Harvest

As we continue our review of the Catechism for Adults, we come to chapter 12: Mary: The Church’s First and Most Perfect Member.

Celebrating a beautiful house of God

Chapter Eleven of the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults has to do with the four identifying marks of the Church: it is one, united under our pope and bishops, holy, catholic or universal, and apostolic.

Bishop Robert Deeley joins in celebrating the 100th anniversary of St. Rose of Lima Church in Jay.

Two members of the Dominican Sisters of the Roman Congregation, jubilees with a Mass celebrated by Bishop Robert Deeley at Holy Cross Church in Lewiston on Sunday, August 25, 2019,

The Lord Jesus commands his disciples to love God and their neighbor. Love for our neighbor includes our concern for their bodily needs, e.g. food for the hungry, and for their spiritual needs.

I start with the centerpiece and then go to the bottom and then around.” Roger Jean of Augusta explains his technique for making rosary beads, something he has been doing for more than a quarter century now.

If you’re looking for Jeffrey Quinn on a Saturday afternoon or Sunday morning, you’ll most likely find him behind a keyboard at Notre Dame de Lourdes Church in Skowhegan. 

 “If you know how to do it, and God has given you the gift, you should.” That is the mantra of Avis Fleck, a member of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Windham.

This year on January 1, the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, I celebrated the Eucharist with the people of St. Mary’s Parish in Orono.

On the day of the Ascension, our Lord said to His apostles and disciples: “For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.” (John 16:7)

In May of this year, the Maine Legislature passed the so-called “Maine Death with Dignity Act,” legalizing physician-assisted suicide (PAS) in Maine.

When it comes to politics, I must confess that I am very cynical. I do, however, pay close attention to legislation that our elected officials pass.

Enter the St. Thomas Aquinas Gift Shop in Madawaska and you will be surrounded by faith-inspired treasures filling every shelf and tucked into every corner.

At age 17, Jean-Daniel Liwanga says he already understands the importance of keeping God in his life.

Waitresses busily move from table to table carrying plates filled with appetizers, burgers, salads, and sandwiches.

As he approaches the second anniversary of his ordination to the permanent diaconate, Deacon Michael Augustino says he feels privileged to have the opportunity to serve God.

Fourth of July celebrations are known to end with a bang, but in Freeport, they start with a sizzle. 

People always laughed when a seminary classmate of mine said: "Things always look darkest, just before they get pitch black." They chuckled because they appreciated the irony of the statement.

The occasion is the Annunciation, when the archangel Gabriel appeared to Mary, inviting her to be the Mother of God. Mary’s yes–her faithful fiat and great amen–has resonated throughout two millennia

The week after Easter of this year, I made a trip to visit a friend and classmate from seminary. As we were driving to lunch after Mass one day, my friend put a question to me that took me by complete surprise.

While the closure of the Monastery of the Precious Blood is still keenly felt by many in the Diocese of Portland, two beautiful pieces from the monastery’s chapel will now grace another faith community.

Unity, friendship, and charity.  They are the principles at the heart of the Daughters of Isabella, an international Catholic women’s organization, and they are words to live by for members of St. Thomas Circle 546 in Madawaska.

“This is what we call the base fabric, so that is what we lay down on the base. Then, everything else would be an accent.” It’s not often that you hear a priest sharing sewing tips with parishioners, but that is what you’ll find happening at St. Peter the Fisherman Parish in Machias.

“It’s not easy.” Ask Michele Guillemette of Waterboro what it takes to raise a family in the Catholic faith in today’s world and that is what she will tell you. 

The beautiful season of summer has arrived. It has taken a while, but here we are. I hope it means that you will have a chance to enjoy the beauty of Maine

Sr. Francine, my sixth grade teacher many years ago, was a woman of conviction who could drive a point home like a nail gun.

In Kris Kristofferson’s poignant song, “Me and Bobbie Magee,” there is the haunting line, “Freedom’s just another word for nothin’ left to lose.”

Many of my fondest memories growing up took place in our family kitchen.  In many ways, we were a “kitchen” family. 

“O God, who on this day, through your Only Begotten Son, have conquered death and unlocked for us the path to eternity, grant we pray that we who keep the Lord’s Resurrection may, through the renewal brought by your Spirit, rise up in the light of life.”

A new ministry at the Parish of the Holy Eucharist in Falmouth seeks to open doors for those in their community who have special needs.

Imagine the possibilities.  That is what Catholic Charities Maine is hoping emerging entrepreneurs will be able to do through a new creative marketplace called “Fikiria.”

“One month, 19 days.” Even before Lent arrived, Jocelyn Carr of North Yarmouth was counting down the days to Easter.

Father Gabriel Muteru cheerfully calls out to anyone he sees passing by his office at Saint Joseph’s College of Maine in Standish.

“Hey there. How ya doing?” Dixie Shaw, the director of Hunger and Relief Services for Catholic Charities Maine, cheerfully greets driver after driver as they pull up next to a truck loaded with boxes of food.

Obedience is often thought of as suspect in our culture either because it is associated with being unnecessarily submissive or unduly authoritarian.

During 1970, I spent a semester in Rome. Just before Christmas, 20 priests from my group were given an audience with Our Holy Father, Pope Paul VI.

Easter is a moveable feast.  This year, we celebrate the vigil on April 20. Harvest will arrive just before we enter the holy season of Lent which prepares us for the joy of Easter.

Sometimes sitting in the front is good, and sometimes sitting as far back as you can is good.  On my recent trip to SEEK2019, a gathering in Indianapolis of some 17,000 Catholic college students, I had the opportunity to do both.

It’s early on a Sunday morning, and there is a flurry of activity in the hall of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Westbrook. 

“A beautiful, beautiful story.” That is how Melissa Skahan, vice president of mission integration at Northern Light Mercy Hospital, describes the gift that the McAuley Residence in Portland

Freezing rain is falling, but that hasn’t stopped nearly 60 college students from strolling and steering their way to the Newman Center on the University of Maine campus in Orono.

Parise Rossignol, a shooting guard for the University of Maine Women’s Basketball team, has long held a love for the game.

Deacon Richard Huot says it is hard to put into words what it has meant to be a permanent deacon in the Catholic Church in Maine.

In the Rite of Ordination of a Bishop, the sacrament is conferred when the ordaining bishop lays his hands on the ordinand’s head and then offers the ordination prayer.

Dear Father Joe: I’ve read a lot of talk online that, according to a recent study, most Catholics don’t understand Church teaching about the Eucharist or don’t believe in it.

In 1992, the Catechism of the Catholic Church was published and promulgated by Pope John Paul II.

Here, I will offer a few thoughts on how this document guides pastoral ministers faced with challenging situations which, at first glance, seem to be without ideal or quick solutions.

In the past 20 years, Sister Dale Jarvis, RSM, has visited Haiti 10 times, traveling there from Portland on three occasions just within the past year.

When I was a seminarian, I had the opportunity to visit a seminarian friend in his native Puerto Rico.