My mission is to share the wisdom and experiences gained over a lifetime dedicated to faith, service, and personal growth. In my retirement, I will use this platform to offer reflections, insights, and stories from my 80 years of life, 54 years as a priest, and 13 years as a bishop. Through openness and humility, I aim to inspire, educate, and resonate with readers, seeking the Holy Spirit’s guidance in all that I write. May this endeavor bring glory to God and foster a sense of shared journey and mutual understanding among all who read.
Bishop Ray’s Blog
Finding Meaning in Each Day
Stay up to date with the latest from our blog.
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3 Special Feasts: Three Great Gifts!
Read more: 3 Special Feasts: Three Great Gifts!As the Easter Season comes to an end, the Church calendar proposes three Sundays – before returning to Ordinary Time – three wonderful truths of our Catholic faith! The feast of Pentecost or the Descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles; the feast of the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity – our belief in one God who has revealed Himself as Father – Son – and Holy Spirit; and finally the Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ – Corpus Christi – which reminds us of the Real Presence of Jesus Christ under the appearance of bread…
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Life Begins at Conception and Ends at Death!
Read more: Life Begins at Conception and Ends at Death!The gift of life is incredibly precious! God is the author of our life! He tells us when to be born and when to die. I believe that life begins at the moment of conception in our mother’s womb and ends when we close our eyes in death. Every day we are alive is another gift from God. We work to promote a “culture of life” in all its various stages. In all reality, each day is another day closer to the end of our earthly life and the beginning of the life to come; we Catholics call it eternal…
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Many New Catholics: A Blessing and A Challenge!
Read more: Many New Catholics: A Blessing and A Challenge!What a great blessing it was to read about the phenomenal increase in the number of people who were fully initiated into the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil services on Holy Saturday. As reported in the media, almost all the Dioceses throughout the United States reported record increases in the number of candidates who were welcomed as “new Catholics!” As the Easter season comes to a conclusion, it might be worthwhile to reflect on the blessing this new surge is and will be for our Catholic communities, as well as the challenge that remains in our future evangelization programs.…
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A Vocation to the Priesthood: Saying “Yes” Every Day
Read more: A Vocation to the Priesthood: Saying “Yes” Every DaySt. Joseph’s Church in Astoria, July 24, 2024. Photo: The Tablet/Paula Katinas “Vocation” comes from the Latin word “vocare” which means “to call.” In Catholic circles, it is commonly associated with the call of a person to the priesthood, diaconate, or the religious (consecrated life). There is also a call to the vocation of married life, and often forgotten, a call to single life! We are all called to a state of life; this is different from our job – how we make a living, how we pay our bills! In any state of life, we usually do not receive a direct message from God, but in our hearts, we feel this is what He wants us to do. It is often confirmed by the…
Bishop Ray's Blog 