I am writing this column from Rome just to let you know that the twenty-seven pilgrims of our parish who went to Italy in this Jubilee Year of Hope 2025 are all well. You will hear their witness talk upon their return. Our pilgrimage planned six months ago coincided with the recent Conclave and we had the opportunity to see our new Pope Leo XIV in St Peter’s Square yesterday for his first Angelus address! It was an inspiring, mem- orable moment. On May 8, the white smoke had emerged from the Sistine Chapel and the entire world could hear those Latin words proclaimed: HABEMUS PAPAM ROBERTUM FRANCISCUM PREVOST qui sibi nomen imposuit LEONEM XIV”. Translation “WE HAVE A POPE ROBERT FRANCIS PREVOST who has chosen the name LEO XIV. Almost nobody knew who Cardinal Robert Prevost was. What a surprise!!! We also went through the...

We are awaiting the election of a new Pope. Only the Holy Spirit knows who will be the successor of Pope Francis and where/how our new Shepherd will lead us. It is A TIME OF PRAYER AND HOPE FOR THE ENTIRE CHURCH. It is a time that will impact each one of the 1. 4 billion Catholics spread over the entire world. It is a time that will impact you and me individually and collectively as we together with our Catholic brothers and sisters are the Body of Christ, Christ being the Head of the Church and we the members. We can also say with Padre Pio, it is a time to pray, a time to hope, a time not to worry, God through the Holy Spirit is in charge! He will guide the choice of the next Pope. We have to do our part. We have to pray for the Cardinal Electors. We have to pray to God that the Jubilee Year 2025 opened by Pope Francis will be truly a Year of HOPE. As practicing Catholics we are united every time we gather around the altar, especially at the time of the Holy Communion when we become truly ONE IN CHRIST. Our prayers for the Church and the new Pope will strengthen our Unity, While Jesus prayed to His Father: “May they all be ONE IN ME as You and I are ONE”. (John 17:21), the Unity of the Church is under constant attack by the Devil. The Devil loves to divide, we know that God is stronger than any evil spirit. We know that God will be victorious in the end. We trust that we can put our Hope in the Lord! He is our only Hope! As you read this column, the Cardinal Electors have already begun to cast their votes to choose the successor to Pope Francis and we may have already a Pope replacing Francis. You may have seen on television the white smoke coming out of the Vatican’s chimney. You may have heard the Latin words HABEMUS PA PAM proclaimed by the Cardinal Proto-Deacon to the entire world before his announcing the name of the new Pope. VIVA EL PAPA! Long live the Pope! A new Papacy has begun in Joy and Hope! As pilgrims of Hope, 27 parishioners and I will be in Rome...

This is a true story, not a tale, you can share with your children and grandchildren: ACT 1- BIRTH OF ONE PAINTING Mr. Orlando Lagman (Mr. OL), a world-famous portraitist and painter, approached me (Fr. A) eleven years ago: Mr. OL: I can paint for you anything you want for your church free of charge. Fr. A: What about a painting of St John Bosco’s spiritual vision of Our Lady Help of Christians?’ Mr. OL: Just show me a picture of that vision. This was the birth of the large painting we now have in the Sanctuary, just opposite of the beautiful statue of the Holy Family, which was the vision of Father Crowley, our third pastor at OLHOC (2004-2010). ACT 2: BIRTH OF SECOND PAINTING Mr. OL: Come and visit my home/studio so you can see many of my paintings. Fr. A: Can I come tomorrow? I was amazed by the creativity of Mr. Lagman. So many beautiful portraits and paintings. He was very proud to show me pictures of his visits with many famous people (Kings, Princes, Presidents of the United States, NFL Hall Of Famers) and presenting the portraits he had made of them. He had just finished a large painting of...

The entire Catholic Church can give thanks to God for the 12 years Pope Francis served as our Shepherd: March 13, 2013, to April 21, 2025. As our Archbishop Robert Cardinal McElroy said: “Today the Church and the world have lost a true shepherd of souls, a beacon of unwavering hope, and a voice of penetrating truth. From the very first moments of his service to the universal Church, Pope Francis enshrined the mercy of God at the heart of his proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In doing so, he illuminated with new depth the pastoral dimension of the Church’s mission, which is rooted first in embracing love rather than in judgment. It is this embracing love which led Pope Francis to be a prophetic advocate for the poor and the dispossessed, the unborn and the immigrant, the victims of war and the earth which is our common home. It was this love also that animated his tender personal care for all those whom he encountered personally in their suffering --- those who saw their life marked by failure, the sick, those suffering from addictions, the incarcerated, those who had lost their way in life. It was in these intimate moments of pastoral care that we saw with such poignancy the heart of the pastor who had embodied mercy and love to the suffering in Buenos Aires and refused to diminish that commitment even when the strictures of the papacy fell upon him.” All Catholics in the entire world are now mourning until Pope Francis’ Funeral Mass is celebrated in Rome this Saturday. We too at OLHOC are praying for the repose of his soul. We have already invited you to...

We have finally entered the Holy of Holy, the most sacred time of the entire Liturgical Year: The Holy Week, the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ! It is the climax! Without the Death of Jesus on the Cross and His Resurrection from the dead there would be no meaning to our Faith in Our Lord Jesus Christ. There would be no Hope as Jesus is our only Hope! To reach this climax we have walked together throughout the 40 days of Lent. This Jubilee Year 2025 of Hope we began our Lenten Journey with an amazing 40 Hours of Adoration and Confessions following a one-day parish Retreat reflecting on the biblical roots of the Jubilee. At the same time this Lenten Season has seen an unusually large number of funerals, a time to reflect on our human fragility and our belief in eternal life. Without such belief there is no purpose in life, no sense of direction. Jesus is our only Hope! Jesus says to his disciples: “I am the way, the truth and the life.” (John 14:1-6). He knows he is going to die. He wants to comfort them. Do not be anxious. I will never leave you alone. What a reassuring statement from...

We enter the Holy Week walking with Jesus and processing with Him into the Church. We are waving Palms. We are singing. We recall the entrance of Christ the Lord into Jerusalem to accomplish the Paschal Mystery: Passion, Death and Resurrection. Our hearts are filled with Hope and Joy! This is the great celebration of Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord. This is our own entrance into the Holy Week. We sing: "Hosannah to the son of David; blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel. Hosannah in the highest." As we process into the church, holding our palms high, we remember Jesus' entry into Jerusalem for our salvation. We are entering the eternal Jerusalem! We are entering together with the first followers of Christ who began to praise God aloud with joy for all the mighty deeds they had seen and proclaimed: “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest " (Luke 19:37-39). We too on Palm Sunday are filled with joy as in procession with Christ we are entering the summit of the entire Liturgical Year: The Holy Week! We are entering Heaven on earth! Since my childhood in Southern France, living 10 miles away from the great Pilgrimage Site of Lourdes, I have...

I could sense the presence of the Holy Spirit throughout the entire Eucharistic Celebration from the Procession Entrance through the Closing Hymn. I felt in my heart a deep sense of JOY. A beautiful Liturgy in both its simplicity and its spiritual depth. I have a hard time to find the words to describe such an experience, an experience of the Presence of God at the Altar and an experience of the Unity of the assembled congregation into the Body of Christ. Have you ever felt this way when participating in a Eucharistic Celebration? Many of you were present. This was last Sunday’s Eucharistic Celebration at the 11:30 AM Mass. We had waited for nine months... Our seminarian « John V« was ordained Priest last June—we give numbers to our seminarians, last year we had...

On this Third Sunday of Lent Year C (Year of St Luke), Jesus blesses all of us with one of his most powerful parables: The Prodigal Son. I invite all of you to meditate on this well -known parable as part of your Lenten Journey in this JUBILEE Year of HOPE. Contemplate the famous painting of Rembrandt « The Return of the Prodigal Son ». This painting was displayed at St John XXIII Seminary in Boston. I passed by it every day during my four-year formation, A constant reminder of God’s unending Merciful Love. You can see this in the powerful embrace of the Father welcoming home his younger son dressed as a beggar, kneeling down and holding his head close to his father’s heart. You can also notice on the right side of the painting the jealous , older brother standing nearby amazed that his father welcomes back with open arms the younger son who had left home ab- ruptly and « swallowed up half of his father’s property with prostitutes ». We know that in this...

Each year I meet with every candidate to the Sacraments of First Holy Communion and Confirmation. This year was truly a marathon with 47 Confirmandi and 97 First Communicants. I have just completed that joyful marathon! I learn a lot from each candidate. This year we talked a lot about Heaven where we will meet God but also all the saints. In thus Jubilee Year of HOPE, we look forward to the day we will be in Heaven. Of course, the greatest grace will come from seeing God. But there will be also many graces to be in the presence of a multitude of Saints. Are you also looking forward to seeing your FAVORITE SAINT? WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE SAINT IN HEAVEN? For Confirmation, candidates need to choose one Sponsor who can assist on their Journey of Faith toward Heaven and also the name of a Saint who will be their Confirmation Name. Names are very important. They help strengthen our identity. They can inspire us to imitate great saints and get their spiritual support. I pray that Catholic parents will return to choose names of well-known Saints for their newly born children. I recall in Southern France where I was...

Do you know what is a General Confession? The concept is simple: instead of confessing to a priest your sins since your last confession, you confess all your sins since your first confession. Why should I make a General Confession? It is not necessary. It is not an obligation. It is not part of the Ten Commandments. But it is highly recommended to make one during a Jubilee Year or when you face major spiritu- al challenges at a critical time in your life. A Jubilee Year occurs every 25 years. The last one was in 2000. As you know, Pope Francis opened a new one in 2025 as a Jubilee Year of Hope! What are some of the benefits of a General Confession? General Confession will bring you many spiritual benefits when you make a thorough preparation. It will help you...

A Jubilee Year is a time to Celebrate and Rejoice. Nearly 100 parishioners participated in our Jubilee Retreat last Saturday. We received unanimous positive feedback. We wish most of you could have attended. It was a Joyful Celebration of our entry into the 2025 JUBILEE OF HOPE proclaimed by Pope Francis. The entire retreat was inspirational beginning with a Mass honoring Mary Mother of Hope on this First Saturday of March, followed by fellowship in Narthex (breakfast) , Jubilee Presentations and discussion in small groups in Father Martin Hall, Holy Hour of Adoration in the Church, confessions, lunch, general discussion and in conclusion, proposed specific actions at the parish level. First I would like to express my appreciation to the large number of clergy, staff , volunteers, and all the 100 participants who made this retreat so successful. Special thanks go to Father Carlos who led the preparation , coordination and implementation of this major event. Second , I am inviting every participant to...

In this JUBILEE Year of Hope 2025, there is so much to celebrate during LENT: A TIME TO GIVE AND FORGIVE, A TIME TO CONVERT, A TIME TO RECEIVE GOD’s LOVE AND MERCY! Lent is around the corner, beginning in a few days: March 5. Every Lent is different. Every Lent we are invited to ask God to help choose some Lenten Resolution or Theme for each of us individually, as a family or a parish to help us focus. This Lent 2025, there is an obvious theme: LENT IS JUBILEE. Pope Francis has called the entire Year 2025: a JUBILEE OF HOPE. This Saturday March 1st, we have invited you to a JUBILEE RETREAT2025. You will learn what a Jubilee Year means today in the Catholic Church, starting from its Biblical roots. You will also have time to reflect on what a Jubilee means for you individually, as a family, and also as a parishioner. It will also be a good time to reflect on your 40 days of Lent. I look forward to seeing you this First Saturday March 1st at the 9 am Mass. Then, you are invited to join us at...

Through the prophet Jeremiah we all receive a WORD OF HOPE, a message much needed in a more and more secular/materialistic world. God tells each one of us facing daily challenges and tribulations: Do not worry! Trust in Me! Pray! Rejoice! I have a beautiful plan for you! Remember the Jubilee Year 2025! A Year filled with Hope in the Lord! At my recent silent retreat of priests, Father Timothy Gallagher gave us a choice of Scripture passages for meditation. The Holy Spirit inspired me to select Jeremiah 29: 11-14. Our Retreat Master had given it the overall title “JEREMIAH’s WORD OF HOPE”. It is the central part of God’s letter to His people in a time of EXILE in Babylon. They had lost everything. Their...

Our Retreat Master, Father Timothy Gallagher, ended his homily on the last day of our silent retreat for priests with a message of HOPE: “Today is not the end of a spiritual retreat. Today is A NEW BEGINNING for each of you in this Jubilee Year of Hope.” He then specifically referred to Pope Francis’ first audience with Pilgrims of Hope in Rome on January 11. Back in Waldorf last week the first thing I did was to search for Pope Francis’ remarks. Here are some extracts: “Dear brothers and sisters, good morning! Many of you are here in Rome as “pilgrims of hope”. This morning, we are starting the Saturday Jubilee audiences, which will ideally...

Lent is always a time to repent, a time to convert turning toward God, a time to forgive, a time to fast, a time to share our spiritual and material riches with those in need through spiritual and corporal works of mercy. In this Jubilee Year 2025 it will also be a time to Hope, a time to expect a special encounter with our Lord Jesus Christ, a time to be transformed by opening our hearts to the Holy Spirit, a time to Rejoice, a time to Love and a time to have Inner Peace. We plan to have all Lenten activities and beyond with a Jubilee Focus: 1. We will have a pre-Lenten parish retreat on Saturday March 1st from 9 AM through 3 PM focusing on...

Simeon was a righteous and devout old man in Jerusalem. The Holy Spirit was upon him. He was awaiting the Consolation of Israel. Through the Holy Spirit he had received an amazing personal revelation: he would not see death before he had seen the Messiah, “the Christ, the Anointed of the Lord” (Luke 2:22-40). We do not know how long Simeon had been waiting. Maybe he was already 80 years old. He was a patient man led by the Holy Spirit. He happened to be in the Temple on the day Joseph and Mary came to present the 40-day old baby Jesus. As soon as he saw this joyful and holy family, Simeon knew he was in the presence of the Messiah. The entire people of Israel had been awaiting the coming of the Messiah for centuries. He was the first one to encounter the Messiah! He was overjoyed! When he holds baby Jesus, the Light of God is shining upon him. He holds the Messiah in his own arms! Finally, he can go...

JESUS is blessing us throughout this 2025 JUBILEE Year: HE FULFILLS ALL THE JUBILEE PROMISES! I invite you to begin your Jubilee Year at OLHOC this Sunday! Yes, this Sunday! In my recent column “CELEBRATING JUBILEE YEAR 2025 at OLHOC” (January 12, 2025) I quoted from the passage in Luke’s Gospel where JESUS declares that he Himself is the fulfillment of the Jubilee: Luke 4:16-21. I had no idea that at every Mass this weekend you will hear this powerful passage. Following His baptism...

The first miracle of Jesus in John‘s Gospel is the transformation of water into wine at the wedding at Cana in Galilee. Why does Jesus make use of the shortage of wine at a local wedding to reveal His Divinity for the first time in his public ministry? There are many answers as John gives us extraordinary details especially through the dialogue between Jesus and his mother Mary. Jesus shows a remarkable obedience to his mother who tells the waiters and also all of us:” Do whatever he tells you.”. Are we prepared to do whatever Jesus tells us? Jesus’ actions also highlight the sanctity of marriage. The newlyweds had “run out of wine”. They had run out of a joyful celebration. Jesus is the New Wine that brings Joy to newlyweds. At Cana, Jesus reveals Himself as the Bridegroom and all of us together are His bride. Marriage is a sacramental foundation of our society through stable and loving families. When a man and woman enter...

Jubilee Years are now celebrated every 25 years. Initially, the Church held them every 50 years as was the Jewish tradition. I invite you to read Leviticus 25:10-17 describing how a Jubilee Year was celebrated after completion of seven Sabbatical Years. The Sabbatical Year was to give rest to the land every 7 years (Leviticus 25: 1 -7). After 7 Sabbatical Years or 7 x 7 years, 49 years, not only the land was given rest but also the people were called to go back to their clan of origin and atone for their sins. It was a time for everyone to rest, a time to be regenerated spiritually, a time to get liberated from sinful attachment, a time to share with those in need. In the corporate world and in higher education there are a few opportunities for sabbatical years: a time to rest, a time to take a break from current responsibilities, a time to take on “reviving” activities. After 25 years at the World Bank, I had the privilege to...

With Pope Francis opening the Holy Door at St Peter’s Basilica on Christmas Eve, we all entered the JUBILEE YEAR 2025, also known as the HOLY YEAR celebrated every 25 years. Earlier on, Pope Francis had written” For everyone, may the Jubilee be a moment of genuine, personal encounter with the Lord Jesus, the “door” (John 10:7) of our Salvation, whom the Church is charged to proclaim always, everywhere and to all as “our hope” (1 Tim 1:1)... The time has come for a new Jubilee, when once more the Holy Door will be flung open to invite everyone to an intense experience of the Love of God that awakens in hearts the sure Hope of Salvation in Christ.” In this new Holy Year 2025, Pope Francis has called all of us to be PILGRIMS OF HOPE! Inspired by this Jubilee Year, we had chosen “CHRIST IS OUR HOPE” as the theme for...