Father Tim's Homily: You are made for joy

Father Tim Sherwood's homily for the Third Sunday of Advent at St. Raphael Catholic Church in St. Petersburg, Florida, delivered on Sunday, December 13, 2015. Video by T. Allan Smith. Additional video by Jane Winstead. Audio recording by Ted Scarpino. Theme music: Deliberate Thoughts by Kevin MacLeod.

Advent Adoration with Praise and Worship

Photos by Jane Winstead  

St. Raphael Youth Ministry had an Advent Praise and Worship session on Friday, December 11. It was the final part of preparation for St. Raphael's teens Confirmation class. It was a time to encounter Christ and rekindle the spiritual journey that started during their retreat.

Annual St. Raphael Santa Breakfast benefits Pinellas Hope

Photos by Jane Winstead 

St. Raphael parishioners enjoyed the annual Santa Breakfast on Sunday, December 6, presented by Cub Scout Pack 219 and the Knights of Columbus. Parishioners dined on sausage, pancakes, eggs, juice and coffee. Youngsters delighted in the visit from the jolly ole elf. Proceeds from the event will benefit Pinellas Hope homeless facility.

St. Raphael Catholic Church Praise Band

Photos by Jane Winstead

Fr. Kevin begins a series of Periscope broadcasts about Advent

On Monday, Fr. Kevin Mackin began making a series of Periscope broacasts about Advent, the preparation time leading up to Christmas. You can follow Fr. Kevin live as he sends out his reports on Periscope. Search for Franciscan Friar or @FrKevinOFM. You also can see Fr. Kevin's broadcast on katch.me/FrKevinOFM or here on Saint Raphael Messenger.

Father Tim's Homily: In service to others

Father Tim Sherwood's homily for the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time at St. Raphael Catholic Church in St. Petersburg, Florida, delivered on Sunday, October 18, 2015. Video by T. Allan Smith. Additional video by Niki Smith. Audio recording by Jeff Keller. Theme music: Deliberate Thoughts by Kevin MacLeod.

Help your poor ole pastor out with the Annual Pastoral Appeal

Fr. Tim Sherwood, pastor of St. Raphael Catholic Church in St. Petersburg, Florida, makes a final push for the 2015 Annual Pastoral Appeal, the Diocese of St. Petersburg's assessment to churches in the diocese for operating funds for the year. Audio by Jeff Keller. Photos by Jane Winstead. Edited by T. Allan Smith

Fr. Kevin broadcasts live from the Holy Land over Periscope

Fr. Kevin and a group including Jack and Lisa Lyons and many other St. Raphael parishioners are on pilgrimage to the Holy Land. On Wednesday morning Eastern Daylight Time, Fr. Kevin began a series of live streaming broadcasts from Jerusalem. Above you can watch the third in the series of broadcasts. Fr. Kevin will continue them throughout the 10-day trip. You can follow Fr. Kevin live as he sends out his reports on Periscope. Search for Franciscan Friar or @FrKevinOFM. You also can see Fr. Kevin's broadcast on katch.me/FrKevinOFM. The pilgrimage will include all the important biblical sites in Israel.

The Blessing of the Pets 2015 at St. Raphael Catholic Church

Photo by T. Allan Smith

Under cloudy skies, Fr. Tim Sherwood and Fr. Kevin Mackin, OFM, blessed the pets of parishioners at St. Raphael Catholic Church on Sunday, October 4, to mark the Feast of St. Francis. As the ceremony ended, the rain started and everyone rushed for cover. The article below appeared on AmericanCatholic.org and in a Franciscan newsletter.

By Fr. Kevin Mackin, OFM

As autumn arrives, people in various places may notice something odd.

A procession of animals, everything from dogs and cats to hamsters and even horses, is led to churches for a special ceremony called the Blessing of Pets.

This custom is conducted in remembrance of St. Francis of Assisi’s love for all creatures.
  Francis, whose feast day is October 4, loved the larks flying about his hilltop town. He and his early brothers, staying in a small hovel, allowed themselves to be displaced by a donkey.

Francis wrote a Canticle of the Creatures, an ode to God’s living things. “All praise to you, Oh Lord, for all these brother and sister creatures.” And there was testimony in the cause for St. Clare of Assisi’s canonization that referred to her little cat!

That there are today over 62 million cats in the U.S. attests to the continuing affection we have for our furry, feathered or finned friends. We've even had a cat called Socks in the White House. Other popular presidential pets range from Abraham Lincoln’s Fido to Lyndon Johnson’s be a
gles, named Him and Her.

For single householders, a pet can be a true companion. Many people arrive home from work to find a furry friend overjoyed at their return. Many a senior has a lap filled with a purring fellow creature.

The bond between person and pet is like no other relationship, because the communication between fellow creatures is at its most basic. Eye-to-eye, a man and his dog, or a woman and her cat, are two creatures of love.

No wonder people enjoy the opportunity to take their animal companions to church for a special blessing. Church is the place where the bond of creation is celebrated.

At Franciscan churches, a friar with brown robe and white cord often welcomes each animal with a special prayer. The Blessing of Pets usually goes like this:

“Blessed are you, Lord God, maker of all living creatures. You called forth fish in the sea, birds in the air and animals on the land. You inspired St. Francis to call all of them his brothers and sisters. We ask you to bless this pet. By the power of your love, enable it to live according to your plan. May we always praise you for all your beauty in creation. Blessed are you, Lord our God, in all your creatures! Amen.”

As the prayer is offered, the pet is gently sprinkled with holy water. Believe it or not, most pets receive this sacramental spritz with dignity, though I must admit I have seen some cats flatten their ears a bit as the drops of water lightly pelt them.

But the owner is happy, and who knows what spiritual benefits may result?

Usually the Blessing of Pets is held outdoors. But I remember it rained one year, and all were invited inside St. Stephen’s Church in Manhattan. It was quite a sight to see pairs of creatures—one human, one animal—sitting in the pews. The pastor joined right in with his beagle. Noah’s Ark was never like this!

Some people criticize the amount and cost of care given to pets. People are more important, they say. Care for poor people instead of poodles. And certainly our needy fellow humans should not be neglected.

However, I believe every creature is important. The love we give to a pet, and receive from a pet, can draw us more deeply into the larger circle of life, into the wonder of our common relationship to our Creator. 

Father Tim's Homily: Bring light to the darkness

Father Tim Sherwood's homily for the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time at St. Raphael Catholic Church in St. Petersburg, Florida, delivered on Sunday, September 27, 2015. Video by T. Allan Smith. Additional video by Niki Smith and Jane Winstead. Audio recording by Jeff Keller. Theme music: Deliberate Thoughts by Kevin MacLeod.

Fr. Kevin is a live-streaming Periscope trendsetter

Some of Fr. Kevin's recent 'Scopes, as seen on Katch.me

Fr. Kevin interviews Kevin Greeno about his Pinellas Hope building project.

Fr. Kevin talks with Jack and Lisa Lyons about the Holy Land.

These days you’re likely to see Fr. Kevin Mackin somewhere around the St. Raphael parish with his smartphone conducting an interview he’s live streaming on Periscope, which means that even if you’re not where Fr. Kevin happens to be at any given moment, you can still tune in to his activities in real time.

Case in point was the second annual Italian ‘Knight” Dinner on Saturday in the St. Raphael Parish Center. The event drew close to 300 parishioners and friends, and provided Fr. Kevin with a rich opportunity to Periscope, which he did more times than he has in any other venue since he began ‘Scoping only a couple of weeks ago.

While some faithful local followers as well as viewers from all over the world watched, Fr. Kevin talked with people about the Diocese of St. Petersburg’s homeless shelter, Pinellas Hope, his upcoming pilgrimage to the Holy Land, digital music education, and the Italian “Knight” Dinner itself. In recent days, Fr. Kevin has done interviews on the Mustard Seed Ministry for the homeless at the St. Vincent De Paul Center of Hope, St. Raphael Bible Studies, and St. Raphael Youth Ministry. He also conducted a tour some of the stained-glass windows in the church.

At this writing, Fr. Kevin has produced 14 ’Scopes that have been saved at Katch.me. Periscope broadcasts are deleted after 24 hours but can be saved at the website Katch. Some of his earliest followers say his beginning broadcasts (when he was learning and becoming familiar with the new medium) were most entertaining but mercifully they are gone forever.

Mark Dufva of Catholic Charities speaks about Pinellas Hope.

Fr. Kevin may be a trendsetter. He may be the only priest in the Diocese of St. Petersburg on Periscope. In fact, there are precious few in Florida. Fr. Casey Jones, who is parochial vicar at San Pedro Perish in North Port (in the Diocese of Venice), is a Periscoper. There may be others but they haven’t appeared in our recent research. As might be expected, some Catholic public figures have discovered the medium, though they don’t always broadcast regularly. Bishop Robert Barron is still shown as Fr. Robert. Jackie Francois Angel is on but has no recent ‘Scopes. nor does Fr. Dave Dwyer, host of the radio program The Busted Halo.

A few Catholic dioceses and orders around the world are on Periscope, including the Diocese of Washington D.C., Archdiocese of Chicago, Diocese of Syracuse, Diocese of Brisbane in Australia, The Capuchins, and Franciscan Friars.

Glenn DuPont talks about the Italian "Knight" Dinner.

Fr. Kevin is identified on Twitter and Periscope as Franciscan Friar. His recent posts have been in preparation for his visit to Washington D.C. on Wednesday for the Canonization Mass of Blessed Junipero Serra, OFM, the Franciscan friar who started the first Catholic mission in what is now San Diego, California. Fr. Kevin intends to post live streaming sessions on Periscope during his visit.

Then, shortly after he returns, Fr. Kevin will be off again on a 10-day tour of the Holy Land with St. Raphael parishioners. He is planning to do live broadcasts from Jerusalem, Bethlehem, the Sea of Galilee, and the other stops on the pilgrimage.

You can follow Fr. Kevin on all his live streaming activities on Periscope. Download the free Periscope app to your smartphone. (It's easiest to log in using your Twitter account [also free.]) Inside Periscope, search for Franciscan Friar or @FrKevinOFM. It's as easy as that. You'll receive alerts when Fr. Kevin goes live! Be sure to tap on the screen to send hearts during during the broadcast. You'll see them float up the screen.

You can offer words of encouragement and ask questions during Fr. Kevin’s broadcasts. Just type a text message inside the Periscope app. Fr. Kevin will be happy to hear from you.

2015 Italian "Knight" Dinner in the Parish Center

Hundreds of parishioners turned out on Saturday for the Knights of Columbus fundraising event. Here's a photo album of the festivities.

Fr. Kevin interviews Kaitlin Berger on Periscope about Youth Ministry

Fr. Kevin used Periscope live streaming on Tuesday to interview Kaitlin Berger, the head of our St. Raphael Youth Ministry. You can follow Fr. Kevin on Periscope and see all of his broadcasts as they happen. Download the free Periscope app to your smartphone. (It's easiest to log in using your Twitter account [also free.]) Inside Periscope, search for Franciscan Friar or @FrKevinOFM. It's as easy as that. You'll receive alerts when Fr. Kevin goes live! Be sure to tap on the screen to send hearts during during the broadcast. You'll see them float up the screen. Also, you can send Fr. Kevin text messages inside of Periscope. Ask questions or offer words of encouragement. Show your support for Fr. Kevin's new Periscope ministry.

Join Fr. Kevin on Periscope as he sends live streaming broadcasts

Fr. Kevin did a series of five broadcasts today discussing the stained glass windows in the church. The broadcasts were really practice session as Fr. Kevin becomes more familiar with the new live streaming platform Periscope, which he plans to use on in his upcoming trips to Washington, D.C., and the Holy Land.

Fr. Kevin will go to Washington for the Canonization Mass of Blessed Junipero Serra, OFM, the Franciscan friar who started the first Catholic mission in what is now San Diego, California. Blessed Junipero will be canonized when Pope Francis visits the United States later this month.

Fr. Kevin is leading a group of parishioners and others on a 10-day tour of the Holy Land in October. The pilgrimage will take travelers to Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Jericho, Qumran, Caesarea, Haifa, Mount Carmel, Cana, Jordan River, Nazareth, Capernaum, and the Sea of Galilee.

Fr. Kevin is planning to live stream his broadcasts on Periscope during those trips. You can follow Fr. Kevin on Periscope and Twitter @FrKevinOFM. You can watch replays of Fr. Kevin's live broadcasts on Katch.me

Fr. Kevin broadcasts live on Periscope ahead of Pope visit

You can watch Fr. Kevin's Periscope broadcast until about lunchtime on Friday. After that, it'll be gone.  

Fr. Kevin Mackin broadcast live Thursday from St. Vincent de Paul Society's Center of Hope in downtown St Petersburg in preparation for live streaming he plans to do during Pope Francis' visit in Washington, D.C. this month.

Today, Fr. Kevin spoke with Maria Smetena, coordinator of volunteers and administrative affairs at the St. Vincent de Paul district office, who was at the center to help with the distribution of lunch to center clients.

Fr. Kevin, who is a frequent visitor to the Center of Hope, was practicing with the new live streaming Internet platform Periscope, which can be used to broadcast from any location where there is a good wifi connection.

Periscope is an app that can be downloaded free for Apple and Android mobile devices. The app makes it feasible for anyone to broadcast about their activities to friends or a group of followers. Periscope users receive alerts on their phones or tablets about an upcoming broadcast. The app allows users to respond to the broadcast by sending text messages, which scroll up the screen and can be read by the broadcaster. Users also can tap on the screen during a broadcast to create a stream of hearts to indicate approval of the broadcast.

The app was introduced publicly in March and within a month had a million subscribers. Less than six months later, there are an estimated 10 million subscribers worldwide, and Periscope use continues to grow.

Fr. Kevin is believed to be one of the first clergy in the Diocese of St. Petersburg to start using the Periscope platform. He is doing a series of 'Scopes on his daily activities to become more familiar with this new communication tool.

You can follow Fr. Kevin on Periscope. After downloading the app to your device and establishing an account, search for Franciscan Friar or @FrKevinOFM. It is easier to establish an account using your Twitter account. Twitter owns Periscope and the two apps are tightly integrated. Twitter accounts and apps also are free. If you plan to follow Fr. Kevin, do so soon and help him become familiar with Periscope by giving him plenty of response, and of course, a steady stream of hearts.

Pope Francis arrives in Washington late in the afternoon on Tuesday, September 22 as part of his six-day visit to the United States. He will meet with President Obama in the morning on Wednesday, September 23, and later in the day will celebrate the Canonization Mass of Junipero Serra Ferrer, OFM, an 18th century Spanish Franciscan friar who established a a mission in what is now San Diego in 1769. Fr. Kevin will participate in that Mass, which is scheduled to begin at 4:15 p.m.

Pope Francis also will address a joint session of Congress and will visit New York and Philadelphia during his trip.

Father Tim's Homily: Spiritually deaf and mute

Father Tim Sherwood's homily for the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time at St. Raphael Catholic Church in St. Petersburg, Florida, delivered on Sunday, September 6, 2015. Video by T. Allan Smith. Additional video by Jane Winstead. Audio recording by Ted Scarpino. Theme music: Deliberate Thoughts by Kevin MacLeod.

Father Tim's Homily: God asks to make a choice

Father Tim Sherwood's homily for the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time at St. Raphael Catholic Church in St. Petersburg, Florida, delivered on Sunday, August 23, 2015. iPhone video by T. Allan Smith. Still photography by Jane Winstead. Audio recording by Jeff Keller. Theme music: Deliberate Thoughts by Kevin MacLeod.

Father Tim's Homily: Shake off the dust and continue on

Father Tim Sherwood's homily for the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time at St. Raphael Catholic Church in St. Petersburg, Florida, delivered on Sunday, July 15, 2015. Video by T. Allan Smith. Additional video by Niki Smith. Theme music: Deliberate Thoughts by Kevin MacLeod.

Fr. Kevin's Homily: God's grace is enough for us

Homily for the Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time given by Fr. Kevin Mackin, OFM, on Sunday, July 5, 2015 at St. Raphael Catholic Church in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Father Tim's Homily: God and the storms of life

Father Tim's Homily for the Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Father Tim's Homily for Pentecost Sunday

Father Tim Sherwood's homily for Pentecost Sunday at St. Raphael Catholic Church in St. Petersburg, Florida. Video by T. Allan Smith. Additional video by Niki Smith. Audio by Jeff Keller. Theme music: Deliberate Thoughts by Kevin MacLeod.

Fr. Tim's Homily for the Sixth Sunday of Easter

Father Tim Sherwood's homily for the Sixth Sunday of Easter at St. Raphael Catholic Church in St. Petersburg, Florida. Video by T. Allan Smith. Additional video by Jane Winstead. Audio by Jeff Keller. Theme music: Deliberate Thoughts by Kevin MacLeod

Mass celebrating Monsignor Caverly's 50th year in the priesthood

Photos by Jane Winstead 

In June, Monsignor Bernard Caverly will observe the anniversary of his ordination in Ireland half a century ago. In April, St. Raphael parishioners helped celebrate the milestone at a Mass and luncheon for Monsignor Caverly.

Celebrating Monsignor Caverly's 50th year in the priesthood

Photos by Jane Winstead 

Monsignor J. Bernard Caverly celebrated 11:30 Mass on Sunday, April 21 at St. Raphael Catholic Church to commemorate his 50 years in the priesthood. Msgr. Caverly's actual anniversary of his ordination is June 12. Following Mass, well-wishers attended a luncheon in his honor at the St. Petersburg Yacht Club. Bishops Robert Lynch (St. Petersburg) and John Noonan (Orlando) as well as Archbishop John Favalora of Miami attended the occasion. Msgr. Caverly's brother, Msgr. Patrick Caverly of Altamonte Springs, and other members of the Caverly family also attended.

Father Tim's Homily: Meet Jesus. Everything changes

Father Tim Sherwood's homily for the Second Sunday of Easter at St. Raphael Catholic Church in St. Petersburg, Florida. Video by T. Allan Smith. Additional video by Jane Winstead. Audio by Jeff Keller. Theme music: Deliberate Thoughts by Kevin MacLeod Father Tim Sherwood is pastor of St. Raphael Catholic Church. He is the author of The Preaching of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen: The Gospel Meets the Cold War (2010) and The Rhetorical Leadership of Fulton J. Sheen, Norman Vincent Peale, and Billy Graham in the Age of Extremes (2013).

St. Raphael's last Lenten fish fry of 2015

Thank you to every one who came out to support St. Raphael Youth Ministry. You can see more photos from the last St. Raphael Lenten Fish Fry of the season.

Fr. Tim's Homily for the Fifth Sunday of Lent

Father Tim Sherwood's homily for the Fifth Sunday of Lent at St. Raphael Catholic Church in St. Petersburg, Florida. Video by T. Allan Smith. Additional video by Jane Winstead. Audio by Jeff Keller. Theme music: Deliberate Thoughts by Kevin MacLeod Father Tim Sherwood is pastor of St. Raphael Catholic Church. He is the author of The Preaching of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen: The Gospel Meets the Cold War (2010) and The Rhetorical Leadership of Fulton J. Sheen, Norman Vincent Peale, and Billy Graham in the Age of Extremes (2013).

Rite of Christian Initiation at St. Raphael

Photos by Jane Winstead 

Rite of Christian Initiation at St. Raphael Catholic Church at 9:30 Mass on Sunday, February 22, 2015.

Father Tim's Homily: The Relationship of Love

Father Tim Sherwood's homily for the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time at St. Raphael Catholic Church in St. Petersburg, Florida. Video by T. Allan Smith. Additional video by Jane Winstead. Audio by Jeff Keller. Theme music: Deliberate Thoughts by Kevin MacLeod

Father Tim's Homily: Imitate the Master Teacher

Father Tim Sherwood's homily for the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time at St. Raphael Catholic Church in St. Petersburg, Florida. Video by T. Allan Smith. Additional video by Jane Winstead. Audio by Jeff Keller. Theme music: Deliberate Thoughts by Kevin MacLeod

Confirmation at St. Raphael Catholic Church on 1.18.15

Photos by Jane Winstead

St. Raphael annual CCW rummage sale is today

Photos by Jane Winstead 

Here are photos of the preparations for the great annual rummage sale put on by the St. Raphael chapter of the Council of Catholic Women. The rummage sale runs today (Saturday) from 8 a.m to 1:30 p.m. Don't miss it!

Father Tim's Homily: We are spiritual explorers

Father Tim Sherwood's homily for Three Kings Sunday at St. Raphael Catholic Church in St. Petersburg, Florida. Video by T. Allan Smith. Still photography by Jane Winstead. Audio by Jeff Keller. Theme music: Deliberate Thoughts by Kevin MacLeod

Father Tim Sherwood is pastor of St. Raphael Catholic Church. He is the author of The Preaching of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen: The Gospel Meets the Cold War (2010) and The Rhetorical Leadership of Fulton J. Sheen, Norman Vincent Peale, and Billy Graham in the Age of Extremes (2013).

Knights monthly pancake breakfast

Photos by Jane Winstead

Here are photos from the first free Knights Pancake Breakfast of 2015.