We are truly blessed to have the privilege of the visit of the Relics of Padre Pio to our parish Saturday, October 7. There will be five relics, including one containing a gauze with blood stains and another one with the crust of a Stigmata. These two First-Class Relics remind us that Padre Pio with St Francis of Assisi are among the very few saints having received the Stigmata, bleeding wounds on the hands, feet and side, similar to those of Jesus on the Cross. Padre Pio is one of the most...

Are you envious because God is generous with everyone at all times? This is the question God asks all of us at end of this weekend’s Gospel: the parable of the Landowner hiring laborer for his Vineyard (Matthew 20:1- 16a). Envy, jealously are "human" emotions. Our main relationship ought to be with God, not with other human beings. Our main goal is to be at Peace with God while on earth in order to have eternal life with God in heaven. In the Parable of the Landowner of the Vineyard, we know the Landowner is God, the triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The laborers hired for His Vineyard are all of us, the People of God. The Vineyard is the place where God has planted His Vine. Jesus, Son of God is the Vine, and we are the branches (John 15), producing fruits for the Landowner: God. How can we apply this Parable to our own parish, the local church? One could say our landowner is...

I have asked our entire parish to PRAY FOR ABRAHAM! WHO IS ABRAHAM? One of our young parishioners is 13-years old. His family (father, mother, three daughters and one son) have been members of our parish for 10 years. I had the Joy of giving Abraham his First Holy Communion. Many of you last saw Abraham at the Priests/Youth Concert in our Father Martin Hall on July 7. You will recall, the Hall was packed, and the music was uplifting. Abraham was one of the singers. This event was to raise funds for the 12 youth of our parish going to the World Youth Day in Portugal to meet with Pope Francis. Abraham was well prepared to go on this pilgrimage to Fatima/ Portugal: many prayers were said and also many activities, including fundraising events. Abraham had a wonderful experience! The pilgrimage included visits to holy sites in Spain, such as Santiago de Compostela and The Carmelite Monastery of Avila, before meeting Pope Francis in Fatima. I received many pictures of our young pilgrims as they were all praying for my full recovery from my stroke of July 19th. I saw Abraham in Waldorf when I returned to parish activities in late August. He was...

I will never forget the beautiful dream I had last week. I woke up in the middle of night. I felt an immense Joy! What is going on? I rarely re- member any of my dreams, whether bad or good. Slowly I began to recall what I had just been dreaming. It is a simple but so joyful dream that I wish to share it with you. Here it is: I was surrounded by a small group of people. They were all joyful. Everyone was helping everyone. They were al- ways involved in prayer or reaching out to anyone asking for help. There was a sense of PEACE all around. Some people were resting near a beautiful lake. Others were fishing quietly. What a beautiful and peaceful community! I pinched myself. Then...

I got some good feedback on last week’s column: RENEWED. One parishioner commented that “Being Renewed in Christ” is “Being Born Again”, “Being Born Again every day”. Most of the other comments so far referred to the 10th National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis July 17-21. Already six parishioners expressed interest in participating in our own parish “Renewed” Pilgrimage (last paragraph my column of last week). Such quick, positive response augurs well and I have decided to focus today on this unique Eucharistic Congress. The 10th National Eucharistic Congress will be a pivotal moment in both American history and the legacy of the Catholic Church, July 17–21, 2024, Catholics of all ages will gather in Indianapolis to worship our Risen Lord in a way our country hasn’t seen in 83 years. The rebirth of this legacy will be an important milestone within the National Eucharistic Renewal. Through this experience, the Church will...

Each one of us, including myself, needs to be Renewed! What does it mean to be Renewed? Every day is a New Day! Every day, God is asking each one of us to enter into a renewed relationship with Our Lord Jesus Christ! Jesus is the only one who can bring us a sustained peace and joy into our hearts. When our hearts are troubled, we are not doing God’s Will. We are not at peace. We are doing our own will, focusing on ourselves, focusing on making more money so that we can do whatever we want, focusing on pleasure, comfort, ignoring the real needs of those near us. Even worse, we may be telling lies about others so as to justify our own self-centered actions, desiring more power, more control over people around us, including our own families, our co-workers, our close friends, or even within our own parish, the family of families. All this is human. Since the Fall of Adam and Eve, that attraction to desire to be our own god, is the greatest desire of Satan, the Devil. He loves to promote divisions, especially in the family, the nucleus and center of our society. He loves to divide the Church, the Universal Church, the Catholic Church. He loves to promote lies, doubts, divisions. The Devil works through individuals who do not even know he has become their master. We may be at times surrounded by sheep who are wolves inside. But God loves each one of us and when we are truly with God, we cannot fear any evil spirit. Jesus has already won the victory over the devil by His Passion, Death and Resurrection! He tells each one of us:”Do Not Be Afraid!” Each one of us can be renewed in the Eucharist! As you know, I have gone through five difficult weeks. God gave me a clear message....

I am writing this column to you on the evening of August 15th, the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which is always very special for me. One of my favorite celebrations of this Feast Day was six years ago. It was the 100th anniversary of the apparition of Mary in Fatima. We had gone on a parish pilgrimage to Fatima to celebrate this centennial event. We had also decided to go and visit other Marian sites. We first went to Lourdes, where the amazing apparition of Mary to Bernadette Soubirous in the 1850’s made it one of the most visited Marian Centers, after Guadalupe, and one as famous as Fatima. Then we went to Paris and it happened that the day we were in Paris was August 15th. We went to celebrate the Mass, on this beautiful feast of the Assumption, in a little chapel in the famous church of St. Sulpice. This chapel brought me wonderful memories. I had played the organ there during...

I am most grateful to God for all your prayers. They are working. I’m coming home. I now plan to be back in Waldorf in time to join you for the celebration of the Assumption of the Blessed Mother. The last three weeks have been at the same time joyful and challenging. I was so joyful to be able to see my family in California for three days in mid July. I did not expect that on the last day of those three days I would have a stroke. I was planning to be back in time for the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the death of Father Martin on August 6th. God had a different plan. I spent the last weeks in and out of the hospital due to a stroke. I was discharged on Wednesday, August 2nd, following several ups and downs. I have been able to make significant progress through physical therapy. What a joy to be back home with my family and to be able to walk again with less difficulty, be able to use my left arm, and be able to play the piano again. I continue to regain strength in my legs, left arm and hand. A greater joy is that I’m coming...

It is amazing to me that the event (Father Narcisse Martin’s Centennial Memorial Mass) we have been planning for so very long at Our Lady Help of Christians is being held on Sunday August 6! Having Bishop Roy Campbell as our main celebrant for the Mass, with Fr. Jacques Tangombe and Fr. Larry Therien, former Superior General of Sulpicians as concelebrants, contributes to our joy immensely. Not to mention the pilgrims from Aire-sur-la-Lys, France (Father Narcisse Martin’s hometown), who have landed, not at Plymouth Rock, but in Waldorf! Oh, how I wish I were with you to celebrate this joyous occasion; please know that your pastor will be there fully in spirit with you! This most special occasion at OLHOC will begin with the 11:30 a.m. Mass, celebrated by Bishop Roy Campbell, centered around the summit of our Faith, the Eucharist! Our liturgy will also be blessed with an incredible...

As your pastor, I am sure many of you have heard me say those words over the years. I am often trying to encourage others to realize that God has a plan for our lives, even when we are unsure or tentative in our trusting Him. Last week was filled with planning and preparation for me, (especially with the help of our wonderful volunteers), in anticipation of the Centennial Memorial Mass and Celebration in honor of Father Narcisse Martin. You may have heard me mention that name a few times. An added joy for me was a very short trip of three days that I was embarking on—to...

For the past two weeks, I have written about the great celebration of Father Martin’s Centennial Memorial Mass and the Festival of Joy on Sunday, August 6. I also invited each of you to consider joining our initial team of a dozen volunteers. The response has been beyond my expectations...joy is contagious! I always believed that the preparation of any major event is as important as the event itself. The French philosopher, Montaigne, is often quoted for having stated, “Les voyages forment la jeunesse”. Literally, “Travels form/shape/educate the youth”, or ‘travels broaden the minds of the youth’. Whether young, middle-aged or old, it is true. I remember writing an essay on the topic for my final test for graduation from high school (National written exam). I recall dividing my essay into three parts: 1. Preparation before trip departure. 2. The trip itself. 3. After the trip. This is why pilgrimages and summer camps are so crucial for...

Last week, in my column, I wrote the latest information about the great celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the death of Father Martin (1845-1923), on Sunday, August 6—the Feast Day of the Transfiguration of the Lord!! At the end of each Mass I celebrated last weekend, I said I will be relentless during the last four weeks of preparation for this major event, one of the most Powerful and Joyful celebrations EVER held at Our Lady Help of Christians! It is a privilege and honor for our parish to host this event, but it is not about our parish. It is all about Father Narcisse Martin, how his legacy is still alive 100 years after his death, and ought to be shared with the world beyond Waldorf. Last week, I informed you of the highlights of the Sunday, August 6, 11:30 a.m. Mass. Today, I would like to present to you the highlights of the Festival of Joy beginning (12:30 p.m.) that will follow the Mass: 1. This Festival of Joy is inspired by the famous annual picnics that Father Martin held at St. Peter’s, St. Michael’s, and St. Dominic’s churches. At that time, our parish was not yet born; we were established in 1980, over 50 years after the death of Father Martin, with the Waldorf population rapidly increasing with the new St. Charles developments (which continue today). 2. As you well know, JOY is my favorite...

We are only one month away from the Great Celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the death of Father Narcisse Martin (1845-1923) on Sunday, August 6!! This will be one of the most Powerful and Joyful Celebrations EVER held at Our Lady Help of Christians! MOST POWERFUL! We are celebrating the life of a Saint who served the entire areas of Waldorf/Baden/Accokeek for 29 long and holy years (1894-1923). Father Martin was a true inspiration in ways to evangelize recent immigrants including German- and French-speaking farmers (from Europe), African-Americans (many former slaves), and Native Americans (the Piscataway Indians). We are remembering the legacy of someone who demonstrated...

Last weekend, I asked several people two questions: First, what is your fear (or fears) right now? Do not think. Respond right away. Say whatever comes to your mind... Second, what has been your GREATEST FEAR in your life? This is a deeper question. Take your time, all the time you want. Not surprisingly, the first question led to a large num- ber of different answers. Several said: I do not have any fears at this very moment. Others said: I am afraid that I will get sick, lose my job, or that my wife and my kids might become very ill. What surprised me the most was the similarity of many answers to the second question. They centered around...

What a JOY for a large number of our parishioners to be present at the Ordination Mass of Father Juan Pablo last Saturday. The National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, the second largest Catholic Church in our country, was packed! Our parishioners had the best seats, as Deacon Juan Pablo had reserved seats for us in front... Father Juan Pablo had served our parish since May 2022, first as Summer Seminarian and then as Deacon throughout the year. He had truly loved our parishioners. He had touched many people he interacted with. He served us in many different ways. He enjoyed teaching our seventh graders on Sundays. He enjoyed baptizing a large number of children. He preached the Good News of the Gospel at many of our weekend Masses. He was always ready to help us with the major events taking place in our parish. Father Juan Pablo will also be remembered for...

What a Joy to attend the Ordination of 14 young transitional Deacons at St. Matthew’s Cathedral last Saturday! Especially as two of them had served our parish as summer seminarians. John Winslow was with us four years ago. His home parish is St. John Regis in Hollywood, MD. His great-uncle John Aley has been a parishioner at OLHOC from the very beginning. I met him at the end of the Ordination Mass. He was beaming with joy. Isaac Sagastume has been with us the last two years. His home parish is in New Jersey. His family had come from Costa Rica. It was a joy for all of us to have newly ordained Deacon Isaac celebrate his first Mass as Deacon at our parish Sunday morning. His parents and close family were also present. Deacon Isaac had asked us to...

Last weekend we celebrated the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. Preaching on this Sunday is challenging. It happened to be “Deacons’ preaching Sunday” (held once every five weeks). We have been blessed to have three deacons assisting us since last September: newly ordained Deacon Juan Pablo was assigned to our parish in his last year of preparation to the priesthood. In his last homily as Deacon, Deacon Juan Pablo focused on...

Have you met a living Saint? When was the last time you thought about living Saints? I will never forget the conver- sation we had with Bishop Olivier Leborgne in Montreuil-sur-mer, northern France last April. You may recall I wrote to you about our latest pilgrimage "In the footsteps of Father Martin". Six of us had gone to the most northern part of France to help prepare the centennial cel- ebration of the death of Father Narcisse Martin. We left beautiful Waldorf on Easter Monday. Our first overnight stay...

Jesus is lifted up through the clouds forty days after rising from the dead. The disciples do not understand what is going on. They can no longer see Jesus, their beloved Master. WHERE HAS HE GONE? They will be able to gain some understanding when they receive the HOLY SPIRIT at PENTECOST. The Eleven followed Jesus every day for three years till HIS Passion and Death on the Cross. They found the empty Tomb and had no idea where the Body of Jesus had gone. They are amazed to see the Risen Lord. The Lord Jesus leaves them again This time it seems forever. Once again, they do not know where He has gone. We feel the same way today. Sometimes our hearts are filled with...

You may have heard the abbreviation WWJD: What Would Jesus Do? or WWJS: What Would Jesus Say? We use this question when we face a special challenge in our lives. We may have to make a tough decision on what to do, or what to say. We may choose to reflect in silence about the difficult situation at hand. We may imagine Jesus to be in our shoes and how he would act or speak. You may have never heard WAYJ. I just made it up. But I am certain I am not the first one. J is Jesus. What could be WAYJ? It is:...