In April of 2005 when Blessed John Paul II passed from this world, it was a totally new experience for me.  I was less than one year ordained to the priesthood, but yet I had never known another name to be prayed during his spot in the Eucharistic Prayer.  (I …

By Father Kyle Schnippel  As we move through the Christmas season and prepare to re-enter Ordinary Time, the miraculous events that we have celebrated over these last few years continue to be fodder in my own prayer life. Specifically, I continue to be struck by the image of the Virgin …

January 4, 2011 By Father Kyle Schnippel “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught His disciples.” The apostles had witnessed the deep communion that existed between Jesus and His heavenly Father, and, as holiness does, it attracted them. Seeing that peace that comes from that personal connection, they wanted …

Wednesday, November 3, 2010 By Father Kyle Schnippel The month of November is set aside as a time to pray to and for our predecessors in the faith. Beginning with the feast of All Saints and the commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (commonly All Soul’s Day), the last few …

Wednesday, September 29, 2010 By Father Kyle Schnippel The middle week of September saw diocesan directors of vocations from across the country gathering in the fair city of Milwaukee for our annual convention. As we tend to be on the younger side of the clergy and dominated by extroverts, this …

Thursday, September 2, 2010 By Father Kyle Schnippel“In the New Covenant, prayer is the living relationship of the children of God with their Father who is good beyond measure, with His Son Jesus Christ and with the Holy Spirit.” With these words, from the introduction to the fourth section of …

Thursday, July 8, 2010 By Father Kyle Schnippel “Um, Mom, this is the small one.” Two years ago, I had the opportunity to travel to Rome with my parents.  They had never been, while I was making my fourth trip to the Eternal City.  I had a sense of the …

Thursday, June 3, 2010 By Father Kyle Schnippel In the Catholic Church, spring brings not only “wedding season,” but in dioceses throughout the United States men who have completed their training are called forward to be ordained to the priesthood. In rites as ancient as the church herself, those being …

Thursday, May 6, 2010 By Father Kyle Schnippel In his 2001 Holy Thursday Letter to Priests, Pope John Paul II highlighted the call and mission of Sts. Peter and Paul as examples for priests of today. These two great apostles were chosen by Christ to be missionaries to the world, …

Thursday, April 1, 2010 By Father Kyle Schnippel This week is a study of contradictions. We begin the week we call “holy” by welcoming Christ triumphantly into Jerusalem. Just a few short moments later, we proclaim the story of His Passion from one of the synoptic Gospels. Holy Thursday begins the …