Pastor’s Weekly Letter

                Religious faith brings out all sorts of qualities in the lives of the people whom it touches.  It lays hands on some, making them generous, kind and loving.  It takes hold of others and makes them cold, harsh and cruel.  St. Francis of Assisi was motivated by religious faith to renounce a personal fortune and lead a life of selfless devotion in service to the poor.  Many terrorists today are motivated by religious faith to lead lives of brutal persecution that results in the execution of hundreds and the imprisonment or displacement […]

                Do you ever wonder what would happen if God should really answer some of the prayers that we offer?  Say, for example, the prayer for strength.  We all feel a need of that, at least at times.  Life has a way of reminding us of our limitations.  It confronts us with challenges that exceed our abilities.  So it is a fairly common thing for us to ask of God the strength that we need to deal with the demands of daily living.  But we offer that prayer with little thought of what […]

     One of the most difficult questions that any of us ever face is “Why?”  And we face it repeatedly.  Life is fraught with mystery.  Everywhere the question “why” raises its head.  Why war?  Why poverty?  Why disease?  Why earthquakes?  Why floods?  Why human suffering and heartbreak?  All of these are questions to which we do not have an answer.  So far as I know, nobody does.  So instead of speculating about “Why,” let us reflect upon why we do not understand.      One reason we have trouble understanding is because God’s timetable is different from ours.  We […]

                Yesterday, May 29th, several men from St. Joseph’s Seminary in Yonkers were ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of New York and four for the CFR.  Our best wishes and prayers go with them as they begin their new ministry in the name of the Lord.                 Hopefully, we here at Annunciation – Our Lady of Fatima pray fervently today and every day for an increase in vocations to the priesthood and religious life.  Our Holy Father makes a special point of the truth that the local parish community and, in […]