November 11, 1940 - The Armistice Day Blizzard The Armistice Day Blizzard ranks #2 on the Minnesota Top Five weather events of the 20th century. Ask any Minnesotan born before 1940 and they can tell you where they were during the Armistice Day Blizzard. The weather was relatively benign the morning of the November 11, 1940. At 7:00 am, the temperature was 55 degrees. Many people were outdoors, taking advantage of the mild November weather. The weather forecast that morning was for colder temperatures and a few flurries. Few people were prepared for what was to come. Hundreds of duck … [Read more...] about Reflection from Father Steve – November 10, 2024

Tuesday, November 5th is Election Day. In a democracy, every citizen, regardless of his interest in politics, “holds office.” Every one of us is in a position of responsibility, and, in the final analysis, the kind of government we get depends on how we fulfill those responsibilities. John F. Kennedy Our trouble is that we do not demand enough of the people who represent us…. We must spur them to more imagination and enterprise in making a push into the unknown; we must make clear that we intend to have responsible and courageous leadership. Eleanor Roosevelt The biggest threat to our … [Read more...] about Reflection from Father Steve – November 3, 2024

Thursday is Halloween. This annual autumnal observance is anticipated by children of all ages. I have personal traditions connected with holidays. I spend an hour rereading The Legend of Sleepy Hallow on the day before Halloween. The celebration and costuming of Halloween used to be associated with the November 1st Feast of All Saints. It was the celebration attached to First Vespers of the feast—the eve of All Saints, All Hallows Eve, Halloween. In some cultures, people would dress in costume and gather in the city square. They would sing and dance and eat and drink! At midnight, Death … [Read more...] about Reflection from Father Steve – October 27, 2024

In a little over two weeks, we go to the polls. I don’t think I have ever missed the opportunity to vote. An early pastor of Saint Matthew, Msgr. James Cecka (my history teacher), instilled in his students the priority of voting, “even if the only contest is for dog catcher.” As an elementary school child, dad took me with him into the voting booth on Election Day and showed me the names on the slate and the levels to pull to cast your vote. This was a regular outing on the first Tuesday of November. My ability to get around is somewhat compromised by cancer and the treatments I am taking. A … [Read more...] about Reflection from Father Steve – October 20, 2024

Wednesday of this week, October 16, marks the 46th anniversary of the Papal election of Karol Wojtyla, known as Pope John Paul II. He was 58 years old and the first Slav to be elected Pope and youngest elected Pope in a century. In 26 years, he visited 129 countries, which included seven visits to the United States. He was the first Pope of modern times to focus on the duty to conserve creation. “The earth will not continue to offer its harvest, except with faithful stewardship. We cannot say we love the land and then take steps to destroy it for use by future generations.” He reminded … [Read more...] about Reflection from Father Steve – October 13, 2024