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Musings from Bishop McDermott

 

 
 
 
 

Stay up to date with Bishop McDermott through his reflections. 

 
 
 

“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.”

Read the full musing here.

 

“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.”

Read the full musing here.

 

“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.”

Read the full musing here

 

“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.”

Read the full musing here.

 

“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.”

Read the full musing here.

 
 

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. 

Read the full musing here.

 

“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.”

Read the full musing here.

 

“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.”

Read the full musing here.


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
“As we all prepare ourselves for Thanksgiving, whether in preparing to travel or preparing to welcome family into our homes, I want to take this opportunity to express my profound thanks for the opportunity and blessing of serving as the Bishop of Burlington. Over the last four months I have had the opportunity of traveling to many parts of the state, and I have been overwhelmed by the prayerful support that I have received.”  Read the full musing here.
 
“The month of November is often considered the month of saints and souls. We begin the month by honoring and seeking the intercession of all the saints, known and unknown, those holy women and men who lived as friends of Christ while on earth and now share in the wonder of the beatific vision.” Read the full musing here.
 
“We are less than three weeks away from election day, and whether we are considering the national election for President, or our local elections, it is important for us to take this civic responsibility seriously.” Read the full musing here.
 

 
 
 
“I hope that this musing on St. Paul’s guide to life helps us all when life goes a bit sideways.”
Read the full musing here.
 
“I write this at the end of a rather extraordinary seven days. Days filled with incredible graces and many challenges.” Read the full musing here.
 
“This past week the priests who serve in the Diocese of Burlington gathered at the Lake Morey Resort in Fairlee, Vermont, for their annual “presbyteral days.” It is a time of prayer, fraternity, discussion and rest. 70 priests were in attendance and the Lord provided beautiful weather for this annual time together.” 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.

 

 
“What the story of the Israelites journey through the desert teaches us is that to reach our true home requires a willingness to trust even when life becomes more challenging.  They grumbled and complained but eventually learned to trust more and more in God’s plan for them, the same must become true for us…” Read the full musing here. 
 
“It has been a bit of a whirlwind two weeks for the Church in Vermont and in the USA. Obviously, here in Vermont we had the opportunity to celebrate the ordination of the 11th Bishop of Burlington (yours truly and I’m still coming to grips with the title and responsibilities), as well as our very successful and joyful Eucharistic Convocation covering the entire state from Wilmington to Isle La Motte…” Read the full musing here.