The Immaculate Conception Men’s club will be having its annual chicken barbecue on Saturday, June 15 from 11 AM until 2 PM. The event will be held rain or shine behind the church and under the tent. (click message for details)

This past Friday we celebrated the feast of two apostles together, Saints Philip and James the Lesser. Lesser here means “Younger.” The reason why we celebrate them together is because their relics were brought to the Church of the Holy Apostles in Rome and buried there together in the ninth century. (click message for more)

We find ourselves in the midst of the annual fundraising effort for the Diocese called “Partners in Charity.” These efforts fund more than 25 diocesan agencies, ministries and programs. You will find envelopes in the pews this weekend that will provide information regarding how you can make a gift if you have not already. (click message for more)

Now that Easter and Divine Mercy Sundays have been celebrated, other occasions advance rapidly. In the spirit of renewal and new life, I invite you to reflect and pray about a specific act of structural renewal that can impact positively on our shared worship. (click more for complete message)

The message of The Divine Mercy is simple. It is that God loves us – all of us and that He wants us to recognize that His mercy is greater than our sins, so that we will call upon Him with trust, receive His mercy, and let it flow through us to others. Thus, all will come to share His joy. (click message for more)

Beginning, Monday April 1, the 12:15pm weekday Mass reverts back to Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays only. During future seasons of Lent, Mass will be offered again all weekdays. Thank you for your presence throughout this season. Happy Easter!

Glorious Easter to you and your loved ones! God promised a Savior Who would open the gates of Heaven. That promise was fulfilled through a series of events from the Annunciation to the Incarnation and through the Passion to the Resurrection. The Savior is Jesus, God’s only begotten Son. Now, we celebrate new life in Jesus. Can there be anything greater than wanting eternal life for our families and friends? (click message for more)

Happy Palm Sunday! Yes, even as we give our attention to Jesus beginning the procession to His death, we have reason to celebrate and be happy. The prophet Zechariah (9:9) assures us that joy is appropriate. “Exult greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem! Behold: your King is coming to you, a just Savior is He, humble, and riding on a donkey.” (click message for more)

The World needs heroes. We need models of love and devotion, models of sacrifice and service. God, in His infinite love of us, gives us many such models. He gives us the Saints. (click message for more)

During the Season of Lent, we seek to grow in holiness and devote ourselves to the Lord more deeply through prayer; through the reading of Sacred Scripture; through charitable works; by giving alms; and by exercising self-control over our passions and appetites through fasting, penances, and sacrifices. (click message for more)

Soon we will celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation. Many of us understand this Sacrament as the entrance rite into an adult life of faith. The church speaks of Confirmation, as being received into full communion with the Catholic Church and the true faith. (click message for more)

February 8 marks the International Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking. On this day we are reminded that God brings every person into existence, made in His image and likeness to know, love, and serve Him. Our shared Source of creation and purpose connects every one of us fraternally. Every person is a child of God made for holiness and eternal salvation. (click message for more)

This Sunday is the annual Word of God Sunday, a day on which the Church calls us to deepen our appreciation of Sacred Scripture in our daily lives. Bible reading is for Catholics! The Church encourages Catholics to make reading the Bible part of their daily prayer lives in order to grow deeper in our relationships with God. The Bible is the revelation of God's relationship with the people he has called to himself. In the Bible, God teaches us the truths that we need for the sake of our salvation. (click message for more)

I’ll always remember my first weekend at our Beloved Immaculate Conception Parish as coinciding with 12 inches of freshly fallen snow along with the spirited thespians and narrators of the Christmas Pageant on Sunday. They embodied the theater cry of, “The show must go on!” Well done everyone! I’m very proud of you, all. Immaculate Conception strong! (click message for more)

There is nothing that so dramatically changes the landscape of New England as a first significant snowstorm.  Still, despite the hardships and extra work that accompanies such accumulation, inevitably there comes a moment when one takes a pause and appreciates its beauty.  This might occur while taking a break from shoveling to catch one’s breath or while quietly gazing through a window pane from inside a warm home.  It is important to take in the peace and beauty of things even in the midst of a changing landscape. (click message for more)

One of my favorite poets is Denise Levertov. She often writes on religious themes that have a more modern relatability. This poem is taken from her book, “The Stream and the Sapphire” (1997). (click message for more)

Rejoice! It is Gaudete Sunday! This is the day of the “almost, but not quite yet” Sunday before Christmas. It can be a time of anticipation of the celebrations to come. (click message for more)

After two years of preparation, I am receiving a certificate in Spiritual Direction in the Jesuit tradition from the Murphy School of Spirituality at Fairfield University. That is why I’m not at the parish this weekend. (click message for more)

Greetings in the Lord. Although the following changes for Immaculate Conception Parish in Lancaster have not been announced officially by Bishop McManus in the Catholic Free Press, I understand that the Bishop plans to assign Fr. Julio Granados and I to serve Immaculate Conception as its associate pastor and pastor, respectively, beginning January 2, 2024. (click message for more)

Thanksgiving is upon us, how can we add more to a tradition that is already so full? This 33rd Sunday is the last Sunday of Ordinary Time and we will celebrate Christ the King next Sunday as the Church enters its “new year”. (click message for more)