“Who has performed and done this, calling the generations from the beginning? I, the Lord, the first, and with the last; I am He.” (Isaiah 41:4) Secrets are attractive, especially deep and life-changing ones. When we hear that a mystery is going to be revealed, we immediately perk up our ears and pay close attention. […]
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The near universal celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, or Christmas, on December 25th dates to the early 4th century. Now, we have all heard the allegation: the date, December 25th, was settled on by the early Catholic Church to counter (or rather eclipse) the birthday celebration of the pagan “Invincible Sun” god, or […]
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As we continue through the season of Advent, almost everyone anticipates the joy of opening presents on Christmas morning. For most people, it is annoying to open their new gadget or toy, only to find a “some assembly required” label on the box. This is especially true for young children who have a difficult time […]
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“We are a ‘touchy’ people, Father… we like to touch.” Dear friends of St. Jude, I was invited for this past St. Jude feast by the devotees of St. Jude in Tucumán, Argentina, to come and give a novena with some of our relics of St. Jude, while Fr. James Moore, OP, my predecessor, was […]
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In my senior year of high school, I took over leading an optional lunchtime Rosary on Fridays in the school chapel. The usual attendees included a handful of students and one or two teachers who would join if they were not doing lunch-hour supervision. After one Rosary, as we left the school chapel, one of […]
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Born Richard Costello in Lincoln, NE on September 1, 1926, Fr. Aquinas Richard Costello passed away quietly at Nazareth House on December 1st after a lengthy illness. Having been pre-deceased by his parents, Clarence Emmett Costello and Hazel May Hills Costello, his brothers, Donald, Edwin and John Costello, he is survived by his brothers, James […]
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Please pray for the repose of the soul of our beloved Fr. Aquinas Costello, O.P., who died on Friday, November 30, 2018. The funeral arrangements are as follows: Tuesday, December 11 9:30am – Mass with Rosary at Nazareth House in San Diego, CA Thursday, December 13 7:30pm – Vigil with Rosary at St. Albert’s Priory, […]
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Fr. Paul Aquinas Duffner was the eldest member of the Western Dominicans. He is also one of the few to have served at the northern and southern limits of the Western Province’s ministries. “It would be hard to imagine a greater contrast,” he’d laugh, as he’d talk about the snow that greeted him at Holy […]
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Last month on November 3, the Church celebrated the feast of Saint Martin de Porres, a Dominican brother who cared for the poor and the sick of Lima, Peru in the late 1500s. Renowned for his humility and charity, Saint Martin always sought to serve God and others, heeding the greatest commandments: “to love the […]
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In this moment between Thanksgiving and Christmas, while the carols are already playing, our liturgical calendar goes through its transition: the ending of Ordinary time and the beginning of Advent. My childhood memories from being raised in a non-denominational Christian home are sadly chased away as purple is put up instead of green, celebrating this […]
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