Bishop David J. Bonnar
Life Is a Classroom
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Life is a classroom. Regardless of age or degree of education, life affords many opportunities for continual learning. These lessons come not just through studying various disciplines, but also unfold in relationships and experiences in life. Even surveys have a way of opening our eyes to new realities. Every three months, I look forward to Read More
Enter with Reverence
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One of the joys of being a bishop is that I get to travel throughout the diocese and pray with the People of God in their parish churches. In the nearly two years that I have been a bishop, I can tell you that each parish has its own story with its own style and Read More
‘We Fight by How We Train’
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Recently, I was asked to give a talk to a gathering of people on the changing face of parishes. I have been a priest for 34 years. I have witnessed some subtle changes over time. Parish life is different from when I was first ordained a priest. Back then, there were more priests to meet Read More
Promoting Vocations
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In my portion of the Lord’s vineyard, which is predominantly rural, this is the time of the harvest. Farmers are gathering all that was sown. The fields are becoming increasingly empty, but the barns and silos are full of the fruits of many labors. While I am not a farmer and admittedly know little about Read More
To Gaze on the Eucharist
Bishop David J. Bonnar 1
The National Eucharistic Revival has begun. This three-year initiative portends to be a grace-filled time in which we as a Church grow in reverence and appreciation of the real presence of Jesus in the holy Eucharist. As priests, we have a special responsibility to assist in this effort. Since it is our honor to confect Read More
Our Doxology
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When I was a little boy, I vividly remember attending holy Mass every Sunday as a family. Typically, we sat in the first pew. My parents wanted us to be close to the action. At a very young age, I came to appreciate the beauty and mystery of the Mass. In fact, I was so Read More
Removing the Scales
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When I was a parish priest, I was pretty “religious” about my day off. For example, when my parents were alive, I would do an overnight each week. I always came back to the parish refreshed, renewed and reinvigorated. Mom and Dad have been deceased for 20 years. Thanks to my sisters, I still have Read More
‘Read the Experiences of Life’
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When I was a Catholic high school student, I vividly remember our morality teacher saying, almost like a daily mantra, “Read the experiences of life.” What he was telling us students was to prayerfully take time and consider how God was speaking to us in our everyday lives. The point was that God is always Read More