Pastor’s Messages

My brothers and sisters, Praise God! Like many of you, I was happy to hear that this may be the last time we change our clocks. Our province is preparing to adopt permanent year-round daylight saving time, a change meant to support people’s well-being, reduce disruptions for families, and give us a little more light in the evening during the darker months. In a small way, it reminds us how much we appreciate light. Last Sunday, March 1, marked my…

My dear friends, Praise be Jesus Christ now and forever! As I quietly mark 15 years of priesthood, I find myself filled not with pride, but with gratitude. Like Abram in Book of Genesis 12: 1–4, I, too, was invited to leave something familiar and step into the unknown. God said, “Go forth,” and Abram went. The priesthood begins the same way—not with certainty, but with trust. Fifteen years later, I know more deeply that this vocation is sustained not…

My beloved sisters and brothers, Jesus, have mercy on us! Just days ago on Ash Wednesday, we came forward quietly and received ashes. We heard the words, “Repent and believe in the Gospel,” or “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” It was simple. It was humbling. It was honest. And now, on this First Sunday of Lent, the Church leads us back to the very beginning. In the Book of Genesis, we see a tender…

My brothers and sisters in Christ, Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ! Our readings this Sunday speak both tenderly and urgently to the human heart: “If you choose, you can keep the commandments” (Sirach 15:15). Before us are fire and water, life and death. In His great love, God has entrusted to us the dignity of freedom. We are not puppets of fate nor prisoners of circumstance. Each day—often in small, hidden ways—we stretch out our hands and choose. We…

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ! This week, as many of you know, our Diocese mourns the passing of one of our priests, Rev. Fr. James “Jim” Joseph Ratcliffe. I came to know Fr. Jim when I first arrived in the Diocese, when he was serving as the diocesan liturgist. He was deeply passionate about the liturgy and gave himself generously to the life of the Church. His death invites us to pause…

My dear Friends, Praise to You Lord Jesus Christ! Every January, I usually have the joy of joining the students of Immaculata High School in Kelowna on their mission trip. In past years, we traveled to Mexico to help build homes for families in need, allowing our young people to learn, firsthand, what it means to serve with compassion and humility. This year, their mission takes them to the Philippines. Although I am unable to accompany them, I was blessed…

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ! It is good to be back home, even if winter still greets us with its cold. Traveling reminds us that every journey involves waiting, discomfort, sleepless moments, and unexpected encounters. Yet these experiences shape us and lead us to our destination, often filled with love and new friendships. In many ways, this mirrors our lessons of faith. In today’s Scriptures, we hear a powerful message of light,…

Dear brothers and sisters, 1. Today every parish must raise up disciples of Jesus for the mission of His Church. There will be no priests, deacons or catechists until we are first of all have disciples of Jesus. 2. At every Mass, Jesus wants to instruct us with the Holy Scriptures and fill us with “every grace and spiritual blessing” at Holy Communion – for our daily lives in the world. 3. Where does Jesus want to send his disciples?…

Here is the commitment of Jesus to the work entrusted to him by our heavenly Father: to save the world from the evil promises of Satan. “This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” Here is a new communication between heaven and earth. Jesus will break the power of Satan’s kingdom of evil: broken families, lies, terrible temptations to sin, domestic violence, gambling, the tragic and sad inadequacy of drugs to help young people, wars, displacement of…

Irish writer, James Joyce, wrote a lot about the human experience named “epiphany”. It refers to a day of enlightenment concerning where our life is and perhaps where it has been in better times. We are offered a new future in our human journey. Astonishment and joy may have departed our souls but we are offered a grace to win it back. Joyce wrote a short story called: THE DEAD. The central character, Gabriel, lives a controlled, passionless life but…