As many of you may know, Haiti has been experiencing a political crisis recently as public demonstrations have challenged the government to account for missing billions for infrastructure and aid that have gone missing. In the middle of this terrible situation, Fr. Fanel Florestal sends greetings: Dear Friends in Norwich: First, let me thank you for the big effort you have made to help my people in La Gonav and to help the children of our school. I rejoice in our solidarity. The problems in Haiti are very difficult. I haven’t been able to get to Western Union to take the donations you’ve sent. In fact, wh...

Read More >

As we enter into this Lenten season of penance and self-denial, we're reminded that the God we follow is no stranger to these things. In this Sunday's Gospel, we see the tempta-tions of Jesus which have parallels throughout Scripture and in our own lives. The apostle John warns against temptations to sensual lust, enticement of the eyes, and a pretentious life (cf. 1 John 2:16). Before Eve plucks the fruit from the tree, she hears it is good for food, pleasing to the eyes, and desira-ble for gaining wisdom (cf. Genesis 3:6). The temptations of Jesus are our own. "Turn these stones to bread." Here is the l...

Read More >

This Sunday, Jesus continues his challenging Sermon on the Mount. "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you ? Give to everyone who asks of you, and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back." Words like these are challeng-ing! Many of us have grown up in a culture of inde-pendence and retaliation against those who harm us. Today's Gospel reminds us that the way of the world is not necessarily the way of the disciple. In many spiritual texts, saints describe the first stage of the spiritual life as mercenary love of God. That ...

Read More >

  My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, I shared with you in January what the Diocese of Norwich is doing to address the scourge of sexual abuse of minors by clergy and our commitment to restore trust and faith and ensure a safe environment in our churches, schools, and other institutions.  The Diocese of Norwich is committed to protecting children and young people so that the tragedy of sexual abuse does not occur.  The Diocese of Norwich, since the enactment of its first Sexual Misconduct Policy in 1990 and the implementation of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Charter for...

Read More >

Do you have enough? Many of us come from a na-tion of material abundance. We have all the things we could possibly need not only to survive, but to thrive - food, shelter, mental ability, income, access to medical care. Most people in human history lived with far less than we. So why are we so dissatisfied? Some Christians can be drawn to the "prosperity Gospel." This is the idea that following God will bring us material abundance in this life. That surely seems to be the story of today's Gospel! Peter and his friends chose - with some faith - to put out their nets a final time at Jesus' command. "Th...

Read More >

Today's Gospel is one of tension and contradiction. We enter the scene at the local synagogue. It is near the beginning of Jesus' earthly ministry, and he has returned home to Nazareth for a short while. There, in the midst of the men who watched him grow up and who played with him as a boy in the dusty streets, Je-sus proclaims that he is the fulfillment of the Messi-anic prophecies of Isaiah. The response is understand-ably mixed. "All spoke highly of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They also asked, 'Isn't this the son of Jo-seph?'" Jesus reminds them - no...

Read More >

"He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up." Did you grow up in a small town? Whenever you see sto-ries of tight-knit communities, a common refrain is that everybody knows everybody and that's very diffi-cult to change. If you leave and return, people expect you to be and act a certain way, and it's strange for them if you do not. In today's Gospel, we see that Je-sus was already moving "in the power of the Spirit and news of him spread throughout the whole region. He...was praised by all." His ministry has begun! News of his growing popularity must have proceeded him to Nazareth. Upon his ...

Read More >

My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Over the past several months trust in the leadership of the Catholic Church and a lack of transparency has been called into question. For many, trust has been shattered in the wake of the revelations of the failures of bishops and Church officials to protect children and adults from sexual misconduct and abuse. There have been questions about what the Church is doing now to address the scourge of sexual misconduct and sexual abuse of minors. The Diocese of Norwich takes the issues of sexual misconduct and abuse of children and adults very seriously. I would like to take this ti...

Read More >

“To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit.” (1 CORINTHIANS 12:7) St. Paul tells us that God has blessed each of us for a reason. How has God blessed you? Are you using your gifts according to God’s plan? How are you helping to build God’s kingdom here on earth? Remember that if you don’t do the work God planned for you, no one else can do it. Live the life God has intended for you, feel His love, peace and joy! When you think of being Catholic, what do you think of? Perhaps you grew up with your only asso-ciations being fasting, nuns with rulers, an...

Read More >