The Father Joe Podcast

You've heard the expression, if you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life. Well, meet a couple of 92 year old priests still saying Mass and loving the ministry. Our Fr. Joe Grimaldi is 82 and is the pastor of a large church. How do they do it?

'Alone Together', is a total contradiction, except that more and more, it is how people have spent their time since March of 2020. We've discovered that a decent number of Americans are comfortable, and enjoy, rolling solo. Can we apply that going to Mass?

Purple is used at Advent as it is at Lent to represent the penitential nature of the season. In fact, Advent used to be known as “little Lent.” The color is a symbolic reminder for us to be preparing ourselves for the coming of our Lord.

The pandemic had a devastating impact on our students. The 2022 National Assessment of Educational Progress found that nearly four in ten eighth graders failed to grasp basic math concepts and only one in three students achieved reading proficiency standards.  

If you took your parish’s catechism classes when you were growing up you remember actual grace. It’s a supernatural kick in the pants. It gets your will and intellect moving so you can seek out and provide acts of kindness to those in need.

The feast of the Dedication of the Basilica of St. John Lateran is celebrated by the entire Church. It marks the dedication of the cathedral church of Rome by Pope Sylvester I in 324. This church is the cathedral (or chair) of the bishop of Rome, who is our Pope.

Day of the Dead combines the ancient Aztec custom of celebrating ancestors with All Souls' Day, a holiday that Spanish invaders brought to Mexico starting in the early 1500s. The holiday, which is celebrated mostly in Mexico on November 1 and 2, is like a family reunion—except dead ancestors are the guests of honor.

Sometimes when we go to Mass, things don't go as well as we wish. In an ideal world Mass would be full of life and joy. Everyone would leave feeling completely one with God. But other times, Mass can feel different. Remember this, Christ is truly present in the Mass.

This summer the Jesuit order celebrated their 488th birthday. The Jesuits were founded by Ignatius de Loyola, a Spanish soldier turned priest. For centuries, the Jesuits have worn many hats: missionaries, educators and writers. The prospect of a Jesuit pope was once considered unlikely Therefore, the 2013  as Pope Francis surprised many.

The next time you are at Church look for the Keys of St. Peter. The Keys of Heaven refers to the image of crossed keys used to represent the metaphorical keys of the office of Saint Peter, the keys of Heaven, or the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. It is explicitly referenced in the Bible in Matthew 16:19.