Posts by Rick Caporali

Dear Good People of Saint Bernadette, It has been a crazy season, crazier than ever. And I don’t know if you noticed, parish life has become non-stop. I included a photo of last week’s breakfast with Santa/classroom Christmas tree raffle/Christmas shop below because I have never seen so many people packed in our cafeteria/gym for…

Today’s Live-Streamed Worship Aid for the Third Sunday in Advent     The Springfield Council of the Knights of Columbus will be selling Christmas trees in the lower parking lot from November 30 through December 20. Please support the charitable work of the Council by purchasing your tree from the Knights. The lot is open…

Dear Good People of Saint Bernadette, Last week we celebrated the Rite of Entrance at the 11am Mass, literally formally welcoming all those who are in our OCIA (formerly RCIA) program, who are discerning being received into full communion with the Catholic Church through the sacraments of initiation. At this point, those who are to…

Today’s Live-Streamed Worship Aid for the Second Sunday in Advent     Keep in your giving plans for the holidays the annual Catholic Charities’ Christmas Collection December 7 – 8 which provides a large portion of the annual budget for diocesan charitable works. Please be generous.     The Springfield Council of the Knights of…

Dear Good People of Saint Bernadette, Congratulations, newly-confirmed and fully-initiated members of the parish! Celebration last week was beautiful, one of the nicest confirmation liturgies I can remember, and I was in meetings with Bishop Burbidge the two days following and he kept telling everyone that Saint Bernadette’s confirmation class wins the award for the…

Dear Good People of Saint Bernadette, I came across an account of the real stories of the times that our celebrations of Thanksgiving Day look back to, almost with fond memory, and realized that we have more to consider in our Thanksgiving holiday, including our debt to the peoples whose lands we inhabit today. Our…

Today’s Live-Streamed Worship Aid for Christ the King     You are invited to our Burke/Springfield Thanksgiving Interfaith Prayer Service on Tuesday, November 26, at 7:30pm at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church. Please join us.      Start the Christmas Season making a beautiful Family Advent Wreath! Join the Women’s Group on Sunday November 24 following…

Today’s Live-Streamed Worship Aid for 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time     Join us for Taizé Prayer Service on Monday 18 November, at 8pm. Come pray for unity in our community and the world. All are invited.     Do you want to create Heaven in Your Home? Join us for a free dinner, family…

Dear Good People of Saint Bernadette, This week I had the luxury of most of a day spent with three retired Lutheran pastor friends, and we talked about the 20 years we worked together as ecumenists in the work of Christian Unity. All three of them were pastors in the northern Virginia area, and all…