St. Mary's Catholic Church-Fairfield

St. Mary's Catholic Church-Fairfield St. Mary’s Catholic Ch. Fairfield. One of 2 churches in Alabama (Holy Family and St. Mary’s). In 1943 St. Mary’s Fairfield was built.

The Passionists built Holy Family Community Hospital to serve the under served. We are the Passionists of Alabama. Sunday Mass 9:15am Rosary before Mass 9:00
Saturday Mass 4:00
Face mask required;
Social distancing practiced.

Today we recognized a parishioners who gives 110% to his church, community, and others. We honor John Carroll Meehan for...
06/07/2026

Today we recognized a parishioners who gives 110% to his church, community, and others. We honor John Carroll Meehan for his dedication, commitment and advocacy for environmental justice. John was presented with a resolution from the Alabama Senate to show appreciation and recognition for all he does. Congratulations and happy birthday John.

To All,On Sunday we celebrate the Body and Blood of Christ, when we are reminded of our faith in the gift of Jesus’ very...
06/06/2026

To All,

On Sunday we celebrate the Body and Blood of Christ, when we are reminded of our faith in the gift of Jesus’ very self for our salvation and the centrality of the sacrament of the Eucharist in how we practice our faith.

In our Gospel reading from John (6:51-58), Jesus speaks to the crowds: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever, and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” Jesus speaks of His giving His life, His total self, for our salvation. And when the people have trouble understanding how He can “give us his flesh to eat,” Jesus goes further in speaking about the Eucharist: “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.”

We in the Church believe that when we receive the Eucharist, the bread and the wine which we believe becomes the Body and Blood of Christ, we are sharing in the sacrifice Jesus made “once for all.” The sacrifice is made present for us every time we celebrate Mass. As we hear in our second reading from St. Paul (1 Corinthians 10:16-17): “The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?”

When we celebrate Mass, and we receive Holy Communion, we take Jesus into ourselves in a special, intimate way. The Eucharist leads us once again into the mystery of God’s love for us in Jesus Christ. It leads us to the depths of that love in the sacrifice Jesus made for us. And it leads us not only to communion with God, but communion with each other. Again, in our second reading, St. Paul writes: “Because the loaf of bread is one, we, though many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf.”

If we consider the immensity of God’s love for us shown in the Eucharist, we can see that it is meant to give meaning to our lives outside of Mass on Saturday evening or on Sunday.

Can we accept the depths of God’s love for us? When the crowds hear Jesus’ words, they quarrel among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” Perhaps we ask ourselves, “How can God love me so much?” We may not fully understand God’s love for us, but when we receive Communion, we are declaring our willingness to accept that love.

Are we willing to love each other, witnessing to our connection to each other as the Body of Christ? The world seems to believe in division rather than connection. And, having been fed with Jesus’ gift of Himself, are we willing to give of ourselves to others, both inside and outside the Church? That is what we declare when we get in line to receive Communion.

Are we willing to live out the Eucharist in every aspect of our lives, by the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit?

I welcome any comments or questions. Thanks for your time.

In the Body and Blood of Christ,

Phil, CP

WHO is the EUCHARIST ? Sun. June 7The Catholic Church teaches that the Holy Eucharist – the bread and wine transformed i...
06/03/2026

WHO is the EUCHARIST ? Sun. June 7

The Catholic Church teaches that the Holy Eucharist – the bread and wine transformed into Jesus’ Body and Blood at every Mass – contains the whole spiritual good of the Church, which is Christ Himself.

PAST: The passion of Christ over 2,000 years ago is recalled every time the bread and wine is consecrated; the Eucharist, then, is a memorial of Jesus’ death on the cross at Calvary.

PRESENT : The Church holds fast to the teaching of the “real presence” of Jesus in the Eucharist. How can this be? Perhaps you’re familiar with the word “transubstantiation,” or a change of substance (the innermost essence of someone or something). This is the change that takes place when a priest asks God to miraculously transform bread and wine into Jesus’ Body and Blood; the substance changes, but the appearances – “accidental,” nonessential qualities like taste, color and weight – remain the same.

FUTURE : When Catholics pray in front of the Eucharist or receive Jesus’ Body and Blood during Holy Communion, we actually receive a foretaste of eternal life, where we can expect an intimate union with God. What we experience this side of eternity, though, remains veiled behind the appearances of the bread and the wine. Jesus is present, but he’s hidden. In Heaven, we’ll see Him face-to-face.

Today the Catholic Passionists Community honored Deacon Jacky Rodgers for his years of service.
05/31/2026

Today the Catholic Passionists Community honored Deacon Jacky Rodgers for his years of service.

Sunday May 31, is the Joint Passionist Mass at Holy Family 9:00 am. No Saturday Mass. Reception after Mass.
05/28/2026

Sunday May 31, is the Joint Passionist Mass at Holy Family 9:00 am. No Saturday Mass. Reception after Mass.

To All,This Sunday is Trinity Sunday, when we call attention to our belief that God is Three Persons in One God: Father,...
05/28/2026

To All,

This Sunday is Trinity Sunday, when we call attention to our belief that God is Three Persons in One God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It is hard sometimes for us to grasp, since we experience each other and all creatures as individual, separate beings.

What I try to remember is that the doctrine of the Trinity is how we Christians articulate what we believe to be God’s revelation of God’s self through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Jesus’ disciples experienced Him as the Son of God. They experienced the Holy Spirit as God, which we heard last week. As good Jews, they also believed in one God, not a pantheon of gods in which the Greeks and the Romans believed. So, even though I could look up my notes from seminary and get all into the language of the theologians and philosophers of ancient times, this doctrine, as mysterious as it is, comes from the experience of those who followed Jesus and received the Holy Spirit.

Another thing to remember is that what God has revealed to us about God’s self has been in terms of God’s relationship to us. In our Gospel reading (John 3:16-18), Jesus says, “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” What God has revealed about God’s self, above all, is love. I see God as a Being of perfect love, a Being of perfect relationship. And as a perfect being of love, God went outside of God’s self and created the universe. The mystery of the Trinity is the mystery of God’s love for us. Again, we hear in our Gospel reading: “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.”

In our first reading from Exodus (34:4b-6, 8-9), after God has passed by Moses, Moses bows down in worship and asks of God: “If I find favor with you, O Lord, do come along in our company. This is indeed a stiff-necked people; yet pardon our wickedness and sins, and receive us as your own.” It’s not only the ancient Israelites who were a “stiff-necked people.” We all are, but that has not stopped God from loving us and seeking to heal us!

A third thing to remember is that the doctrine of the Trinity reveals who we are and who we are called to be. As was explained to me in a class on early Church history, if we believe that God is One in Three Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and we believe that we are made in the image and likeness of God, we are actually created to live in community; to live in relationship; to live in love. That is why St. Paul can write to the Corinthians in our second reading (2 Corinthians 13:11-13): “Mend your ways, encourage one another, agree with one another, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you.”

But, oh man, we do not seem to hold much value in what St. Paul is talking about. It is in light of God’s love and how St. Paul tells us how to follow Jesus’ command to love, that I want to address the last verse of our Gospel reading: “Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” Frankly, I usually avoid such verses because I go back to the words quoted above about God not sending the Son to condemn the world.

In these times, we seem to rush to condemnation. Take your pick: immigrants, trans people, people of color, liberals, Maga people, etc. I believe that it is God, not I, who has the last word about where people spend eternal life. And even if I were to presume that I know who is condemned, it does not give me a license to mistreat them, or dehumanize them, or forget that God loves them, and that I am still called to love them as Jesus does and the Holy Spirit guides me to. Our belief in a Triune God calls us to love in order to be true to who we were created to be.

I welcome any comments or questions. Thanks for your time.

In The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,

Phil, CP

To All,Sunday is the Feast of Pentecost! We mark the time when the Holy Spirit came down upon the apostles who then bega...
05/23/2026

To All,

Sunday is the Feast of Pentecost! We mark the time when the Holy Spirit came down upon the apostles who then began to go to many places and proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ. Because of that, this day is often referred to as the birthday of the Church. All of our Scripture readings speak of the power of the Holy Spirit. Reflecting on the Holy Spirit has much to tell us about how we are called to be disciples today.

In our first reading from the Acts of the Apostles (2:1-11), we have Luke’s account of the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles, appearing as tongues of fire descending on each one of them. After this, the apostles go out of the place where they were and start proclaiming the Gospel to the crowd of Jews that had gathered there because they heard a loud noise like that of “a strong driving wind.” Even though the crowd that had gathered came from different parts of the world and spoke different languages, they could understand what the apostles were saying.

Remember, these apostles were the same ones, not so long before this, that had locked themselves in a room for fear of what might happen to them after Jesus was crucified. Now they are fearless in speaking about Jesus and the “mighty acts of God.” The Holy Spirit has the power to drive out fear. The Holy Spirit has the power to bring people together. The Holy Spirit has the power to enable us to proclaim the Good News in ways that people can understand.

We may not have received the Holy Spirit in as dramatic a way as the apostles did, but when we were baptized we received the Holy Spirit just the same. The question is whether we are willing to follow the promptings of the Holy Spirit. In our second reading (1 Corinthians 12:3b-7, 12-13), St. Paul writes, “There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit.” The “benefit” St. Paul mentions is not meant to be some material benefit to us, but a benefit for others.

In our Gospel reading from John (20:19-23), when the Risen Jesus appears to His disciples in the upper room, He first says, “Peace be with you.” Then He says, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” Then, He breathes on them and says, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” The Holy Spirit has been given us so that we can love and serve as Jesus commands.

Are we willing to listen to the Holy Spirit? Are we willing to be led out of fear or complacency and into wherever we need to go? Are we willing to welcome people in instead of pushing people away? Are we willing to listen to others so as to be able to understand them and be able to speak in ways that they can understand us, by our actions as well as our words? The need may arise when we are called to make a “loud noise,” so that people can hear about God’s love above all the other voices that are out there.

And are we willing to do all this out of love and compassion? I know that many preachers, referring to the imagery of that first Pentecost, call for “fire in the pews.” And we definitely need that, because manifestations of the Spirit have not only been given to us as individuals but also as a church. But that fire has to be a fire of love, not of hate or destruction! Even as we work for justice, are we not proclaiming God’s love in Jesus Christ?

May we listen to Jesus again: “Receive the Holy Spirit. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”

Come, Holy Spirit and renew the face of the earth!

I welcome any comments or questions. Thanks for your time.

In the Holy Spirit.

Phil, CP

Join us May 24, Pentecost Sunday: Pentecost is not simply the end of Easter. It is the day the Church celebrates the des...
05/19/2026

Join us May 24, Pentecost Sunday: Pentecost is not simply the end of Easter. It is the day the Church celebrates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the first disciples gathered in Jerusalem. It is the moment when the fearful followers of Jesus were strengthened to proclaim the gospel boldly to the world.
In Acts 2. The apostles were gathered in Jerusalem when a sound like a mighty wind filled the house, and “tongues of fire” appeared and rested on each of them. Filled with the Holy Spirit, they began to speak in different languages, proclaiming the mighty works of God to Jews from many nations who had gathered in the city.

Ascension Sunday
05/18/2026

Ascension Sunday

To All,In many dioceses in the U.S., the Church celebrates the Ascension of the Lord on the Sunday before Pentecost, and...
05/15/2026

To All,

In many dioceses in the U.S., the Church celebrates the Ascension of the Lord on the Sunday before Pentecost, and the readings for that day are the basis of my reflection. In our Gospel reading (Matthew 28: 16-20), the Risen Jesus appears to His disciples, and gives them a commission: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”

I think it might be good to reflect on these words of Jesus in the light of what is going on today. For instance, when Jesus says, “Go…and make disciples of all nations,” I don’t believe He is talking about trying to force others to be disciples, or seeking to shame or demean others for not being with “us.” He is not calling us to be cruel to those who may be different from us. Instead, Jesus says that we are to teach “them to observe all that I have commanded you.” We teach others to observe all that Jesus commanded us to do by observing Jesus’ commandments ourselves. We do that by demonstrating God’s love and compassion and mercy. We do it by working for justice and peace. We do it by serving each other, especially those considered the “least” among us (Matthew 25:31-46).

We are called to do this, not only as individuals, but as a community. In our first reading from Acts (1:1-11), we have Luke’s account of Jesus’ ascension into heaven, His return to the Father. Before He ascends, His disciples ask Him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” I have often said that if I was Jesus, I would have been frustrated with the question. Could they not understand that Jesus wasn’t talking about the restoration of any earthly kingdom? Well, today it hit me. Here I am criticizing the apostles for asking about the restoration of the kingdom of Israel, and yet, I can find myself thinking about the U.S. and its status in the world as a superpower or even the superpower.

Jesus wasn’t looking to restore the kingdom of David and Solomon. He came to reconcile us with God so we could enter the kingdom of heaven and gave us a way to help build up that kingdom on earth, by love and sacrifice and giving of ourselves.

What kind of kingdom are we seeking? And do Jesus’ words have anything to say about that? Do we wish to be “great” in our own eyes or in the eyes of the world? Or are we willing to see others and the whole of creation as God sees them? Are we willing to love and serve and be “great” as Jesus tells us to be great?

If we believe that Jesus is with us always, we don’t have to stare up at the sky wondering where He is. He is at the right hand of the Father, but He is also here with us. In response to His love, we are called to seek first the kingdom of God, loving each other as He loves us.

I welcome any comments or questions. Thanks for your time.

In the Risen Christ,

Phil, CP

Address

6101 Drive Martin Luther King Dr
Fairfield, AL
35064

Telephone

+12059230202

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