Campus Ministry - Sacred Heart High School

Rev. Mauricio Galvas, Chaplain

Mr. Dan Matthews, Campus Minister

Here are three great websites that will help any Catholic learn more about Church teachings and stay “up-to-date” on the happenings of the Catholic Church, both in Rome and in the United States.

Pope Francis shares his thoughts and prayers for the new year 2018 with the world. The Holy Father’s emphasis this year is on the plight of migrants and refugees:
51st World Day of Peace 2018: migrants and refugees – men and women in search of peace | Francis

This year’s March for Life in Washington, D.C. on the anniversary of the Supreme Court Decision of Roe v. Wade drew enormous crowds to our nation’s capital. Tens of thousands of people stood up for dignity and respect of all human life. Please pray that all human life at every stage from conception through natural death may be respected, in our own country and around the world.

2018 March for Life Timelapse

Blessing of the Throats

Saturday, February 3 is the Feast of St. Blaise, a 4th century Catholic bishop and martyr who once saved the life of a young boy who was choking to death on a fish bone. He is the patron saint of those afflicted with throat ailments. On February 1, in anticipation of the Feast Day, we will be available in the SHHS chapel to bless the throats of anyone who would like him to do so. We will touch their throats with a pair of blessed candles and pray the following prayer: “Through the intercession of St. Blaise, bishop and martyr, may God deliver you from ailments of the throat and from every other evil. In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.” God bless you all! -Dan Mathews
St. Blaise | Saint of the Day | AmericanCatholic.org

The Real Valentine

St. Valentine was a Catholic bishop living in Rome during the anti-Christian persecutions of the third century. He was jailed for marrying couples according to the Christian tradition. While in prison, young couples would visit him and he would marry them in secret, often sending them cards from his cell in which he told them he was praying for them and signing them, “With love, from your Valentine.”

For this he was beheaded on February 14, 269.

From this came the tradition of celebrating love on February 14th, and sending those we love a “Valentine.”

On this Valentine’s Day, say a prayer for everyone you love, as well as for those who have no one to love them. Thank God for all those in your life whom you love and who love you in return, and ask God to increase your love so that you might share it with everyone you meet, each and every day.

Happy Valentine’s Day to all!

Lent comes to SHHS!

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent for Catholics. Here at the Heart there are numerous opportunities for all of us to draw closer to God throughout the 40 days of Lent and forever thereafter.

At Ash Wednesday Mass, we will put ashes on our foreheads as a sign of our humility, our repentance for our sins, and our desire to draw closer to God. Jesus spent 40 days fasting in the desert to prepare for His public ministry. Lent is an opportunity for all of us Christians to fast, to give up that which is ungodly, to repent, spend more time in prayer and reading the Bible, to give more to charity, and thereby draw closer to God. The use of ashes as a symbol of humility and repentance before God is a recurring theme throughout the Bible (Esther, Job, Daniel, Jonah, and Matthew 11:21).

What would you be willing to give up for Lent in order to spend more time with God? Your cell phone? Your I-pad? Television? Swearing? How about your time? Maybe you could spend more time praying, reading the Bible, going to Church, receiving the Eucharist, going to Confession?

We wish all of you and your families a blessed and peaceful Lent!

Guidelines and suggestions for a fruitful Lenten observance:
1. Increase the amount of time you spend in prayer each day. Praying the Rosary each day is a marvelous opportunity for spiritual growth.
2. Spend more time reading the Bible. This Lent, why not read a chapter of Matthew’s Gospel each day?
3. Give more of your time and treasure to charities.
4. Go to church more often. Attendance at Daily Mass is a wonderful way to grow closer to God.
5. Go to Confession. It’s like taking a bath on the inside. If you haven’t been for a long time, don’t worry! The priest will walk you through everything you have to say and do. This is one of the greatest gifts you can give to yourself.
6. Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are days of fasting; Fridays during Lent are meatless. Observance of these sacrifices makes more room in your life for God. There’s a great old Catholic saying: “You can’t be full of God and full of roast beef.” When you give something up for Lent, then every time you reach for that something and you stop yourself, you’re thinking about God at a time when you might not otherwise have been.

God bless you all, and may you all have a peaceful Lent!

St. Patrick’s Day

Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all!

St. Patrick was born in Scotland in the 4th century and was brought to Ireland in chains as a slave. After escaping, he became a priest, and was asked by his bishop to return to Ireland to preach the Gospel to the very people who had enslaved him. This he did, using a three-leaf clover to explain the concept of the Trinity.

Thus on St. Patrick’s Day, we celebrate the tremendous love which God has for us, and we take joy in sharing that love with everyone we meet.

Who was Saint Patrick?

Easter

RESOURCES

For the 100th anniversary of the Miracle of Fatima, students in Ms. Pasternak’s religion classes learned all about the Fatima visionaries and the Marian apparitions which took place there. Here is a useful link to a wealth of information about that still-timely miracle:
Fatima 100th Anniversary – Home

The Pope has issued a new apostolic exhortation called The Joy of Love. In it he boldly reaffirms the Church’s teachings on marriage, sexuality, and the sanctity of life.
http://w2.vatican.va/content/dam/francesco/pdf/apost_exhortations/documents/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20160319_amoris-laetitia_en.pdfVersion:1.0 StartHTML:000000239

Here is a link to an article covering the Pope’s just-completed visit to Cuba. While there the Pope reminded the faithful to serve God and humanity, not Marxist ideology.
Pope meets Fidel Castro after warning against ideology

Here is the new Papal encyclical on the environment. There is much in here to ponder, challenge, and inspire.
http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.html

A spectacular and inspiring work of art has made its home in Waterbury: a statue of hometown hero Father Thomas Conway, the chaplain of the ill-fated U.S.S. Indianapolis, who spent three days in the water ministering to his fellows before he succumbed to exposure and died. The statue features Fr. Conway holding a man’s head above the water’s surface with one hand, and raising his other hand (in which he holds rosary beads and dog tags) in prayer. It is powerfully moving indeed.
Statue of last Catholic chaplain to die in combat in World War II unveiled in Waterbury – The Catholic Transcript Online

Articles

A dying Catholic seminarian movingly responds to the heartbreaking story of Brittany Maynard, and gives eloquent voice to the Church’s position on the dignity of all human life.

Pope Francis is raffling off his belongings for the poor.

Pope reaffirms traditional Church teachings.

Archbishop Blair calls on all Catholics to “stand up and be counted” regarding upcoming suicide bill in Connecticut legislature.