Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The Tileston Parish Center will be reopened after thorough inside renovation no later than this June 2021. I want this parish center to be very vibrant, busy and alive. Volunteers should take the ownership of the parish

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

God does not celebrate suffering but offers ways to alleviate it through the gift of medical and dental professions.

I am very proud of our St. Mary Health Center which comprises both medical and dental clinics. St. Mary

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

We have been enjoying the first weeks of Spring. Have you planted some flowers or played golf yet?  Weatherwise now is the time to engage in all those activities. Before or after your chores, why don’t you relax

April 1, 2021

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

With the celebration of Holy Thursday we enter liturgically, the Paschal Triduum.  Good Friday will follow, and on Saturday we will gather for the Easter Vigil. This is the sacred time of the Church year celebrating

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Vaccines against the coronavirus and its different variants detected in Great Britain, Brazil, South Africa, Germany, Nigeria, South Carolina, California, New York and other countries or states give us hope.  We should be  grateful to God for our scientists and researchers

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

On March 20th I confirmed over forty young men and women. This sacrament was conferred during the mass. Sharing in their important step of initiation into faith brought me a lot of joy. Everybody was very happy and after the

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

This Wednesday around the world, especially on the Emerald Island, people will celebrate St. Patrick’s Day (La Fheile Padraig).

St. Padraig was a  fifth century missionary and bishop. He is known for using the shamrock to explain the Most Holy Trinity. 

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Our evenings will be longer soon as we approach daylight savings time which begins this Sunday March 14th. Don’t forget to set your clocks ahead one hour.

The fourth Sunday of Lent is upon us. Pope Francis encourages

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

We are approaching the third Sunday of Lent, days are longer now and Spring is visible on the horizon.

Harp Builders are in full swing with the renovations under the direction of Mr. Val Cleary. Due to many

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The Bishop’s Annual Appeal is underway. It supports the activity of various ministries throughout the diocese which without monetary gifts from the faithful would not be possible to be successful and achieve their goals. Among many ministries, the BAA  fund is used

Dear Parishioners,

Hope my letter finds you well and safe during the Coronavirus pandemic crisis. This time provides a great opportunity to increase our prayers. Seems to me we can never have enough or say enough prayers. We all have our

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Ash Wednesday begins the liturgical Season of Lent. It is the second one during the pandemic. The ashes will be sprinkled on all the faithful’s heads to remind everyone about our frailty and dependence on God.

Ash Wednesday

February 3, 2021

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

We have been together through three hurricanes. The worst one was Florence because it caused extensive damage to the campus. I have great news for you! An agreement with the insurance company was reached. The

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

2020 is behind us. As we look forward to a better 2021 we are still under restrictions due to Covid-19. Christmas and New year’s gatherings drastically increased the rise of positive cases.  Sadly a good number of

Dear Brothers and Sisters,
We are already in the new year. Hope you had a wonderful Christmas and that you will have a fantastic 2021.

We celebrated memorable Christmas liturgies during the pandemic. Thank you for your continued support of our basilica.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

We have made it through the old year full of so many hardships but with all the struggles each of us has experienced we have survived.

As we embark  on the New Year 2021 I pray  it brings you

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Christmas season is such a special time during the liturgical year when we honor the birth of Jesus and invite Him into our hearts. It is  also a time to gather together with family members and friends

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Again with great sadness I am informing you that another of our staff members was diagnosed positive today with Covid-19.  This time it is an asymptomatic case.  Please pray for their recovery and for one another.

Our offices

December 15, 2020

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

A good part of Advent is behind us and Christmas Day is about to emerge soon on the horizon.

Shopping days are in full swing in stores and the internet. Hopefully the bulk of it is behind

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

It is with great sadness to let you know that one of our employees was diagnosed today positive with Coronavirus.

Please pray for their recovery and one another.

The parish office will be closed for a week.  We will

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving  whoever you celebrated it with.

The Saturday before Thanksgiving I baptised three children. May the Lord direct them in the paths of life and protect them and  their families.

Covid- 19 is rampant throughout the

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Thanksgiving has a long tradition in the United States.  On that day family members and friends traditionally gather together for a festive meal and to thank the Lord for blessings during the past year.

This year’s celebration will change for many

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The weather forecasters have predicted a milder winter this year. Let’s hope they are correct. We don’t need any anomalies in weather during the pandemic.

I mentioned before on numerous occasions about my passion for opera. As I

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

We hoped the election would be over by now but we are still in the midst of it. Let us pray for quick results and for all political leaders in our country.

Many states across the US show an

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

We begin the month of November celebrating the feast of All Saints. In the midst of them are not only officially recognized saintly figures by the Church but  all men, women and children whose holy lives are known to

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Time flies so fast. Good part of October is behind us. Temperatures are cooler and the weather is still enjoyable.

The Sr. Isaac Center is partially opened (by appointment only) offering a curbside service to the needy.

I want

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Here we are in mid October. The temperature at this time of the year is good for walking, biking and enjoying the outdoors. Get up, get out and have fun. Don’t be a couch potato.

This Saturday Eduardo

Hello Brothers and Sisters, it’s me again!

Hope this message finds you in good spirits

Tomorrow is the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. The rosary with the fifteen mysteries: joyful, sorrowful and glorious was developed in the 16th century. In 2002 the pope

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Autumn has officially been under way for over a week. It is a beautiful time to watch nature and feed the birds and squirrels. Hope you take care of all God’s living creatures both big and small. It is a wonderful example of how we

Dear Brothers and Sisters

Greetings to you all on the first day of Autumn. Although the colors of the leaves  are not as prominent in the coastal region we are entering a new season. Hopefully it will treat us well.

This Saturday Jose and Fatima

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I am filled with joy that St. Mary School is into its second week this semester.

I want to thank our principal Mrs. Joyce Price  and the SMS Health and Safety Task Force for their hard work on the

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

As I mentioned to you a few weeks ago beginning this Sunday our children will meet Jesus by partaking in their First Holy Communion. I pray their joy will be contagious.

On October 8th I will confirm over sixty

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Hope your Labor Day was enjoyable and filled with fun.

On September 10th St. Mary School will start a new academic year, 151-st in its history. Our children will  finally be back to school, studying, learning and being

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

We should be proud of Wilmington for becoming the first WWII Heritage City in our country.

I want to salute all the World War II veterans, especially those in our beloved Basilica Shrine of St. Mary. Thank you for

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Greetings to you all as we begin a new month! In twenty one days summer will be over and we will soon see leaves changing colors. It would be nice to be in the North Carolina mountains

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

It was good to worship with you last Sunday. Thank you for your friendship and continued  support with your time, talent and treasure of our beloved Basilica Shrine of St. Mary. This  Sunday’s Gospel(Matthew 16:21-27) reading is about carrying the

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Hopefully summer days despite pandemic are treating you well and you are connecting with family and friends following safety guidelines. It is a new way of life that makes the world upside down for everyone individually. What a

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Another beautiful day in great North Carolina. Hope you can have fun by going to the beach, golfing or  taking a riverwalk downtown. Whatever you choose, enjoy the moment.  Remember that wearing a mask and social distancing

Dear Brothers and Sisters,
My prayers are with those affected by the hurricane, especially in Cape Fear and Brunswick Counties who took the brunt of Isaias. Some also suffered from several tornadoes. May the Lord give them strength and consolation in

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