Over thirty years ago, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops released a document, Communities of Salt and Light, focused on the role of Catholic parishes as the center of faith in our community. The document stated: 

“The parish is where the Church lives. Parishes are communities of faith, of action, and of hope. They are where the gospel is proclaimed and celebrated, where believers are formed and sent to renew the earth. Parishes are the home of the Christian community; they are the heart of our Church. Parishes are the place where God's people meet Jesus in word and sacrament and come in touch with the source of the Church's life.” 

This past summer, I had the opportunity to witness five weddings—all for people here at OLP! In the recent past, there’s often only been 2–3 parish weddings each year, so this was a big blessing, even though it made the summer a busy time.

Before the big day arrives, I meet several times with each couple to talk about the sacrament of matrimony (the church’s official name for this sacrament). Here’s an overview of what I share with them.

Spring has arrived, bringing with it the promise of new growth and transformation at the OLP community garden project. What began as a vision for native planting spaces has blossomed into a vibrant community initiative, uniting parishioners, neighbors, school staff, and children in a shared mission of ecological stewardship.

In daily life, a confirmation is the reiteration of something that has already occurred. "Just confirming we're still on for lunch tomorrow?" or "This is a confirmation that your order has been processed." This begs the question: What is it that the sacrament of confirmation is confirming exactly?