Letter from the Pastor

September 1, 2016

August 28, 2016

In reading the newspapers recently, one can notice some evidence of nations in anguish and people of this nation filled with fright in anticipation of what is coming. I don’t have much interest in trying to predict some future time of adversity, but I am much more interested in learning how to handle present adversity. In the gospels Jesus told His disciples to “pray for strength to pass safely through all these imminent troubles and to stand in the presence of the Son of Man.” Jesus was never one to run away from trouble. In fact, His disciples were often […]
August 30, 2016

August 21, 2016

In reading the newspapers recently, one can notice some evidence of nations in anguish and people of this nation filled with fright in anticipation of what is coming. I don’t have much interest in trying to predict some future time of adversity, but I am much more interested in learning how to handle present adversity. In the gospels Jesus told His disciples to “pray for strength to pass safely through all these imminent troubles and to stand in the presence of the Son of Man.” Jesus was never one to run away from trouble. In fact, His disciples were often […]
August 14, 2016

August 14, 2016

Last May several young men from St. Joseph’s Seminary, Dunwoodie, Yonkers, were ordained to he priesthood for the Archdiocese of New York. Two of these newly ordained priests served as seminarians here in Annunciation-Our Lady of Fatima – Fr. Tom Colucci and Fr. James Sheridan. Our best wishes and prayers go with them as they begin their new ministry in the name of Our Lord. This summer we had two other seminarians working among us – John Figueroa and Kevin Camilo. We are also grateful to them for the great work that they have done in our wonderful Parish. I […]
August 8, 2016

August 8, 2016

I read an article recently in a religious newspaper. It told of a famous Japanese artist who had contacted Christian missionaries to inquire about a ticket to heaven. He was a very old man who knew that death could not be far away. He had heard that Jesus had tickets to heaven, and he wanted to purchase one. Some of us would laugh at the old man for wanting to purchase a ticket to heaven. But none of us would laugh at him for wanting to go to heaven. We all want to do that, and we can understand that […]
July 31, 2016

July 31, 2016

Edna St. Vincent Mellay spoke for all of the human race when she wrote a poem entitled “Surge without Music.” It is a protest again death, not her own, but the death of others, many of whom she had known and loved. Death is always a disturbing consideration. It is like a mysterious curtain through which every person must pass, and no one knows for sure what waits on the other side. This element of mystery means that death is also frightening. The life that we are now living in these physical bodies is the only life that we have […]