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29th Sunday in Ordinary Time (10/18/2026) This weekend at the 10:15 AM Mass, we'll celebrate a couple whose civil marriage is being convalidated in the Catholic Church. Through this sacrament, they're inviting God more fully into their marriage and having their union recognized by the Church.  This is a wonderful opportunity to invite anyone whose marriage hasn't been recognized by the Church, or who may need an annulment from a previous marriage, to start a conversation with me. I'm here to help you understand your situation and walk with you through the process. God has called each of us to a unique vocation, and He wants us to experience the fullness of His love and grace. The sacraments are one of the ways He gives us the help we need to live out that calling. Whether your situation involves a simple convalidation, an annulment, or you're just unsure where you stand, please come talk to me. We'll figure out the next steps together. God wants you to experience the fullness of His plan for you, and I'd be happy to help you along that journey.

26th Sunday in Ordinary Time (09/27/26) I don't like mornings. I'm not a morning person, and I never wake up happy. I have a sleep app that asks me to rate how I wake up: angry red, "blah" yellow, or happy green. After years of using it, I've never once chosen green. I'm permanently yellow. But as a kid, there were mornings when I absolutely would have chosen green: waking up to hear, "It's a snow day! No school!" Or Dad waking you up for deer hunting. Those were green-face mornings. But when Dad woke you up because there was work to do? Definitely red. In today's Gospel, a father tells his two sons to go work in the vineyard. The first says, "I will not," but later changes his mind and goes. The second says, "Yes, sir," but never goes. Jesus makes the point clear: words matter, but actions reveal our hearts. And if we're honest, I think most of us already know what God is asking us to do. That's the Holy Spirit—the spiritual gut-check. So: What's God asking you to do right now? Maybe it's calling someone you've been avoiding. Forgiving someone. Asking forgiveness. Going to confession. Making time for prayer. Being kinder to someone who gets under your skin. Giving up a habit or sin you keep excusing. Reaching out to someone who's lonely. Or simply taking the next step toward becoming the person God is calling you to be. The good news is that a bad beginning doesn't have to mean a bad ending. The first son said no, but he changed his mind and went. And even when we say yes, the road won't always be easy. There will be obstacles and crosses. That doesn't mean we've failed. We just keep working in the vineyard. Every time we pray the Our Father, we say, "Thy will be done." Let's not just say it. Let's do it. So here's the gut-check: What's your next step? Whatever the Father is asking of you—go do it. Because this life is our Father's vineyard.

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (08/30/26) Something is happening in our parish—and it's beautiful. We're growing: more young families, more baptisms, more people becoming Catholic, and more people coming home to the faith after years away. That doesn't happen by accident. It's the Holy Spirit moving through this community, through the prayers, service, hospitality, and witness of so many people. Like Jeremiah's image of God's word as a fire in his bones, when we encounter something real in Jesus, we can't help but share it—and that faith spreads. We see it especially in ministries like Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, where children aren't simply learning facts about God; they're being given space to encounter Christ. And as our parish grows, we're asking an important question: how can everything we do point more clearly to Jesus and make it easier for people to encounter Him? That's at the heart of conversations about our sanctuary and parish spaces. Nothing has been decided, but the vision is simple: put Jesus at the center—literally and spiritually. God is doing great things here, and He's not finished with this parish. So let's keep saying yes to Him and stay open to where He leads us next.

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time (8/23/2026) Fr. David often reminds us that the Sunday readings are connected, and today that connection is especially powerful. Isaiah tells us about the "key of the House of David" being given to Eliakim, while in today's Gospel, Jesus—the Son of David—gives the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven to Peter, appointing him to proclaim the faith with authority. And what does Peter proclaim? The kerygma, the Greek word for "proclamation": the heart of the Good News. The kerygma isn't primarily about what we do for God—loving our neighbor or evangelizing others—but about what God has done for us. Jesus, the Son of God, suffered, died, and rose from the dead so that we could be forgiven, freed from sin, and have eternal life. That is the Good News. As St. John reminds us, "not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son." So before we talk about how we should live as Christians, let's remember what Christianity is really about: Jesus died and rose so we could have eternal life. That is the Gospel Peter proclaimed, the faith handed down to us, and the Good News we are called to learn, live, and share.

20th Sunday in Ordinary Time (08/16/26). This weekend is our Catholic Services Appeal, which helps our Diocese of Superior serve the people of Northern Wisconsin. Our goals this year are $69,650 for St. Joseph and $17,290 for St. Ann. We made our goals last year, and I'm confident we can do it again. But I want to challenge us to something deeper than simply meeting a number: prayerful generosity. Jesus gives us the perfect example. He was prayerful—continually interceding for us—and He was generous, giving His very life for our salvation. The CSA makes a real difference: it supports our seminarians and future priests, including the formation that led to my own priesthood. It helps provide priests for our parishes, youth and adult faith opportunities, Catholic schools, and the many services that keep our Diocese and parishes going. So please support the CSA. But even more, I challenge you this year to give more than you did last year—and pray as you give. Give to the Church, the CSA, and the charitable causes you care about. Let your generosity become an act of prayer. We made our goal last year; let's make it again—and let's see if we can do it in just two months! I'm confident we can. But most importantly, let's grow in prayerful generosity, because that makes us look more like Jesus.

18th Sunday in Ordinary Time God doesn't just want to give us enough—He wants to fill us. Throughout Scripture, food is a sign of something much deeper: God satisfying the hunger of our hearts and souls. Even as Jesus grieved the death of John the Baptist and sought time alone in prayer, His heart was moved with compassion for the crowds. He took five loaves and two fish, blessed them, broke them, and gave them, showing that when we offer our small gifts to God, He multiplies them beyond what we can imagine. That same pattern reaches its fulfillment in the Eucharist, where Christ feeds us with His very Body and Blood. This week, notice what you turn to when you feel empty. Does it truly satisfy, or does it only distract? Jesus still says, "Bring it to me." He longs to fill you—not with temporary comforts, but with His abundant life, His love, and His presence, so that you, in turn, can help satisfy the hunger of others.

17th Sunday in Ordinary Time Today's Gospel reminds us that God's kingdom is not a life free from suffering, but the certainty that God can bring good out of every hardship. Like the merchant who joyfully sold everything for the pearl of great price, we are invited to rediscover the incomparable treasure of Jesus Christ and His Church. Even though the Church is made up of saints and sinners in a broken world, its true worth never diminishes because Christ remains present in the Eucharist, His Word, and the sacraments. This week, reflect on two simple questions: Do I truly recognize Jesus as my greatest treasure? And have I grown so familiar with that gift that I've forgotten its wonder? Ask God for the grace to see the pearl of great price with fresh eyes once again.

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time In this homily on the Parable of the Sower, we're invited to stop asking, "What kind of soil am I?" and instead ask, "What kind of soil am I becoming?" God never stops sowing His grace into our lives, but the fruit we bear depends on the condition of our hearts. Discover how you're probably bearing more spiritual fruit than you realize, why greater fruitfulness often comes from bringing more intention—not more activity—to your daily relationships, and how to identify and remove the "rocks" and "thorns" that keep God's Word from taking deeper root. A practical and hopeful reflection on becoming the rich soil where God's grace can flourish.

13th Sunday in Ordinary Time There's a world of difference between having a cross and taking up your cross. Drawing on Jacques Philippe's Interior Freedom, Fr. David shares the three ways we respond to suffering — rebellion, resignation, and consent — and why only one of them leads to peace. If you've ever spent more energy fearing a cross than actually carrying one, this homily is for you.

Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity On this Trinity Sunday, we celebrate not only the mystery of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, but the living God who is actively at work among us today. In this homily, Fr. David reflects on the visible signs of the Holy Spirit moving in our parish communities—more baptisms, growing numbers of families, new households joining the Church, deeper conversions, and people returning to the Lord after years away. As we recognize these signs of grace, we are encouraged to keep doing what we're doing: inviting, welcoming, praying, serving, and sharing our faith with joy. We are part of something powerful that God is accomplishing in our midst. As summer begins, this homily also invites us to slow down and intentionally receive God's blessings through the beauty of creation, time with loved ones, and moments of gratitude, allowing ourselves to be drawn ever more deeply into the life and love of the Holy Trinity.

5th Sunday of Easter In this homily for the month of May, we reflect on Mary as the one who leads us closer to her Son, Jesus Christ—the Way, the Truth, and the Life. As spring brings new life and beauty to the world around us, we are invited to let this season become a spiritual springtime for our own faith by asking a deeper question: "How well do I really know Jesus?" Through prayer, Scripture, the Rosary, meaningful conversation, and the help of Mary and the saints, we learn that growing in faith is not just about knowing facts about Jesus, but truly spending time with Him as a friend. Mary, who knows Jesus better than anyone, gently guides us to love Him more and to encounter Him more personally in our daily lives.

3rd Sunday of Easter On the road to Emmaus, two disciples walk beside Jesus without even realizing it—until they urge the "stranger" to stay, and in the breaking of the bread their eyes are opened. How often does the same thing happen in our own lives? Moments when our hearts stir, when something deeper is happening within us, when grace is quietly at work—and yet we keep walking, distracted or unaware. This homily reflects on the quiet, persistent way Jesus draws near to us each day and the importance of not letting those moments slip by. When we notice even a flicker of that "burning heart," we're invited to do what the disciples did: to pause, to invite Him in, to let Him stay. Because it may be in those very moments—ordinary, subtle, easily missed—that we finally recognize just how close God has been all along.

Easter Sunday This Easter, step into the tomb with Peter and John and notice the surprising detail the Gospel of John refuses to rush past: the burial cloths. Why are they mentioned twice? Because they point to something real—no theft, no resuscitation, but a body transformed. From that first Easter morning to the mysterious Shroud of Turin—an image with no paint, no pigment, only a faint "scorch" on the surface fibers—something happened that still defies explanation. Christianity isn't built on a symbol or a story, but on a fact: Jesus Christ is risen. And that changes everything. This episode invites you to step into the tomb, see the signs, and ask: what in my life needs to be transformed by that same resurrection power?

Entering into the Mass, Part 3 – 4th Sunday of Lent (03/15/26) In Part 3 of this Lenten homily series, we reflect on how to enter more intentionally into the Mass. This week focuses on the Liturgy of the Word and the beginning of the Liturgy of the Eucharist, especially the Preparation of the Gifts. We are reminded that God speaks personally to us at every Mass through Scripture, prayer, and the movements of the liturgy. The opening rites prepare our hearts, the readings reveal God's voice and our identity as His people, and the offertory invites us to place our whole week on the altar—our struggles, gratitude, prayers, and desires—so that God can transform them. This homily is a practical invitation to stop being spectators at Mass and instead consciously unite our lives to Christ's offering. It concludes with a reminder that the Mass on earth joins us to the worship of heaven and calls us to deeper participation each week. I can also turn these into a tighter SEO-friendly WordPress version with excerpt, focus keyphrase, and tags.

2nd Sunday of Lent (03/01/26) – Entering into the Mass, Part 1 Have you ever thought, "Mass is boring?" Many of us have felt that way at times. But the reality is that the Holy Mass is anything but boring. Often the challenge is that we haven't learned how to fully enter into what is happening. In this first homily of a Lenten series on the Mass, we begin exploring how to participate more intentionally in the sacred liturgy. The Mass is structured in four parts: the Introductory Rites, the Liturgy of the Word, the Liturgy of the Eucharist, and the Concluding Rite. This week we focus on the Introductory Rites, which prepare our hearts, minds, and souls to encounter God. From the Entrance Procession and Opening Hymn, to the Sign of the Cross, the Greeting, the Penitential Act, the Gloria, and the Collect, each moment invites us to actively participate rather than simply observe. These opening moments help us bring our lives, struggles, and intentions before the Lord and prepare us to receive Him more fully in His Word and in the Eucharist. As you listen, reflect on how you approach the beginning of Mass. What parts of the Introductory Rites might God be inviting you to enter into more intentionally?