The Church Wanderer

07/03/2026

Saint Thomas Apostle Parish in Washington, DC.
From the post-March for Life wandering of January 2026.

Undeterred by the building winter storm and not keen to remain in the hotel all day, I decided to strike out on my own and see a couple of churches while the going was still good that Sunday afternoon. Remembering that in contrast to the current heat of the day makes for quite the pleasant memory.

Having an Oratory present in Cincinnati made the arrival all the more familiar, in a certain sense, and I'm reminded of this in connection to today's First Reading:
"You are no longer strangers and sojourners,
but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones
and members of the household of God,
built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets,
with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone."

It's always a homecoming whenever I set foot in a church.
Whether it be a haven against the bitter cold or blazing heat, I know and believe in His Presence, and it brings great comfort amid the strangeness of the world, as I hope it does for you.

With that said, a blessed Feast of Saint Thomas to all of you!

Pax Christi,
Miguel Angelo

07/02/2026

Saint Peter the Apostle Catholic Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
From the Pennsylvania wandering of March 2026.

The finale to the four-parter.

Caught up as I was with the Installation Mass of Springfield's newest pastor, I am only now able to return to finish what was begun and promised.

Fitting in a way, for just as this last post comes in an unexpected way and time, so was my being able to set foot in this church, under which resides the National Shrine of Saint John Neumann.

I'm grateful to Father Szobonya and God's providence for this visit, and for the wonderful opportunity to speak of the life of the local Church and our great zeal to be ambassadors of the Gospel in the midst of the challenges and hardships that come with ministering to souls.

I remember the stirring in my heart, a flame athirst for God to be made known.
It's in those moments and reflecting on them that I continue to be amazed at the evident power of the Lord's presence, when even just two or three are gathered in His Name.

"Saint Peter, the first of the apostles and a fervent lover of Christ, merited to hear these words: I say to you that you are Peter, for he had said: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. Then Christ said: And I say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church. On this rock I will build the faith that you now confess, and on your words: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God, I will build my Church. For you are Peter, and the name Peter comes from petra, the word for 'rock,' and not vice versa. 'Peter' comes, therefore, from petra, just as 'Christian' comes from Christ."

Pax Christi,
Miguel Angelo

07/01/2026

Saint Paul Catholic Church in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
From the Pennsylvania wandering of March 2026.

Part of the nearly 9-mile trek I took around the city of Philadelphia to see the various churches. Thanks to the ever helpful Mass Times, I was able to find not only this church, but ongoing exposition. As exhausting and rain-filled as the day was, it gave me great joy to enter unto the threshold and behold our Eucharistic Lord.

"I, Paul, am already being poured out like a libation,
and the time of my departure is at hand.
I have competed well; I have finished the race;
I have kept the faith.
From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me,
which the Lord, the just judge,
will award to me on that day, and not only to me,
but to all who have longed for his appearance."

Pax Christi,
Miguel Angelo

07/01/2026

Saint Peter the Apostle in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
From the Advent wandering of December 2025.

The second of a four-parter series.

While my parents were visiting friends among the local Filipino community, my brother and I were able to stop in to see this church that serves the students at Rutgers University.
Through the priests who staff this church, may Christ's work continue to have a great effect in the lives of all, but especially the youth who come seeking Him.

"This day has been made holy by the passion of the blessed apostles Peter and Paul. We are, therefore, not talking about some obscure martyrs. For their voice has gone forth to all the world, and to the ends of the earth their message. These martyrs realized what they taught: they pursued justice, they confessed the truth, they died for it."

Pax Christi,
Miguel Angelo

07/01/2026

The Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter & Paul in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
From the Pennsylvania wandering of March 2026.

I had originally intended this for the Solemnity of Saints Peter & Paul on June 29, but the usual lateness of said intent squashed that idea until now.
So to not only make up for the delay, but to also commend to the Lord those good priests and especially the newly ordained brethren who begin their assignments today, a four-parter in rapid succession.

Let us pray to the Lord for the holiness and fidelity of these men as they take up the work that the Lord has entrusted to them.

"Rightly then did the Lord after his resurrection entrust Peter with the feeding of his sheep. Yet he was not the only disciple to merit the feeding of the Lord’s sheep; but Christ in speaking only to one suggests the unity of all; and so he speaks to Peter, because Peter is first among the apostles. Therefore do not be disheartened, Peter; reply once, reply twice, reply a third time. The triple confession of your love is to regain what was lost three times by your fear. You must loose three times what you bound three times; untie by love that which your fear bound. Once, and again, and a third time did the Lord entrust his sheep to Peter."

Pax Christi,
Miguel Angelo

06/26/2026

Saint Mary's Church in Oxford, Ohio.
Post-Rite of Sending in February 2026.

Continuing in a bit of a campus ministry vein - and due to the fact that I was helping move the soon-to-be chaplain into the rectory today - I decided to share this church which serves the good people of Oxford and the students of Miami University.

Pax Christi,
Miguel Angelo
The Church Wanderer

06/23/2026

Saint Thomas More Newman Center Chapel in Columbus, Ohio.
From a post-Josephinum wandering in February 2025 [with Chief Keith 🫡].

A delayed honoring for the Feast of Saint Thomas More.
I'm sure the saint is glad to see such a thriving hub of Catholicism named for him.
With many a Catholic young adult friend and brother seminarian graduated from or connected to this place, it was a joy to be able to set foot inside and see the evident work put into it for their sake and for further generations of students.

Pax Christi,
Miguel Angelo

06/22/2026

Please join in prayer for the soon-to-be pastor of my summer parish!

Schedule in the comments!

06/21/2026

The Basilica of St. Joseph Proto-Cathedral in Bardstown, Kentucky.
From the fall Propaedeutic retreat in October 2023.

For the eve of Father's Day, a return to honor the Foster Father of the Lord, in the midst of thanksgiving for the joy of being present for so many ordinations this season.

I haven't really sat down recently to look back and reappreciate the various avenues the Lord has presented to encounter His Church, both in the physicality of the building with His Presence within, and the local Church community that has continued to welcome me in everywhere I've wandered.

I'm thankful to say it's largely due to being more present to the good people within my purview, some increased dedication to the rigorous studies, and ongoing awareness of my human frailties and constant need for greater intimacy with the Lord.

Eventually, I imagine I'll leave this particular project behind, given the great talents of many others who share the affinity for capturing the beauty of the faith, but greater still for the sake of that ever-deepening desire for encounter and those needs within priestly ministry.

Still, for the present moment, I am happy to continually pour out and offer what I have, until the Lord directs my gaze and mission further on, as He did for St. Joseph.

Pax Christi,
Miguel Angelo

03/08/2026

Iglesia de San Salvador de Vilar de Donas in Spain.
From the Propaedeutic Year Camino de Santiago in 2024.

One of the most memorable Mass sites our group of Propaedudes stopped at, a little ways off of the Camino path.

Thanks to our ragtag crew's daily method of making the pilgrimage, our front-runners made the ask in their best broken Spanish, and the rest of us slower stragglers of the middle and rear of the pack eventually meandered into the church, all while our speedsters kept the church watchman placated with the promise of our priest's arrival.

It took a fairly lengthy amount of time, but when Father arrived and we were able to celebrate Mass, the tension and memory of the prior wait fell away, and we shared some laughter across the language barrier as the man spoke to one of our more accomplished translators afterward.

Living stones in the midst of ancient ones, still made welcome into a unique communion all these centuries later.

Pax Christi,
Miguel Angelo