Every year, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester presents the Catholic Ministries Appeal, CMA, which is the annual campaign that through generosity of all faithful, the Diocese can help many, many people who are most in need. As you know, this year’s slogan is Extending Christ’s Mission through the Catholic Ministries Appeal. St. Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians (1 Cor 11:27) says that we are the mystical body of Christ. Our work and generosity are proofs of God’s love.

This year, the Church of the Most Holy Trinity, has a goal of $192,000 dollars. I am very pleased and excited to share with all of you that we achieved this goal. We have given 100%. Your donations are expressions of the many thoughtful ways in which you care for people in need throughout the entire Diocese.

I have shared with you that the parish is not only the pastor or the staff. All of you are also very important members of this wonderful family, Holy Trinity. Thank you very much for being present in our parish family, working hard for our Parish, our Diocese, and for the Kingdom of God. Let us continue to work even harder so all our wonderful Holy Trinity Family can feel God’s love through each one of our actions.

I thank God every day for the time that I have been able to share with all of you. It is my privilege to be your pastor. And, with God’s help, I look forward to many more years of sharing my ministry with you. Thank you again for your most generous donation to the CMA. Holy Trinity Church is very appreciative of your generosity. Remember, you are always in my prayers.

Remember, The Parish that we dream is the parish that I help to build.

God bless you and may the Blessed Virgin Mary be with you always!

Fr. Jorge Ramírez

Let me share with you this story I found on the Internet.

“Six year old Brandon decided one Saturday morning to fix his parents pancakes. He found a big bowl and spoon, pulled a chair to the counter, opened the cupboard and pulled out the heavy flour canister, spilling it on the floor. He scooped some of the flour into the bowl with his hands, mixed in most of a cup of milk and added some sugar, leaving a floury trail on the floor, which by now had a few tracks left by his kitten. Brandon was covered with flour and getting frustrated. He wanted this to be something very good for Mom and Dad, but it was getting very bad. He didn’t know what to do next, whether to put it all into the oven or on the stove, (and he didn’t know how the stove worked)! Suddenly he saw his kitten licking from the bowl of mix and reached to push her away, knocking the egg carton to the floor. Frantically he tried to clean up this monumental mess but slipped on the eggs, getting his pajamas dirty. And just then he saw Dad standing at the door. Big crocodile tears welled up in Brandon’s eyes. All he wanted to do was something good, but he’d made a terrible mess. He was sure a scolding was coming, maybe even a smacking. But his father just watched him. Then, walking through the mess, he picked up his crying son, hugged him and loved him, getting his own pajamas dirty in the process. That’s how God deals with us. We try to do something good in life, but it turns into a mess. Our marriage gets all sticky or we insult a friend or we can’t stand our job or our health goes sour. Sometimes we just stand there in tears because we can’t think of anything else to do. That’s when God picks us up and loves us and forgives us, even though some of our mess gets all over Him. But just because we might mess up, we can’t stop trying to ‘make pancakes,’ for God or for others. Sooner or later we’ll get it right, and then they’ll be glad we tried.”

Pope Francis reminds us that it is not easy to trust in God’s mercy because our sins do not allow us to go to His Prescence and enjoy His love and mercy. The Pope said during his homily on March 17, 2013,

Let us not be afraid to go to the sacrament of reconciliation and to experience the wonderful mercy of God. Our parish offers this wonderful sacrament on Tuesdays at 4:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 3:00 p.m.

God is our Father who is always ready to forgive us regardless of what we did. The only condition to receive God’s forgiveness is to want it. Let us make a good examination of conscience and go to this marvelous sacrament.

Remember, The parish that we dream is the parish that I help to build.

God bless you, and may the Blessed Virgin Mary be with you always!

Fr. Jorge Ramirez

Hello, my dear brothers and sisters in Christ.

As you know, Holy Trinity Church, along with the other 85 parishes in the Diocese of Rochester, is participating in the Catholic Ministry Appeal (CMA). Let us remember that CMA is “the annual appeal inviting Catholics in the Diocese of Rochester to join in a partnership to advance the mission of the Church through Stewardship. Each of us has received gifts from God – namely, our time, talent, and treasure. We are called to discern our gifts, to nurture them, and to share our gifts for the good of others and our Church” (Taken from CMA – Diocese of Rochester).

A quick reminder of what CMA does:

• Support ministries that reach out with the hands and heart of Christ to the aged, the sick, and the imprisoned.
• Ensure we can help struggling families find their way through economic crisis and back to stability.
• Help fund the crucial work of Catholic Charities, which serves more than 250,000 people annually.
• Fund ministries that nurture children and teenagers in the Catholic faith and teaches values they’ll carry into adulthood.
• Help pay for the education of our seminarians on the road to priestly ordination.
• Prepare engaged couples for God-centered marriages rooted in the Catholic Church.
• Educate and prepare those who wish to become Catholic for the fullness of life in the Church through OCIA.
• Enable us to promote Catholic values about the sanctity of all life and make our voice heard in society.
• Fund programs that give young adults on college campuses a connection to the Church.
• Provide important services to your parish that it would find difficult to afford on its own.

As you know, our CMA goal is $192,000. We have donated $175,218.22 which is 91.26% of our goal (information based on 1/28/25). This is great, but we still need to give 8.74%, which is $16,781.78. I ask those who have not donated yet to CMA to please contribute now, and those who already donated to consider contributing more so that we can achieve our CMA 2024-2025 goal. Let us all participate in this campaign. If we do not achieve our CMA goal through donations, the parish pays the remaining amount out of our operating account. It is important that Holy Trinity succeed in this goal so we can help many people who are most in need.

Remember, The parish that we dream is the parish that I help to build.

God bless you, and may the Blessed Virgin Mary be with you always!

Fr. Jorge Ramirez

This coming Friday, January 31st, the Church celebrates the memorial of St. John Bosco, who was a priest and worked in education in the 19th century. He is one of the saint patrons of education, besides St. John Baptiste of LaSalle. St. John Bosco followed the spirituality of St. Francis de Sales and was ardently devoted to our Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary. He founded the community of the Salesians of Don Bosco. This religious community works on education around the world. Because of this wonderful love that Don Bosco had for educating our children, the Church in the United States celebrates this Catholic Schools week.

Pope St. John XXIII, on May 15th, 1961, says, Mater et Magistra Ecclesia est., which means, The Church is Mother and Teacher. Teaching is a very fundamental element of our Church because Jesus Himself was a teacher. Our Lord, Jesus Christ came to teach us what the Kingdom of Heaven is and how you and I can reach this Kingdom. Jesus at the moment of His ascension into Heaven commanded His disciples and us, Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Mt. 28:19-20). Since that moment, the Church has been teaching to all people not only the good news of Jesus, but also many elements about the world, science, and other subjects. The Church has been creating schools, colleges, universities, seminaries, and other different institutions where many people around the world are learning.

For this reason, the Church not only recognizes the importance of Catholic Schools, but also prays for all people involved in education: principals, deans, teachers, and of course, students. Let us pray for all of them so that they can learn about the wonders of this world, having very strong Christian values.

Let us pray:

Remember, The parish that we dream is the parish that I help to build.

God bless you, and may the Blessed Virgin Mary be with you always!

Fr. Jorge Ramirez

When we read the Bible, we find the history of a nation called Israel. This is an amazing story where God was always helping the people of Israel through different characters, such as the patriarchs, kings, prophets, and so on. God talked to them and not to people of Israel directly. Why? Well, because at that time, all these people were not prepared to listen, see, and feel the real presence of God. For instance, Moses usually had a conversation with God on Mount Sinai. Even though God wanted to show Himself to the people of Israel so that they would have faith in Him, these people were always scared of the different signs such as thunder, clouds, lightning, and so on, that demonstrated the real presence of the Lord on Earth. The book of Exodus says: “On the morning of the third day there were peals of thunder and lightning, and a heavy cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. But Moses led the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stationed themselves at the foot of the mountain” (Exodus 19:16-17). Moses wanted Israel to know God, but it was not the right moment. God manifests Himself step by step. God’s pedagogy consisted of showing Himself according to human evolution. For example, you cannot teach difficult mathematical problems to a child. You need to teach them first to add and subtract. This is a process that takes time in the life of a per- son. It is the same thing with human beings. God teaches little by little; hence, God sent Jesus Christ to teach us His real message of Love and Hope to all mankind.

Jesus, the Son of God, was using the same methodology. He was always teaching the truth with clear words to His disciples; however, He did not do the same with the rest of the people; He used parables with them. Why? This was the same question that His disciples asked Him. Jesus answered with a simple phrase: “Because knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted” (Matthew 13:11). That means that like in Moses’ time, Israel’s people still were not prepared to know everything about the Good News that is the Gospel. However, Jesus also explained that He speaks in parables because Israel’s people “look but do not see but also do not listen or understand” (Matthew 13:13). Therefore, people need to be prepared in order to have a real meeting with God.

Today, we can better understand God’s message by the power of the Holy Spirit. You and I have the wonderful experience of listening to God’s voice through the readings in the Eucharist. We are also able to have a better comprehension of the Word of the Lord through priests’ explanations during the homily in the Eucharist. Moreover, we have the possibility to see God in His real presence in the bread and wine that the priest consecrates in the Eucharistic Sacrifice. I ask you, have you thought about this? Are you prepared to listen to God’s voice and see Him? Are you able to see and feel the presence of God in the Eucharist? If you answered, “Yes”, let me congratulate you. If your answer was “No”, probably you need to take time to think about the real meaning of the Eucharist. Anyway, we are more privileged than Israel’s people in Moses’ time.

Jesus loves us, and He wants the best for us. Listen to His voice! Receive His Body and Blood! Jesus is here! Do not miss Mass. Jesus is always waiting for us.

Remember, The parish that we dream is the parish that I help to build.

God bless you, and may the Blessed Virgin Mary be with you always!

Fr. Jorge Ramirez

This Sunday, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. With this celebration, the Church finishes the Christmas season and, at the same time, starts Ordinary Time.

The Baptism of the Lord is not only a celebration where we remember that John baptized Our Lord in the waters of the Jordan, but also makes us think and reflect on our own baptism. Many of us were baptized when we were children. Others were baptized when they decided to do it through RCIA (now called OCIA). Regardless of when our baptism was, it is very important that all of us reflect on the significance of this wonderful sacrament. Baptism is not just a sacrament where we receive water. Baptism is a marvelous sacrament where we entered into the life of the Church and became children of God by adoption. St. Paul in his letter to the Romans reminds us of the importance of this sacrament and the effects that it has in each of us. He says, “What then shall we say? Shall we persist in sin that grace may abound? Of course not! How can we who died to sin yet live in it? Or are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life. For if we have grown into union with him through a death like his, we shall also be united with him in the resurrection” (Romans 6:1-5).

Baptism makes us new people. We are protected by God through this sacrament. We received for the first time the Holy Spirit in our baptism and then His fullness of it in the sacrament of Confirmation. Let us always live our own baptism with joy, knowing that God, our Father through our Lord Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit is always protecting each one of us.

Let us pray:

Remember, The parish that we dream is the parish that I help to build.

God bless you and may the Blessed Virgin Mary be with you always!

Fr. Jorge Ramírez

There is a famous Christmas Carol in Colombia, and probably in other countries of Latin America, called Tutaina. If you wonder what Tutaina is, let me tell you that I wonder the same thing. I have been asking almost all my life the meaning of this song. I was checking on the internet, and apparently the meaning of this word is fiesta (party). One of the verses of this Christmas Carol says, Tres reyes vienen también, con incienso, mirra y oro, a ofrendar a Dios su bien, como el más grande tesoro (Three kings also come, with frankincense, myrrh, and gold, to offer their goods to God, like the greatest treasure). God is the greatest treasure of the three kings.

The three kings understood that their offerings of frankincense, myrrh, and gold are meaningless in comparison to Jesus Christ who is the great gift that God, our Father, gave us through the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar traveled from the East, following the star, and finding a baby laying in a manger. They offered their gifts to this baby, understanding that He is the king of kings. Today, we celebrate Christmas and this feast of the Epiphany of the Lord recognizing that the baby who was born in a manger in Bethlehem is our Lord, and He is bringing peace on Earth.

This weekend in Mass, we pray in the preface of the Epiphany of the Lord, “For today you have revealed the mystery of our salvation in Christ as a light for the nations, and, when He appeared in our mortal nature, you made us new by the glory of His immortal nature.” Tutaina, and therefore, the epiphany, invites us to rejoice in the Lord. This is a feast that invites us to celebrate with love that Jesus not only came to rescue the people of Israel, but the whole humanity. Therefore, let us allow that this great mystery of the salvation of humankind in the person of Christ comes to our hearts. Let us adore the king of kings not only with frankincense, myrrh, and gold, but also with our hearts and lives. Let us allow that this baby, who was found through a star by the three wise men, reigns in our hearts. Let us keep the spirit of Christmas always among us.

Let us pray:

O God, who by the guidance of a star did on this day manifest Your only-begotten Son to the Gentiles, mercifully grant that we who know You by faith may also attain the vision of Your glorious majesty. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Remember, The parish that we dream is the parish that I help to build.

God bless you and may the Blessed Virgin Mary be with you always!

Father Jorge Ramirez

We are finishing 2024. Probably, most of us are making resolutions for 2025. Some of us want to lose weight, work out more often, read more books, study, save money, and so on. All the resolutions that we keep in mind are good, because we are thinking about ourselves and other people in a positive way.

The Roman Catholic Church also is thinking about each one of us. Hence, in this time of Christmas, the Church introduces us to the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God on January 1st. You can wonder why Mary is called Mother of God if she was just another human being. The first thing that we need to know is that the theological term for this title for Mary is “Theotokos.” This is a term that Catholic and Orthodox Churches use for Mary and came from the early centuries of the Church. The Council of Ephesus, in 431 A.D., insisted “If anyone does not confess that God is truly Emmanuel, and that on this account the holy virgin is the “Theotokos” (for according to the flesh she gave birth to the word of God become flesh by birth) let him be anathema.” This council also emphasized the double nature of Jesus, human and Divine. If Mary is the Mother of Jesus, and Jesus is Divine (that means that He is God); therefore, Mary is the mother of God. In other words, the title Mary is the “Mother of God” refers not to the relationship between Mary and God, the Father, but to Mary and God, the Son, who is Jesus. “In the encyclical Marialis Cultus (1974) Pope Paul VI states: ‘This celebration, assigned to January 1 in conformity with the ancient liturgy of the city of Rome, is meant to commemorate the part played by Mary in this mystery of salvation’” (ewtn).

Let us begin 2025 in the company of our Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary. As we make resolutions for the new year, let us make another important resolution: to be closer to God. The Mother of God will help us with this resolution. She always introduces us to our Lord, our God, and our Savior, and at the same time, she is leading us to see her Son. In this 2025, may all of us feel the love and blessings of God, and share this wonderful love with our brothers and sisters.

I want to wish you a Happy New Year!
¡Feliz Año Nuevo!

Let us pray:

Almighty Father, I thank You graciously for the New Year 2025. I ask You, Lord, to bless my family, as we begin this blessed new year with a renewed hope in You. Lord, I thank You so much for all that You have done for my family and me. Your hand on our lives is so much more than we could ask for. Your blessings are so greatly appreciated. Amen!

Remember, The parish that we dream is the parish that I help to build!

God bless you and may the Blessed Virgin Mary be with you always!

Fr. Jorge Ramírez

“For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord.” (Lk. 2:11). This is the announcement of the angels when the Son of God finally was born through our Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, in a manger. Christmas means the joy of celebrating that Jesus is in our lives because God loves us very much. Because of this joy is that all of us have special decorations in our homes, we have delicious food such as cookies, chocolate, or ham.

The angels invite not only the shepherds to go and adore the newborn baby, but also to each one of us. We cannot forget that the main reason of Christmas is Christ. Look at that fragile boy. Look at him, his innocence, tenderness, and all of love that God made man has for all of us. Our mission is not only to feel the love of God who is given us through this child, but to transmit the same love in our society who is living in crisis because of violence in many places, such us Ukraine, Israel, South America, Africa, Asia, and of course, our country.

Pope Francis in his Message on Christmas 2023 called Urbi et Orbi (December 25, 2023) invites us to proclaim this message of joy. “What kind of joy? Not the passing happiness of this world, not the glee of entertainment but a joy that is “great” because it makes us great. For today, all of us, with all our shortcomings, embrace the sure promise of an unprecedented gift: the hope of being born for heaven. Yes, Jesus our brother has come to make his Father our Father; a small child, he reveals to us the tender love of God, and much more. He, the Only-Begotten Son of the Father, gives us “power to become children of God” (Jn 1:12). This is the joy that consoles hearts, renews hope and bestows peace. It is the joy of the Holy Spirit: the joy born of being God’s beloved sons and daughters” (Urbi et Orbi. You can read the complete message from Pope Francis).

Let us celebrate Christmas with love and joy. Let us eat delicious food with our family and friends, let us sing Christmas carols and enjoy the snow in company of our children. Let us rejoice because the Emmanuel is among us. Let us keep Christ in Christmas through an amazing action that we can do for our relatives, family, friends, and strangers. Let us live Christmas the whole year because the baby Jesus is always in our hearts and came to us in the wonderful sacrament of the Eucharist

I, as the Pastor of the Church of the Most Holy Trinity and on behalf of our staff, wish you Merry Christmas! ¡Feliz Navidad! May the Baby, who was born in Bethlehem, be born again this Christmas in your hearts and homes and be with you always. Feliz Navidad, Merry Christmas, my brothers and sisters. Enjoy these wonderful Holy Days in the company of your beloved ones and, of course, the Holy Family, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.

Remember, The parish that we dream is the parish that I help to build!

God bless you and may the Blessed Virgin Mary be with you always!

Fr. Jorge Ramírez

American people usually prepare themselves for the coming holidays doing different activities. Families go to find the right tree and put all the ornaments on it; moms prepare cookies and delicious food for the family and friends; dads put up all the Christmas lights, the Nativity scene, Santa, the snowman… people start to sing Christmas carols, and watch Christmas movies. This is something I have seen throughout the 15 years that I have been living in the United States. But, what do you know about other Christmas traditions?

Probably you can talk about “Las Posadas,” which is a novenario (an extended devotional prayer). It is celebrated chiefly in Latin America, Mexico, Guatemala, Cuba, Spain, and by Hispanics in the United States. It is typically celebrated each year between December 16 and December 24. Latin American countries have continued to celebrate the holiday, with very few changes to the tradition. People gather together waiting for the coming of the Lord, and share as one family delicious food, just as “tamales,” “horchata,” chocolate, or other candies.

You can also talk about “Las Parrandas,” which are celebrated in Puerto Rico during Christmas season. “A parranda (English: party or spree) is a Puerto Rican music tradition that takes place in Puerto Rico during the Christmas holiday season. Parrandas are social events that feature traditional Puerto Rican music, food, and drinks. They are associated with pride for the customs of the traditional Puerto Rican jíbaro. The traditional events have been likened to Christmas caroling, but the contents of the songs are secular rather than religious. They are sometimes carried out in the evening, but most traditionally occur in the night, even into the wee hours of the morning. The songs sung are almost exclusively aguinaldos.

In my home country Colombia, we celebrate this beautiful season with music, food, and dancing as well. Also, we celebrate this season with faith, praying that baby Jesus comes to our hearts and transform each one of us. We start Christmas season on December 7th, the evening before the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. That day, Colombians light the candles in honor to our Mother. This night is called “La Noche de las Velitas” (The Night of the Little Candles). Also that night, we light the Christmas lights and eat the traditional Colombian Christmas Dessert: Natilla y Buñuelo. I have done the Night of the Little Candles and shared this dessert with you. On December 16th, Colombians start to pray the Christmas Novena. We pray during nine days, asking the Lord to come soon to our lives. We finish this novena on December 24th. That night Colombians make a huge party: music, drinks, food, and of course the gifts. At midnight on December 25th, all people start to look at what the baby Jesus brought. By the way, Santa does not go to Colombia, but Baby Jesus. Why? I guess Santa is very busy in America. The party continues all night long until the evening of December 25th. People continues to have fun even after Christmas day, because the New Year’s Eve celebration is very similar to Christmas Eve. More dancing, more food, more drinks, more fun is around to receive the New Year. People after the traditional “Feliz Año Nuevo” (Happy New Year) continue dancing and having the rest of the day, and sometimes until January 6th, the feast of the Epiphany of the Lord.

I do not know how many of you knew my Colombian tradition, but I wanted to share with you. However, it does not matter how we celebrate Christmas. The most important thing is to celebrate Christmas with faith and prayer, and wishing that the Lord Jesus comes to our hearts.

Remember, The parish that we dream is the parish that I help to build.

God bless you, and may the Blessed Virgin Mary be with you always!

Fr. George