Old Saint Mary's Cathedral + Chinese Mission

Potty It took a little three year old to remind Christians what Christmas is all about. God really did become human, with the limitations of humans. Here is the story. A mom brings her three year old daughter up to the manger scene a few days before Christmas in church. The manger is empty. The three year old says, "Look Mommy, the manger is empty. Jesus is not there!" The mom then proceeds to explain all about how Jesus does not come until Christmas Day. It is a bit

19th-Century Missionary for the 21st-Century Church On this date in 1819 Isaac Hecker (who eventually went on to found the Paulist Fathers in 1858) was born to immigrant parents in New York City. From an early age, he already expressed a belief in God’s special providence – that God had a providential plan for his life. Even as a boy working in the family bakery, Hecker was already asking himself: “What does God desire from me? How shall I attain unto Him? What is it He has s

Saint Nicholas (a.k.a.,"Santa Claus") For several years, while I was parochial vicar at the Paulist Mother Church in NYC, I had the joy of playing "Saint Nicholas" (a.k.a. "Santa Claus") at the annual Winter's Eve celebration coinciding with Lincoln Center's Tree Lighting on the Monday after Thanksgiving. That's a picture of me in my "Saint Nicholas" costume - a kind of generic Bishop outfit, plus a big white beard. I doubt too many people really thought I was Saint Nicholas