Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Isaias made landfall after 11 pm as a category 1 hurricane with winds 85 miles per hour. Fortunately, the campus did not suffer any major damage as with Florence two years ago which was devastating.

Our staff and employees are

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

We had wonderful liturgies together this weekend. Thank you for your continuous participation, support and generosity to our beloved Basilica.

We also enjoyed beautiful weather last week.  Now we are  anticipating  “the calm before the storm”.  My concern for you is being

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I want to reach out to you as I have during the pandemic just to let you know that you and your loved ones are always in my daily prayers.

Hopefully you had a pleasant week and were able to

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Summer is upon us in full swing. I love long sunny days. During this  pandemic  they brighten and cheer me up. Hopefully you share my thoughts and summer brings comfort to you too.

Next Saturday we will welcome

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

This Sunday our church will become a spiritual home for Sonya. She will be baptised, confirmed and receive her first communion in our beloved basilica.  On our behalf I welcome her with great joy to the Catholic Church

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The upcoming weekend is very special for every American as we celebrate our independence. July 4th reminds us that freedom can not be taken for granted. We all have the responsibility to work together for the welfare and

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

It was good to celebrate the Mass last Sunday. There’s nothing like a church community united in prayer. Your eagerness to support our parish so generously is more than appreciated.

I have great news for you.  We have a baby deacon – Reverend

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

It was great to celebrate the Mass with you. With everyone wearing a mask I was still able to recognize you. Everyone  followed  the safety guidelines. Thank you.

I am grateful to you for your faithfulness to God and for

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

 I have great news for you!

We are going to gradually reopen our beloved basilica beginning this Sunday (June 21) at 9:00am (Mass in English). The following Sunday we will hold two services at 9:00am (English) and 11:00am (Spanish).

Bishop

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

As we celebrate Corpus Christi, let us pray for the hundreds of priests who have lost their lives to Covid- 19 in Italy, Spain, France, Brazil , England and the United States . These are the countries with the

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

This Sunday we celebrate the solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. We believe in one God in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Father creates, the Son redeems, and the Spirit sanctifies.

The Trinity is  a wonderful example of a

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Our beloved Basilica is a vibrant, multiracial community consisting  of Caucasian, African -American,  Hispanic and Asian ancestry.  As the Body of Christ we have always come together and will continue to do so to witness to the Gospel

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

This Sunday we celebrate the third most important solemnity in the Catholic Church – Pentecost, an egalitarian outpouring of the Holy Spirit regardless of age, race, class, economic status or gender.  The gifts of the Spirit are

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I am very happy to present you with the following guidelines (link below) which were prepared three weeks ago for your protection at our beloved Basilica.  It is a living document.  When changes occur you will be notified.

Preliminary

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Studies indicate that the numbers of infected by Covid-19 have risen rapidly in North Carolina.  We must not assume that because there are no public health restrictions on services in churches the there are no serious public

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

We are waiting for the governor’s/bishop’s orders regarding reopening of the churches. At this time we don’t know the number approved for large gatherings. The risk of infections is still high and will probably rise more once

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The era of Covid-19 is the tragedy that keeps people apart and also brings them together. Even though we do not participate in the sacramental life of the church we can still shine as the beautiful Body of

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The Care Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act) provides forgivable loans through the Small Business Administration for the purpose of payroll protection. I am very happy to inform you that we were successful in acquiring the

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

During the coronavirus era many parents are having to work from their homes and children are having to finish up the school year by doing the same.  It gives everyone  more time to interact and strengthen family bonds.

This Sunday’s

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

In these challenging times we may not all be infected by Covid-19, but we are all certainly affected.

Our lives have changed dramatically. We take so many simple things  for granted. But the health and safety of our

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I hope you had a spiritually rewarding Easter and you and your loved ones are well.
I want to thank you for reaching out to me through Facebook, phone calls, and Easter cards. Your thoughtfulness is greatly appreciated.

I

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The tomb of Jesus is empty!

Our Basilica Shrine of Saint Mary is also empty, as well as many churches in the world due to coronavirus. There are no faithful praying and singing, no sound of music, no bells

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

In His public ministry Jesus selflessly served those whom He had met in his daily life.  He healed the sick, aided the widows, orphans, and fed the hungry.  Jesus’ unselfish love for humanity led Him to the

Blessed is he who is coming in the name of the Lord! Matthew 29:9

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

It is with great sadness that I announce today that neither myself, Fr. Chesco nor my staff will be with you for Palm Sunday. In order

April 1, 2020

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

It has been a few weeks since we celebrated mass and worshiped together.  I miss seeing you and praying with you at our beloved Basilica.  Each day I ask the Blessed Mother to watch over

March 30, 2020

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

It is with great sadness to inform you that one of our employees tested positive for COVID-19. The employee had mild symptoms and is currently self-quarantined and feeling better everyday.  Please remember to continue to pray

March 28, 2020

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

You and all of your loved ones are in my prayers.  Your prayers for Fr. Chesco, our ministries, parishioners and me would be much appreciated.  Each day at 9am, find a quiet space and let

March 26, 2020

Brothers and Sisters of the Basilica Shrine of Saint Mary,

Our primary concern at this time is the holiness, health and safety of you, our parishioners.  We are praying for all who have been impacted by the current health