Posts by Fr Jay Scott Newman

Dear Friends in Christ, The Amish, a community formed in the 17th century by a schism within the Mennonite movement in Switzerland, are famous for their radical separation from the world: they will not use modern technology, they dress differently from their neighbors, they cease formal schooling after the 8th grade, they refuse to serve…

Dear Friends in Christ, 1. Three hours of Confessions remain for those who have been away from the Sacrament of Penance for a few months or years. From 5 to 6 pm on the next three Thursdays (20 and 27 March and 3 April), the door is open just for those who are reluctant to…

Dear Friends in Christ, Ecclesia semper reformanda. The Church is always in need of being reformed because Christians are always in need of being reformed. The Church is also always holy because the Holy Spirit dwells within her and gives her life as the soul does in the body. This dual dimension of the Church’s…

Dear Friends in Christ, A few items for your attention: 1. Our 114 year old parish school is truly outstanding, and we most often receive recognition of the school’s quality for academic achievement. We are, for example, the only Blue Ribbon Middle School in the Upstate. But in this current school year, the recognition of…

Dear Friends in Christ, The 40 Days of Fasting, Prayer and Almsgiving which we call Lent begins in ten days with Ash Wednesday on 5 March. The e-bulletin this week includes a summary of the Church’s law of fasting and abstinence from meat and the Mass schedule for Ash Wednesday. Please plan now to abstain…