Nazareth Catholic Community

We will NOT have Mass on Sunday, September 20 at 7:00 PM. Looking forward to meeting your families!

From Sunday's Gospel Reading: Matthew 18:21-22

Peter approached Jesus and asked him, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive?As many as seven times?” Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy times seven times.”

The 18th century poet, Alexander Pope once wrote, “To err is human; to forgive divine.” This quote came to mind when I read this passage from Matthew which makes an important link between God forgiving us and our forgiving others. Peter asks how many times he should forgive another and offers what he regards as a very generous seven times; beyond what the cultural norms of his time would have suggested. Then Jesus multiplies that by seventy; in other words, our readiness to forgive should be without limit. The reason is that is the way God acts towards us.

Likewise, all the world’s major religions teach us about the necessity of forgiveness; it has been only recently that the medical and scientific world has begun to delve into the importance of forgiveness for health and well-being. It is now widely recognized that unforgiveness, or holding on to past hurts and resentments, deeply affects our emotional and physical health. Jesus speaks to the necessity of forgiveness because he knows the effects unforgiveness has on individuals, communities and nations.

What about you… what needs to be forgiven in you?

Who or what do you need to forgive?

What holds you back from forgiving?

Ask God to listen and to hold your past hurts and resentments and unforgiveness and ask God for healing and peace for you and our world ….

Even if the other does not accept it, even if it seems to be in vain, forgiveness frees those who give it: it dispels resentment, it restores peace, and it returns us to ourselves.

Pope Leo XIV, Papal Audience 8/20/25

Wishing you peace and the courage to forgive those things that keep you from growing and living to your fullest self,

Sr. Donna

PS: We are in need of Lectors for our Sunday Mass.

If you are interested in reading please email, me at jfazio1@naz.edu.Thank you!

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Interest meetings THIS Sunday after Mass and this Thursday, May 17th, at 12:15; both meetings are in GAC 151. The trip cost is $3,200 before SPARK and includes flights, board, tips, museum admissions, guides, ground transportation, and most meals. All are welcome!

Saturday, September 19, 2026

Keynote at 3:00pm in Linehan Chapel

Mass at 5:00pm in Linehan Chapel

Dr. Bryan Massingale is known nationally and internationally for his academic scholarship, purpose-driven teaching, and advocacy for justice. A priest of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, he is the James and Nancy Buckman Professor of Theological and Social Ethics at Fordham University and the Senior Fellow in its Center for Ethics Education.

A leader in Catholic theology, Massingale has served as President of the Society of Christian Ethics, President of the Catholic Theological Society of America, and Convener of the Black Catholic Theological Symposium. In 2025, he received the “Blessed Are the Peacemakers” Award from Catholic Theological Union for his pioneering advocacy for racial and sexual justice. Most recently, he received the highest award for Catholic scholarship, the John Courtney Murray Award from the Catholic Theological Society of America “for outstanding and distinguished achievement in Theology.”

Professor Massingale brings his passion for social ethics into the classroom, teaching courses on Catholic Social Thought, African American religious ethics, sexual ethics, and racial justice. He focuses on the impact of religious faith as both an instrument of social injustice and a catalyst for social transformation. Convinced that Catholic social ethics are enhanced by a Black perspective, Dr. Massingale explores the contribution of the Black radical imagination to Catholic theology; the challenge of White Christian nationalism; and the intersections of race, sexuality, and faith in both social life and Catholicism. A leading voice among Catholics advocating the full equality of LGBTQ persons in both society and faith communities, he serves civic and faith-based groups advancing justice in society.

The lecture aims to provide a deep look at the polarizations and injustices being committeed in light of the ideology of Christian Nationalism. This worldview posits that it is God's will that only certain groups have dominance in both the United States and globally. This is in direct contradiction to a belief in the equal human diginity of all, and calls for courageous action to advance a society where all can flourish.

Be empowered, re-energized, inspired, challenged, and supported by a community that sees faith and justice as integrally linked. We are looking to send 6 students this year. Cost: FREE! Interested? Please contact Sr. Donna DelSanto at ddelsan6@naz.edu.

The annual fall retreat to the beautiful Mount Saviour Monastery will take place from:

Friday, September 25 to Sunday, September 27.

Transportation is provided. Van will leave campus at 4:30 on Friday and return early afternoon on Sunday. This retreat is a wonderful opportunity to:

Meet new people ~ Get off campus ~ Enjoy home-cooked food ~ Meet Real Live Monks! ~ Enjoy your own room ~ Chase some sheep ~ Spend time outdoors ~

~ Find grounding and perspective ~ Go for a hike ~ Pick apples ~ Rest!

Space is limited and will fill up fast!!!!

All Are Welcome!

RSVP Below!

Free between 12:30 and 1:00 on Wednesdays? Take a mid-week pause from the busyness of the semester and experience the calm and peace our Mass offers us. Come again or for the first time!

Rehearsal every Sunday before Mass at 6:00PM. in Linehan Chapel
Come again or for the first time!
If you play an instrument bring it along!

Questions? E-mail Our Choir Director:

Erin Teasdale, eteasda8@mail.naz.edu

Were you baptized Catholic, but have not received the sacraments of Eucharist or Confirmation?

The OCIA process, Order of Christian Initiation of Adults, is for those who may be interested in learning more about Catholicism. We will guide inquirers on their journey to a deeper understanding of the Catholic tradition and into full communion in the Catholic Church at the 2027 Easter Vigil. If you are interested in learning more, please email Jamie Fazio at jfazio1@naz.edu.

Space is limited! Apply today!

Thursday, December 17 to Wednesday, December 23, 2025

ST. FRANCIS INN is located in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia.

Space is limited to 10 participants for this retreat!

Cost $140.00 (partial scholarships available)

St. Francis Inn is a Catholic Franciscan community located in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia where they minister among the poor and homeless by means of a soup kitchen, a thrift shop and a woman's day center. They empower persons to break the cycle of homelessness and poverty, and to address structural injustice, by building relationships, respecting their human dignity, helping them restore hope in their lives, and by living simply among them.

If you would like to learn more, please RSVP for the interest meeting below.

Email: jfazio1@naz.edu
Website: http://www.naz.edu/center-for-spirituality/catholic-community
Location: Linehan Chapel, East Avenue, Rochester, NY, United States
Phone: 585 389 2308