Stay up to date with Bishop McDermott through his reflections.
“Soon after his episcopal consecration and his subsequent arrival in Vermont in 1853, our first bishop, Louis de Goësbriand, sought permission from the Holy See to take as our diocesan patroness the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title of the Immaculate Conception. Bishop de Goësbriand understood that for him to be successful in building up the Catholic faith in Vermont, he would need the powerful intercession of Our Lady. His devotion to Mary proved to be fruitful as the Church grew and blossomed in Vermont during his episcopal leadership.”
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“I just finished my first reading of Pope Leo XIV’s Apostolic Exhortation, Dilexi Te – On the Love of the Poor. Our Holy Father took up the responsibility of completing this letter begun by Pope Francis. In it, we have the voices of two successors of the Apostle Peter reminding us that care for the poor is not something extra to our life of faith, but something that is essential to it.
The Pope provides a reflection on the place of the poor in Scripture and in the long history of the Church, while also highlighting those holy women and men who have heeded to call to see Christ in every person, most especially the poorest and most needy among us.”
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“On Pentecost Sunday this year I had the joy to offer holy Mass at Holy Cross Church in Mallets Bay for the combined communities of St. Mark’s, Our Lady of Grace and Holy Cross. These three distinct parishes, under the leadership of Father Dallas St. Peter and Father Tom Mattison, had made the decision to forgo the usual weekend Mass schedule totaling four Masses to come together in one celebration of the Eucharist followed by a Ministry Fair for the parishes and a community brunch. While there was some fear that this effort might fall flat, it was a great success.”
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“I am writing this on the 4th of July; while we are called to love our nation, even with all its flaws, we are called to serve God first, the source of all that is good, and strive to bring our faith into action in our daily lives to improve the lives of others. And so, I share a prayer for our nation.”
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“This past week saw the beginning of the deconsecration and demolition of the former Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Burlington. I have to admit, this action, years in the planning, was a bit bittersweet. While understanding the reasons for the parish decision to deconsecrate the site by taking the building down prior to selling the property there was a touch of sadness while touring the building the morning the workers began the work to take it down because I was ordained a priest in this building.”
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“Last weekend in my Sunday homily at the Cathedral I noted that this is the time of the Easter season when the Church invites us to look forward towards the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Rather than focusing solely on the Resurrection of Christ, we now anticipate the coming of the Paraclete and the “birthday” of the Church. We are invited to allow the Holy Spirit to strengthen and deepen our relationship with Christ and help us to become authentic witnesses to Christ in the world.”
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“I have to admit I was quite surprised when our new pope was introduced to the world; I did not think an American was going to be elected. It goes to show that God’s ways are not our ways. As we welcome Pope Leo XIV let us, a local church, united always to our Holy Father, commit ourselves to praying for him as he assumes this most important role. I understand the burden of the episcopal office, but can only imagine the weight which now lies upon Pope Leo’s shoulders. He needs our prayers always.”
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“Now that Spring has finally sprung and we are enjoying the benefits of longer and warmer days, we are struck by the beauty of the world around us as trees leaf out and flowers blossom. It is the season of gardens, growth, and for some of us, golf. However, in the life of the Church, in the radiance of Christ’s victory over sin and death, our thoughts turn to Mary, Mother of the Church, as we celebrate her month, the month of May.”
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“What an honor and grace to celebrate my first Chrism Mass as the Bishop of Burlington. Looking back on my years as a priest, the Chrism Mass has always been one of the liturgical highlights of the year. Gathering with the priests serving in Vermont, along with representatives from parishes, schools, and other Catholic groups from around Vermont has always provided a unique opportunity of proclaiming our Catholic faith, our faith in Jesus Christ, in our most perfect prayer, the Holy Mass.”
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“Last week I encouraged all of us to give careful consideration to how we will observe the season of Lent this year. What will be our commitments to grow in faith, hope and charity over the six weeks of spiritual preparation? In order to provide a bit of assistance for those who may not know what to do or how to observe Lent, I offer a few suggestions which will address the traditional areas of prayer, fasting and almsgiving.”
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“This is a time of year when many families take advantage of the mid-winter breaks and enjoy vacations. Whether the vacation is spent in the warmth of Florida or the Caribbean, or the cold of the Vermont ski slopes, to truly enjoy the days off requires some planning and preparation. In the last few days I’ve spoken to people planned trips to the ocean, to Peru, to Rome, and to other locales, some more exotic than others. In none of these cases was it a last-minute decision. All of the adventures had been carefully planned.”
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“When I was ordained a priest in 1989, I was one of 120 active priests of the Diocese of Burlington. I was blessed to serve seven years as a parochial vicar working with two extraordinary pastors (Msgr. Wendell Searles and Msgr. John McSweeney) before taking on my first pastorate in Middlebury.”
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“I just completed a wonderful 10-day journey around the state in celebration of National Catholic Schools Week. I was blessed to offer Mass and visit with students, faculty and staff at almost every Catholic school in Vermont.”
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It is my sincere hope that our celebration of the Christmas season and the new year has brought us great joy and hope for the future. As you know, Pope Francis opened the Holy Year at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome on Christmas Eve and our own Holy Year was inaugurated on the Feast of the Holy Family at St. Joseph Cathedral.
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“It is my hope and prayer that this reflection finds all of us enjoying the graces of the Christmas season. These holy days are a beautiful time for us to rest in the presence of friends and family and recognize the greatest gifts we possess are not found in a store or online, but in the lives of those dearest to us and in the love God showers upon us in His Son, Jesus, through the Holy Spirit.”
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“This is the weekend so many have been waiting for, the weekend when people will be asking the age-old question, “will Father be wearing pink this Sunday?” It is the third Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday.”
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Read the full musing here.
“On Thursday, August 22nd I was blessed to spend time with the Carthusian monks at the Charterhouse of the Transfiguration on Mount Equinox in Arlington, Vermont. This is the only Carthusian Monastery in all of North America and an incredible blessing for our Diocese. The brothers’ life of deep prayer and contemplation is a powerful reminder for all of us not to forget to keep our eyes focused upon those things that a true and eternal.” Read the full musing here.
