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I am writing to you in my role as Provincial Minister of the Province of St. Mary of the Capuchin Order. As you may have heard, there has been a transition of personnel in your parish. Fr. Michael Ramos, OFM Cap. is the newly appointed pastor of Holy Cross – St. John’s. I am terribly sorry if this seems sudden to so many of you....

Video of the tradition of the blessing of the throats on the Feast of St. Blaise goes back centuries.

Nonviolence is a way of life for courageous people. It is active nonviolent resistance to evil...

First Wise Man: To discover how to be truthful now, Is the reason I follow this star. Second Wise Man: With envy, terror, rage, regret, We anticipate, or remember, But never are....

In this New Year,
 We look to an end to violence and war.
 We pray for peace, understanding and reconciliation...

When the song of the angels is stilled, When the star in the sky is gone, When the kings and princes are home, When the shepherds are back with their flock, The work of Christmas begins....

The gospel of Luke Christmas story informs us: “In those days, a decree went out . . census.” Census. Count. This leads to the question of “WHO counts?” – but in two very divergent ways: In the first instance, the question may read: “Who DOES the counting?”...

The Nativity of St. John the Baptist was commemorated on June 23 with a festive, concelebrated liturgy, at which Capuchin Provincial Fr. Michael Greco was the presider.  In his homily, Fr. Greco referred to this birthday celebration highlighting John’s potential...

The Easter celebration of Jesus’ resurrection proclaims the truth that amid all of the powers on earth that surround us and threaten to engulf us – cultural, financial, political, military, biological or any other – it is the G-D who raised Jesus from the dead who truly reigns in our lives and at the heart of the world...

We gather this night to eat as refugees do – on the run, under fire, terrified, tired, teary-eyed and trampled. Such was the first Passover – a band of slaves running for their lives, escaping the long coercive arm of Pharoah and his monstrous army. An uncharted journey into a menacing night. Exposed. Hunted. Haunted. Panting for breath. Yearning for safety...

Since this Sunday is the beginning of Holy Week, during which sinners were reconciled, it was called Dominica indulgentioe, competentium, and capitilavium from the practice of washing and shaving of the head as a bodily preparation for baptism. During the early centuries of the church, this sacrament was conferred solemnly only on the night of Holy Saturday – the text of the creed had been made known to the catechumens on the preceding Palm Sunday....

Prayer, yes. But decidedly not a multiplication of words. Rather our prayer begins and ends with listening. We pray so as to listen through all of the raucous voices of our day seeking to hear the word that took flesh in Jesus of Nazareth.....

After an Advent of expectation and hope – a season of hard labor carving a highway through rugged and desolate terrain to welcome the One who would set us free from every ancient burden and fear – we now greet . . .

The Catsimatidis family, WABC Radio, Gristedes, D’Agostinos, Bank of America and St. Francis Food Pantries provided food for 100,000 New Yorkers in need at St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church.

On Saturday November 6, Provincial Minister Fr. Michael Greco, OFM, CAP presided at a Memorial Mass for 4 Capuchin friars who had served the community at St. John the Baptist. Remarks of remembrance were offered by the current friary staff, brief vignettes which encapsulated an aspect of each friar....

A celebratory liturgy on September 23, the feast of St. Pio, was the culmination of 4 days of sacramental, healing, and devotional prayer at the Church of St. John the Baptist. Hundreds of people from the Metropolitan Area participated in these worship services.

O God, you are the source of life and peace. Praised be your name forever. We know it is you who turn our minds to thoughts of peace. Hear our prayer in this time of war...

The paschal mystery of Jesus crucified and risen sits at the heart of our Christian faith. The claim that in Jesus’ cross and resurrection death has been defeated and life indestructible is now on offer through the Risen One is a core feature of the gospel we proclaim for the salvation of the world. To better understand the mystery of the cross and its relationship to both the divine will and human will, we do well to reflect upon the shape of human desire – a shape that is decidedly triangular...

As we enter into the eucharistic mystery this Sunday, we gather twenty years after terror attacks perpetrated here in our land – indeed our very city – by those persuaded to slaughter in the very name of G-D: a perplexing human delusion tragically haunting human history...

We welcome Fr. Victor Garcia, OFM Cap. to our pastoral staff here at Holy Cross—St. John the Baptist parish. Fr. Victor is a native son of the parish who worshipped among us prior to his...