We are very excited to introduce our parish faith formation program for the 2020-2021 school year called Families Forming Disciples. This program is open to all of our families and will serve to fulfill any requirements for religious education and sacramental preparation.The family groups will follow a 3 week schedule, led by a catechist. Each session will be approximately 45 minutes and includes interactive projects for the whole family.The program will be offered on Sundays

Inquiry classes will begin next month for those who aren't Catholic but want to learn more about the Catholic faith. The classes will meet weekly beginning Tuesday, August 4, from 7:15 to 8:45pm. If COVID-19 protocols at that time allow, classes will be held in person; if not, we'll meet by videoconference until in-person classes are possible. This process, known as the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults), is open both to inquirers and to those who already intend to

Classes will begin soon for Catholic adults seeking the Sacrament of Confirmation. The classes will meet weekly beginning Tuesday, August 4, from 7:15 to 8:45pm. If COVID-19 protocols at that time allow, classes will be held in person; if not, we'll meet by videoconference until in-person classes are possible. The adult Confirmation preparation process is included in our parish's RCIA program (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults). For details, please email Dr. Paul Thigpen

Q. Why is St. Thomas Aquinas called “the Angelic Doctor”? A. In the traditional designation “Doctor of the Church,” the term “doctor” refers, not to a physician (which is an historically recent meaning of that term), but to a teacher (the older meaning, derived from the Latin, as reflected in the title Ph.D., “Doctor of Philosophy”). Many of the outstanding Catholic teachers throughout Church history who have been named as “Doctors” (thirty-five of them) carry a special desig

Dear St. Catherine Parish Family, A little over two years ago, we began our Honoring Our Past, Building Our Future capital campaign to help build our new parish hall, retire our previous debt from past building projects and land acquisitions, and help build a healthier capital reserve for large facilities needs in the future. Our goal for the campaign was $4 million. To date, our pledges and gifts total almost $3.7 million with approximately $2.7 million collected already. I

Q. On July 25th we celebrate the Feast of St. James the Greater, one of the Twelve Apostles. Why is he called “the Greater,” while the other Apostle James is called “the Lesser”? A. The two apostles identified as “James” in Scripture are distinguished there as “James the son of Zebedee” and “James the son of Alphaeus” (see Matthew 10:2–3). In tradition they came to be called “the Greater” and “the Lesser” as a further distinction. These monikers did not refer to their relativ

Q. This week we celebrate the Memorial of St. Kateri Tekakwitha (Tuesday, July 14), “the Lily of the Mohawks.” Why did she receive that title, and why is she often depicted with turtles? A. St. Kateri Tekakwitha (1656–1680) was a Native American (Algonquin-Mohawk) convert. She was born in the Mohawk village of Ossernenon in the area that is now upstate New York, where two Jesuit priests, St. Isaac Jogues and St. John de Lalande, had suffered martyrdom ten years before. She wa

Q. The Memorial of St. Benedict is celebrated this week (June 11). I have a friend who wears a St. Benedict medal and calls it part of his “armor” in spiritual warfare. What does he mean by that? A. St. Benedict (c. 480–c. 547) was the Italian abbot who built a monastery in Monte Casino, Italy, that was to become the birthplace of Western monasticism. He was a champion in spiritual warfare, and his medal is known as a great source of graces in that regard. The medal is highly

Dear St. Catherine Parish Family, Last week I made my annual retreat (priests are required by canon law to make a retreat each year). It was quite a fruitful time of prayer and spiritual reading. I spent time, in particular, meditating and reflecting on the gift of the Eucharist, and I was able to pray before the Blessed Sacrament for several hours each day. Although there are many reflections I could share with you that came from my retreat, the most important was a renew