Saturday, on the Memorial of Saint Scholastica, I received my letter from the Archdiocese of Seattle regarding my application for formation to the Diaconate. The answer, as it was eight years ago, was no. This time, there was no real explanation, just a carefully worded form letter. The last time my application was rejected, I wrote a heartfelt […]

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Ten Years of Altar Server Formation

Bishop Peter J. Elliott, Holy Rosary Parish Tacoma, Moments in Time, Saint Ann Parish in Tacoma, Saint Patrick Parish in Tacoma, The Sacred Liturgy, Vocation

Ten years ago today, after about a year of ramp-up, we definitively rebooted the altar server program at my old parish of Holy Rosary. This was the genesis of our training manual, and it was when I developed my own particular method of training, developing, and forming servers. I don’t know why the Lord called me to this ministry, but […]

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Christus Vincit! Christus Regnat! Christus Imperat!

Annual, community, Family, Francine my love, Fun, Holy Days, Moments in Time, Society of Saint Odo of Cluny, Vocation

This weekend we celebrate the great feast of Christ the King. Traditionally here at Pistachio House, we have had our “Franksgiving” feast on this day. This year, due to the vagaries of the calendar, we actually had our feast last week. No matter. And it is right that we celebrate God’s bounty and God’s blessings in our lives. But today, […]

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