St. Patrick Catholic Church

05/31/2026

Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity ~ Sunday, May 31, 2026

My sisters and brothers in Christ. May the peace of the Lord Jesus be with you and your family. Last week we celebrated the feast of Pentecost, the birthday of the Church and the conclusion of the Easter Season. Today we celebrate the feast of the Most Holy Trinity and the following week we will celebrate the feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi). These are beautiful feasts that remind us of what we do and who we receive.

Today’s feast of the Holy Trinity is a constant reminder of our belief in the Triune God—Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Sign of the Cross is a continual reminder of this mystery. We make the sign of the cross when we begin our prayers, we bless ourselves when we enter the church with the Holy Water that reminds us of our Baptism, the Mass concludes with the sign of the cross.

Our basic belief in the Trinity comes out of our attempt to know who Jesus is and to know about the special relationship Jesus has with the Father and with the Spirit who was sent from the Father and the Son. Our knowledge of Jesus comes from the teaching of the apostles, the gospels and the letters of St Paul. The fundamental elements of our belief in the Trinity come from these sources. It is interesting to note that the word TRINITY referring to God did not come about until the year 200 AD. It took about 125 years for this doctrine to be formulated in the Nicene Creed which was drawn up at the Council of Nicea in 325 AD.

Reflection by: Fr. Salvator M. Stefula, T.O.R.

05/25/2026

On this Memorial Day, we pray for all the men and women who have lost their lives in heroic sacrifice. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord. Let perpetual light shine upon them. May their souls, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

05/24/2026

Pentecost Sunday ~ Sunday, May 24, 2026

My dear Sisters and Brothers, Happy feast of Pentecost! The great scholar of the early church Eusebius of Caesarea called Pentecost the “omnium festivitatum maximum”, that is, “the greatest of feasts”. In more recent times, Pope Saint Paul VI called it “the source of all other feasts.” Why this emphasis? When we celebrate someone’s birthday, we don’t just celebrate the day they were born so many years ago; we celebrate the life they have lived, the person they are to us now. Pentecost is often called the birthday of the Church. This is not simply a day we remember something that happened in Jerusalem many centuries ago. In that moment of wind and fire, the Church was born and sent into the world; it has carried on and carried out its mission, with many ups and downs, right up to our own day, and, therefore, today we celebrate all of that. In the outpouring of the Holy Spirit all believers are called and sent, just like the apostles and the other members of the early Church, to be the presence of the kingdom of God in the midst of the world. Each of us has been given various gifts by the Spirit, for some purpose in the common purpose of the Church, that is, to be God’s kingdom community as salt and light for the world. Whatever gifts and talents have been given to each of us, they are meant to be used as building blocks of this new creation in Christ. On this Pentecost day we celebrate who we have been, who we are now, and commit ourselves to become a fuller presence of the People of God, the Church. That is our challenge and our call. May the Spirit of God inspire and guide you to be a living sign of Christ in the world.

Reflection by: Fr. Alberto Bueno, T.O.R.

05/17/2026

Ascension of the Lord ~ Sunday, May 17, 2026

The celebration of our Easter Season is coming to an end. Today we celebrate the Feast of the Ascension forty days after the resurrection of Christ. Next week we will celebrate the feast of Pentecost fifty days after Jesus resurrection.

As we celebrate this feast of the Ascension, we can call to mind the words of Jesus to his disciples when He reminded them that one day he would be returning to the Father. Jesus ascended to eternal glory at the right hand of the Father leaving his apostles behind staring into the clouds. Jesus was not going to abandon the disciples but promised that he would send them the Holy Spirit and he promised them: “I will be with you always.”

Fr Joe Robinson said that the Ascension shows us the full glory of the resurrection, sharing in God’s glory eternally, a preview of God’s plan for all the rest of us who have followed Christ faithfully. The Ascension tells us that Christ is still with us and he invites us to go forward and make disciples of others by our faithfully living out the Gospel.

The Ascension marks the end of Christ’s mission on earth and celebrates his glorious return to the Father in heaven. The Ascension assures us that there is a purpose to life and that our journey, even if difficult, will take us back to the Father.

Reflection by: Fr. Salvator M. Stefula, T.O.R.

05/10/2026

05/10/2026

Sixth Sunday of Easter ~ Sunday, May 10, 2026

On this Sixth Sunday of Easter, Brothers and Sisters, we are continuing to hear from Jesus’ Last Supper Discourse in John’s Gospel. As he was preparing the Apostles for the days ahead of his Passion, death and Resurrection, he prepares us for the coming celebrations of the Ascension and Pentecost. Jesus tells us, in this passage, that, “I will not leave you orphans” (Jn 14:18). The Lord, truly, does not leave any orphaned. He is the embodiment of a motherly God who never forgets his children (Isa 49:15) and a fatherly God who protects orphans and widows (Ps 68:5). Just as parental love at its best is unconditional, so too is God’s love. The divine Love has been made manifest in God’s gift of the Son (Jn 3:16); human love of God is expressed in the keeping of the commandments. And in the Gospel of John, this is expressed by Jesus, “This is my commandment: love one another as I have loved you. No one can have greater love than to lay down his life for his friends” (Jn 15:12-13). And on this Mother’s Day we are reminded that a mother’s love, rich as it is, is only a pale reflection of the depth, breadth, and height of God’s love for each of us. May God bless all our mothers, that they may continue to be channels for God’s love to us. And to those mothers that are no longer with us, may they be nestled in God’s heart blessed by that overwhelming love which is the source and summit of all love.

Reflection by: Fr. Alberto Bueno, T.O.R.

05/05/2026

TUESDAY, MAY 12
St Patrick Social Hall
4518 S Manhattan Ave Tampa, Florida 33611
5:30 PM Dinner
6:30 PM Games
Cost: $25.00
26 games & 4 specials
MUST BE 18 TO PLAY
TICKETS SOLDAT THE DOOR ONLY

05/03/2026

Fifth Sunday of Easter ~ Sunday, May 3, 2026

My sisters and brothers in Christ,

May the peace of the Lord Jesus be with you. We begin the Fifth Sunday of Easter. As we listen to today’s Gospel from St John, we hear comforting words from Jesus. Jesus is telling his disciples not to be anxious about his impending departure. He assures them that he is preparing a place for them in heaven. He reminds them that he is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Jesus is the only way to the Father, the embodiment of divine truth and the source of eternal life.

Philip’s question about seeing the Father prompts Jesus to explain that seeing Him is seeing the Father, this highlights their inseparable nature.

The Easter Season will conclude on Pentecost Sunday—fifty days after Jesus resurrection (May 24th). May the remainder of this Easter season continue to inspire us to do all that we can to courageously live the Gospel and be faithful witnesses of our Catholic faith. God bless you.

Reflection by: Fr. Salvator M. Stefula, T.O.R.

04/26/2026

Fourth Sunday of Easter ~ Sunday, April 26, 2026

On this Fourth Sunday of Easter, brothers and sisters, we are presented with the image of Christ as our Good Shepherd. And just like the Second Sunday of Easter is known as Sunday of Divine Mercy, This one is known as Good Shepherd Sunday. In this context, I want to reflect on the role of shepherd in ancient Israel. Sheep were not raised for meat in Israel, they were raised for their wool and as offerings to God, such as at Passover. Consequently, the shepherd was with his flock of sheep from their birth. He named them and they came to know his voice. He would recognize each of them as individuals and knew their personalities. King David was just such a shepherd before he became the king of Israel. Taking all this into account, we can come to a very profound understanding of today’s gospel passage. Jesus is the Good Shepherd because he is always with his flock, God’s people, the Church. He knows us from birth and has named us and as the response psalm tells us, he guides us to fresh water and to rich pastures, where he protects us from danger and darkness. The Lord also describes himself as the “gate for the sheep”, that is Christ is the way through which we come to the safety of the sheepfold, God’s kingdom. May we listen and follow the voice of our Shepherd, may we enter through him to God’s sheepfold, where our Good Shepherd will protect us from the thieves and robbers, who seek to harm and slaughter for the Lord has “come so that (we) might have life and have it more abundantly.”

Reflection by: Fr. Alberto Bueno, T.O.R.

04/19/2026

Third Sunday of Easter ~ Sunday, April 19, 2026

Today we celebrate the Third Sunday of Easter. The Acts of the Apostles have been speaking about the beginnings of the early Christian community. They were attentively reflecting on the teachings of the apostles, gathering in prayer, and sharing their resources together. In our first reading today, we hear Peter’s first sermon which was on Pentecost Sunday. It is interesting that a few weeks before this, Peter had denied that he even knew Jesus. We hear him now boldly speaking about Jesus.

The gospel speaks about discouragement and hope. How many of us have been discouraged or felt disappointed at times? I am sure many of us can relate to this question. Perhaps the better question is, how did we cope with this situation? The apostles felt disappointed at first after Jesus died. Their hopes were shattered. How often did we want to walk away from God when He did not do the things we wanted him to do for us? Saint Luke wants us to know that even in our discouragement and disappointments we are not alone. Even if we do not recognize God’s presence during these moments, He is always there with us. I would suggest that we pray, the prayer FOOTPRINTS IN THE SAND, to give us the courage needed in difficult moments. God bless you.

Reflection by: Fr. Salvator M. Stefula, T.O.R.