Pastor’s Corner

Dear Parishioners of Saint Polycarp, Greetings and peace in our Savior Jesus Christ. Time goes by and seasons change: Here we are at the beginning of November. For Catholics and citizens of this beautiful country, November is a special month in which we have three big celebrations. The first is the Solemnity of All Saints,…

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Dear Parishioners of Saint Polycarp, Parish administration encompasses many aspects of parish life, ranging from sacramental to pastoral/spiritual care to finance. Such administrative responsibilities involve many people who help the parish priest or the pastor. As such, I am grateful for the support of Fathers Luis and Nicolaus, the deacons (Ramiro, Larry, Tri, and Juan),…

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Dear Parishioners of Saint Polycarp, Greetings and peace in the Lord Jesus. This weekend of September 14 marks the solemn celebration of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. This celebration draws me to meditate on this beautiful prayer which the Church prays at Stations of the Cross during Lent: “We adore you, oh Christ, and…

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Dear Parishioners of Saint Polycarp, On this last day of August, which is the Twenty Second Sunday of Ordinary time, the scriptural message calls us to concentrate on the humility of Jesus, the Son of God. To expound on Jesus’ humility, Saint Paul in his Letter to the Phillipians wrote, “[Jesus], though he was in…

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Dear Parishioners of Saint Polycarp, Greetings in the Lord Jesus. It has been a while since my last pastoral letter in June. Time flies by quickly, and it is now August. We love to hold on to time, but time does not wait for us. This is the message that the First Reading of Ecclesiastes…

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Dear Parishioners of Saint Polycarp, Peace and love in the Holy Trinity. The last two Sundays, the Church celebrated the solemnities of the Ascension of the Lord Jesus and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. This weekend, the Church celebrates the solemnity of the Holy Trinity—that is, one God in three Persons: Father,…

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Dear Parishioners of Saint Polycarp, This week is a very special week for us Christians because it is Holy Week, a week we journey with Christ from the moment He entered Jerusalem; instituted the Last Supper; prayed at the Garden of Gethsemane; was arrested and placed on trial before the Sanhedrin and Pilate; condemned by…

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Dear Parishioners of Saint Polycarp, This weekend marks the beginning of Holy Week, the most sacred week for Christians. Holy Week begins with Passion Sunday or Palm Sunday; and its highest point is the Holy Triduum—Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday The word “passion” derives from the Latin word “passio” meaning “to suffer,” which…

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Dear Parishioners of Saint Polycarp, Warmest greetings from the Lord Jesus to all of you. Last weekend, on the Seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time, our parish celebrated two events: The first was the commencement of the Jubilee Year and the second the Feast of Saint Polycarp—our Patron. With heartfelt gratitude to the Almighty God, I…

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Dear Parishioners of Saint Polycarp, Each year, through a diocesan project called the Pastoral Services Appeal or simply PSA, Bishop Vann invites us to live out the two greatest commandments of loving God and loving others. The theme for this year’s PSA is “Blessed are you who are now hungry, for you will be satisfied,”…

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Dear Parishioners of Saint Polycarp, As you come to church this weekend, the Christmas Season has already begun. In fact, we are in the Octave of Christmas, and are preparing for the arrival of the New Year of 2025. May I take this opportunity to wish you and your family a healthy, blessed, and joyful…

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Dear Parishioners of Saint Polycarp, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a Savior has been born for you who is Christ the Lord” (Lk 2: 10-11). These are the words of the…

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