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(In 2017, this feast is superseded by the Sunday liturgy.)  December 31st is the optional memorial of Saint Sylvester I, the 4th century pope and confessor, whose papacy saw the end of the initial period of Christian persecution. He guided the Church during the reign of Emperor Constantine when the Arian heresy and the Donatist schism had lead to great discord. He convened the Ecumenical Council of Nicaea and oversaw the building of Rome’s magnificent Basilicas. Only a strong and wise man could have preserved the autonomy of the Church in the face of such a looming and powerful figure that was Constantine. _____________________________________________________ Saint Sylvester, a native Roman, was chosen by God to govern His Church during the initial years of her temporal prosperity and the triumph over her persecuting enemies. Pope Melchiades died in January, 314, and Sylvester was chosen as his successor. He governed the Church for over twenty-one years, ably organizing the

November 11th is the memorial of St. Martin of Tours. Born around the year 316, in present-day Hungary during the reign of Constantine, he was one of the most popular saints of the Middle Ages. Martin was immediately thrust into a world in transition. Although Christianity had recently been declared legal in the Roman Empire, there were many people who still worshipped the various Roman deities of old, including Martin’s parents. In order to follow Christ, the young Martin had to become a catechumen in secret — which he did at the tender age of 10. At age 15, Martin, as the son of a veteran, was compelled by Roman law to join the army. Though he was a soldier, he tried his utmost to live as a Christian. It was at Amiens, Gaul (modern-day France) that he performed the service for which he would always be remembered. As the army entered the town on a particularly cold winter day, they encountered a poor beggar, dressed in rags and in danger of freezing to death. Martin, moved with c

By Msgr. Bernard Bourgeois  Ezekiel 47:1-2, 8-9, 12; Psalm 46:1 Corinthians 3:9c-11, 16-17; John 2:13-22 “You are God’s building.” (1 Cor 3:9c) On my list of sacred spaces is St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. In the middle of one of the busiest streets in the world, Fifth Avenue, is an oasis of quiet and a place of prayer. Anyone who spends time there knows that there is always a mix of people in the cathedral. For example, there are tourists on a walking tour of NYC taking pictures inside the magnificent structure. A homeless person is sitting in a pew, sleeping off the exhaustion of the day’s journey. Other people are sitting or kneeling in silent prayer before God. Whatever the person’s reasons for walking into that church, I have never known anyone who hasn’t considered it sacred space. In the hustle and bustle of New York City, a house of worship stands as a sentry, reminding all of the need of sacred space wherein the pilgrim can meet God. Today’s feast i

Pope Sylvester I and Emperor Constantine December 31st, is the optional memorial of Saint Sylvester I (??? - 335), the 4th century pontiff, who guided the Church during a period of violent persecution and challenges to doctrine at the hands of various heretics. According to legend, he baptized Emperor Constantine. Born in Rome, the son of devout parents Rufinus and Justa, he was instructed in Christian piety by his virtuous mother. Later, under the guidance of Carinus, a priest of great ability, Sylvester learned the truths and practice of religion in studying Sacred Scripture. Entering the Roman clergy, he was ordained a priest by Pope Marcellinus on the eve of widespread Christian persecution under Diocletian. Sylvester's papacy saw trial and triumph. The feast day of St. Sylvester is one of the oldest in the Church’s calendar, so great was his witness in the minds of the laity. His exemplary piety and concern for others, particularly the poor, endeared him to the faithful

The finding of the True Cross ,  Nicola Filotesio, aka, Cola dell'Amatrice, c. 1516. Emperor Constantine, upon becoming Christian, wished to locate the True Cross. He sent his mother, Saint Helen, herself deeply devout, to Jerusalem with a letter to the Patriarch Saint Macarius. Centuries earlier, the Emperor Hadrian had constructed pagan temples over Golgotha and the Holy Sepulcher. St. Helen ordered these destroyed. A Hebrew source said that the True Cross of Christ’s Crucifixion was under the Temple to Venus on Golgotha. Excavations revealed three crosses, four nails, and a sign inscribed in Greek, Aramaic, and Latin: "Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews." Of the three crosses they could not discern which was the True Cross. An ailing woman was brought forward and instructed to kiss the crosses. After kissing the True Cross, she was healed. Popular piety attests that a funeral procession was halted and the corpse placed on each of the crosses. When laid upon the Tr

September 14th, is the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. It remembers the retrieval of the Holy Cross, which had been found and preserved by Saint Helena, the mother of Constantine, (with the assistance of Patriarch Saint Macarius) but had fallen into the hands of King Khosrau of Persia. Emperor Heraclius recovered the sacred relic and returned it to Jerusalem in 629. The feast commemorates three distinct historical events: the finding of the True Cross, its return in the 7th century, and its ineffable power as the instrument of Christ’s redemptive sacrifice and our salvation. Regarding the later, our Savior's crucifixion imbues human suffering with dignity and divine purpose. Here is a reflection by Father René Butler, M.S., from his homily on the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross : "Today’s feast is called the Exaltation, that is, the 'Lifting High' of the Holy Cross. Moses 'lifted up' the bronze serpent, and those who looked at it live

Today, the seventh day in the octave of Christmas, the Church celebrates the optional memorial of St. Sylvester I, pope and confessor. Little is known about his life and formative years. He ruled the Church during the reign of Constantine when the Arian heresy and the Donatist schism provoked great controversy. As Supreme Pontiff he convoked the first Ecumenical Council of Nicaea. Sylvester did not attend the Council of Nicaea in 325, but he was represented by two legates, and he approved the council's decision. During his pontificate, the great Basilicas were founded in Rome by Constantine; [the Basilica of St. John Lateran, Santa Croce in Gerusalemme, Old St. Peter's Basilica, and several others,] built over the graves of martyrs. Sylvester's papacy lasted from 314 until his death in 335. History testifies that only a strong, wise Pope could have preserved the essential autonomy of the Church in the face of a figure like Emperor Constantine. St. Sylvester I – A Con