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Our Patron, St. Dominic

In 2021, we celebrate the 800th year in commemoration of the death of St. Dominic de Guzman, our parish patron. 

St. Dominic lived during the same time as St. Francis of Assisi. They actually met each other in Rome. Where the followers of St. Francis emphasize charity and works of mercy, St. Dominic lamented the poor preparation priests had in defending the faith. He felt that through good preaching of Catholic principles, a strong faith could be established. This strong faith would help combat Catholic heresies which had surfaced in the church in the Middle Ages.  Both St. Francis and St. Dominic began church reform from the bottom up. The Dominican order claims great teachers such as St. Thomas Aquinas, great mystics such as St Catherine of Sienna, St. Rose of Lima, patron saint of Latin America and the Philippines, and Bartolomé de Las Casas, who worked against oppression of the indigenous people being exploited by the Spanish in Central America. Even St. Ignatius, founder of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), first turned towards God when, during his recuperation from injury, he became devoted to St. Dominic after reading a book by a Dominican friar.

Dominican spirituality consisted of four pillars: prayer - to allow ourselves the milieu to be open to God’s word, study - which includes searching for understanding of truth, all to help our neighbor, preaching- taking the Word of God and incorporating its message into our everyday life, and community- to both embrace the diversity of gifts God gives, but also to muster strength and avoid discouragement. Our parish honors a great saint who in turn honors us with his legacy.

History of Halloween

Halloween is based on the Celtic festival Samhain, a celebration in ancient Britain and Ireland that marked the end of summer and the beginning of the new year on November 1. It was believed that during Samhain the souls of those who had died that year traveled to the otherworld. The thought of souls wandering about the earth was unsettling, so many would build bonfires and do other things to keep them away. In the 8th century CE, the Roman Catholic Church moved All Saints’ Day, a day celebrating the church’s Saints, to November 1.

This meant that All Hallows’ Eve (or Halloween) fell on October 31. A traditional practice to ward off the souls would be to carve scary faces into potatoes and turnips. When immigrants brought the tradition to the United States, the pumpkin seemed a more appropriate canvas (www.britanica.com). For a similar reason, costumes, or disguises, were worn so as not to distract the souls from their eternal destination by seeing their loved ones (www.reference.com).

How was trick or treat connected to religion? Poor people would visit the houses of wealthier families and receive pastries called “soul cakes” in exchange for a promise to pray for the souls of the homeowners’ dead relatives. Known as "souling," the practice was later taken up by children, who would go from door to door asking for gifts such as food or money (www.history.com).

However, let's not forget the feast day itself. Our practice of honoring those who have joined the heavenly ranks before us originates in the Book of Maccabees. When the Israelites fell in battle, Judas Maccabees orders that his soldiers pray for those who died. The practice is further corroborated in 1 Corinthians and in Ephesians. The dead play an important role in our understanding of the body of Christ. "Since all the faithful form one body, the good of each is communicated to the others...We must therefore believe that there exists a communion of goods in the Church. But the most important member is Christ, since he is the head...Therefore, the riches of Christ are communicated to all the members, through the sacraments" The communion of Saints is the Church. We are all saints! (CCC# 947). Don't forget about this wonderful collection of people who can have great intercessory power when joining us in our joys and sorrows. St. Dominic, pray for us!

Witnessing Christ with Resolve

Raise your hand if you made New Year Resolutions for 2025.

Now raise your hand if you’ve already “slipped” in adhering to those resolutions.

Now, raise your hand if you will join me in a resolution that goes far beyond those of losing weight, keeping your house tidy, or breaking a bad habit.

Celebrating Christmas this season, I’ve been struck by how very different celebrations today are from those of my youth. As a child, many of the movies and Christmas specials on TV were overtly religious. John Denver & the Muppets included a beautiful Nativity retelling in their special, and Linus of the Peanuts recites Luke 2:8-20. Many songs played on the radio were the same Christmas hymns we would sing at Mass. Sharing oplatek was the norm for many Christmas dinners, and no one dared start eating until after a proper prayer before the meal.

We are not living in a Christendom anymore. We are multi-cultural and secular in most aspects of our lives.  Millions celebrate Holidays without ever setting toe in a church, temple, or synagogue. The culture focuses on Santa, spending, and STUFF.

Still, Jesus IS the Reason for the Season. (Jesus, and the Triune God is the reason for everything if we’re being honest.)

So let’s all resolve to act like He is. 

It doesn’t even take much effort to be a Witness for Christ. Say a prayer before meals, even at restaurants.  Reject watching shows or listening to music that are perverse, dark, pornographic, and obscene…even if they are the most popular movies/songs. Shut down social media gossip and garbage that deteriorates human connection. Talk about your faith in some way with others on a regular basis.

Share your faith with those you know and invite someone to Mass or to an parish event.

Embrace these resolutions, among others you devise, and commit to doing them with resolve.

This is how we change ourselves in ways that matter so much more than pants size.

This is how we heal our world and live our faith.

Raise your hand if you’re IN.

A very Happy New Year!