Loving His Way

Sixth Sunday of Easter
May 21, 2017 – Year A
Readings: Acts 8:5-8, 14-17 / Ps 66 / 1 Pt 3:15-18 / Jn 14:15-21
by Rev. Paul O’Donnell Duggan, Guest Celebrant

I’ve always been impressed by the quality of the hospitality of Filipino families. I have spent almost fifty years in New Jersey, and in every parish I was in, we always had Filipino families.

There was one in particular that would call at least once a month, sometimes twice, “Father Paul, can you come over?” It’s 8 o’clock at night or 9 o’clock, and I say “Oh, I’d love to, certainly.” At that hour, I’ve already had my dinner. When I go over, there is a huge dinner waiting. (more…)

Full of Grace

Fifth Sunday of Easter
May 14, 2017 – Year A
Readings: Acts 6:1-7 / Ps 33 / 1 Pt 2:4-9 / Jn 14:1-12
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

Today, Mother’s Day, we honor all of our mothers, including the Blessed Mother, whose first apparition at Fatima occurred one hundred years ago. Yesterday, on the actual anniversary of her first apparition in Fatima, the whole Catholic world rejoiced upon the canonization of Saint Jacinta and Saint Francisco, two of the children shepherds who witnessed the apparition. (more…)

Mary’s Intercession Brings Miracles

3rd Sunday of Lent
March 19, 2017 – Year A
Readings: Ex 17:3-7 / Psalm 95 / Rom 5:1-2, 5-8 / Jn 4:5-42
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

The wonderful things that have been happening here in Holy Name of Mary Parish since Friday are all manifestations of the Blessed Mother’s love for us. For instance, although the pilgrim statue of Our Lady of Fatima was scheduled to leave yesterday at 5 pm, by some miraculous events she has remained here overnight in our sanctuary. This is now the second Mass we are celebrating in the presence of the miraculous pilgrim statue of Our Lady of Fatima. (more…)

Cherish No Grudge

Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
February 19, 2017 – Year A
Readings: Lv 19:1-2, 17-18 / Ps 103 / 1 Cor 3:16-23 / Mt 5:38-48
by Rev. Paul O’Donnell Duggan, Guest Celebrant 

One of my little peculiarities is that I enjoy walking through a graveyard and looking at epitaphs.  Every so often I say to people in New Jersey, “Oh, in today’s reading, there is a lovely epitaph.”    (more…)

Chasing Happiness?

4th Sunday in Ordinary Time
January 29, 2017 – Year A
Readings: Zep 2:3, 3:12-13 / Psalm 146 / 1 Cor 1:26-31 / Mt 5:1-12a
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

We all know that everybody wants to be happy. The courses on the science of happiness are becoming more and more popular in colleges and universities when, not too long ago, they were not even part of the curriculum. The song entitled “Happy” by Pharrell Williams was number one on the billboard charts for many weeks. It was downloaded more than a million times, and was used in music videos and animations. All these are confirmations of the fact that happiness is indeed a basic human desire. (more…)

Called to Be Holy

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
January 15, 2017 – Year A
Readings: Is 49:3, 5-6 / Ps 40 / 1 Cor 1:1-3 / Jn 1:29-34
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor 

As part of our Catholic tradition we use a lot of signs, symbols and colors in our church.  For instance, when our priest’s and deacon’s vestments, altar cloths, and the rest of the art and environment in our sanctuary are mostly colored green, we are in the season that we call “Ordinary Time.”  In fact, it is anything but ordinary, because all of the liturgical seasons are extraordinary, supernatural, and spiritual.  This period is given to us by our Holy Mother Church so that we can reflect on the meaning of discipleship.    (more…)

The Armor of Light

First Sunday of Advent
November 27, 2016 – Year A
Readings: Is 2:1-5 / Ps 122 / Rom 13:11-14 / Mt 24:37-44
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

About 20 years ago, while I was having a lively dinner conversation with my cousins in New York during my first week in the United States, they gave me the honor of hearing about all they had done – a sort of summary of their lives.  This included not only their achievements but also the mistakes they made and what they should have done.  (more…)

Saving the Lost

31st Sunday in Ordinary Time
October 30, 2016 – Year C
Readings: Wis 11:22-12:2 / Psalm 145 / 2 Thes 1:11-2:2 / Lk 19:1-10
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

Each and every one of us, who is old enough to have a life history, must have experienced being lost sometime in the past, either literally or figuratively. On a dark, winter night a few years ago, I was on my way to attend the priest gathering at the rectory of Fr. Dan Kelly in Nelson County. (more…)

Be Aware, Be Grateful

Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
October 9, 2016 – Year C
Readings: 2 Kgs 5:14-17 / Ps 98 / 2 Tm 2:8-13 / Lk 17:11-19
by Rev. Mr. Eddie Craig, Permanent Deacon 

Be thankful.  We know we’re supposed to do it.  Count your blessings.  I’m sure everybody has heard that.  So why then do we often have so much trouble remembering that?  I’ve asked myself that as I prepared to preach this morning. And the list is long.  We’re busy, one thing after another.  Two things that happen to us are highlighted very well in the readings today. (more…)

Mary’s Way

Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
July 24, 2016 – Year C
Readings: Gn 18:20-32 / Ps 138 / Col 2:12-14 / Lk 11:1-13
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

Three days ago, Tom Messier called us to tell us the good news that the Town of Bedford made official the name of the access road alongside our church, as “Mary’s Way.”  Some of you may have noticed that the sign is already in place.  If you have not seen it but are a Facebook friend of Holy Name of Mary, you’ve at least seen the picture.  We would like to thank Tom for all his effort in making this possible.

But for us here, “Mary’s Way” is more than just the name of a road. (more…)