sacredheartcatholicchurch-dadecity-fl-16-0254

4th Sunday of Easter

Sat, 25 Apr 2026 12:00:23 GMT

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

“This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24).

The fourth Sunday of Easter is known as Good Shepherd Sunday. In the Gospel of John 10:1-10, Jesus proclaims Himself as the Good Shepherd who loves His sheep so much that He died for them. We are His sheep and He died for us on the Cross. He willingly gave Himself up to death on the cross, even though He had the power and the heavenly army to fight His opponents. We are saved by His death.

The relationship of a shepherd and his sheep is based upon the shepherd’s caring and protecting the sheep. The shepherd does not think twice about fighting wild animals to keep his sheep safe. He also searches for any sheep who are lost, making his voice heard so that, listening to his voice, the lost sheep can find their way back to the fold.

Those of us in positions of leadership such as parents, teachers, priests, deacons, nuns, catechists, doctors, nurses, caregivers, coaches, heads of institutions and leaders of nations are called to imitate Jesus Christ our Good Shepherd and to love and care for the people entrusted to our care.

The fourth Sunday of Easter is also declared as the World Day of Prayer for Vocations to Priesthood and Religious Life.

I encourage and pray that young men choose priesthood and young women choose Religious Life. Married men also have the opportunity to serve the Lord as permanent deacons. I will be happy to discuss these matters with anyone interested.

I like your attention to the following:

1.Starting May 1, 2026, the Parish office will be located in the building next to the Church.

2. Starting the first Sunday in May, we will publish a short paragraph in our church bulletin to highlight the Catechesis of the Holy Mass or Walk through the Mass. We want everyone to understand and appreciate the sacrifice of the Mass which Jesus gave to us and understand the meaning of each part of this celebration.

3. I would like to thank the Repair Committee for overseeing the shampooing of the carpet in the Church.

4. Congratulations to our first Communicants on receiving their First Holy Communion: The Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ for the first time on Saturday, May 2, 2026 during the 4 pm Mass. I thank their parents for raising these children in the faith and their teacher, the honorable Judge Susan Barthle, for preparing them for this important sacrament. I also thank Terry Pawlicki, the director of our Religious Education Program, for her dedication to the faith formation in our Parish.

God bless you!

Fr. Bob Romaine

3rd Sunday of Easter

Sat, 18 Apr 2026 12:00:02 GMT

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

“This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.” ( Psalm 118:24 )

On this third Sunday of Easter, we have the joy of listening to the account of the famous Emmaus Walk from the Gospel of Luke 24: 13-35. According to the Gospel, two of the Lord’s disciples were walking to a village named Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem.

The risen Lord Jesus was walking with them even though they did not recognize him. The conversation of the two disciples was filled with skepticism, doubt and disappointment over the events of the crucifixion of their master and the latest news of his resurrection as reported by some women.

The Lord patiently listened to them and then explained to them the scriptures and that His crucifixion and resurrection was in accordance with the fulfillment of the prophecies of the Old Testament. At their invitation, He joined them for dinner. It was at the dinner table that He took bread, said the blessing, broke it and gave it to them. With that they recognized Him, but He vanished from their sight. Their hearts were on fire and they said to each other: “Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way and opened the scriptures to us?”

When we come across doubts, skepticism and disappointments in life, think of the Emmaus walk. It is the Lord who enlightens the darkness of our minds and hearts. All we need to do is go to Him in prayer. With the risen Lord on our side, we have nothing to fear, no reason to lose hope.

During my Seminary formation, every year we used to have Emmaus walks during the annual Retreats. Two seminarians would be walking, sharing their experiences and praying for each other. It is helpful to have such Emmaus walks with friends. The Lord joins us during our walks to enlighten and guide our conversations.

During this week we are going have the carpet in the church shampooed. I thank the Repair committee for overseeing the work.

We raised the awning above the front door of the hall so that the door could be opened without any problem.

I thank Bill Milam for coordinating the project ‘Polish the Parish’ before Holy Week and all those who came to clean the grounds and spread the mulch and polish the pews in the Church.

God bless you!

Fr. Bob Romaine

Divine Mercy Sunday

Sat, 11 Apr 2026 19:02:41 GMT

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

“This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it”. ( Psalm 118:24 )

The second Sunday of Easter was declared Divine Mercy Sunday for the Universal Church by Pope John Paul II on April 30, 2000 at the canonization of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, a Polish nun who received the revelations of our Lord in the 1930s regarding his divine mercy.

As found in her diary, Sr. Faustina recorded 14 occasions where Jesus requested this feast, stating:

“My daughter, tell the whole world about my inconceivable mercy. I desire that the feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On that day the very depths of my tender mercy are open ————- it is my desire that it be solemnly celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter. Mankind will not have peace until it turns to the Fount of my mercy”. (diary, no.699 ).

Jesus appeared to Sr. Faustina in a vision, with his right hand raised in a blessing and his left hand touching his garment above his heart.

Red and white rays emanate from his heart, symbolizing the blood and water which was poured out for our salvation and sanctification. The Lord requested that the words, “JESUS I TRUST IN YOU“ be inscribed under his image. Sr. Faustina also recorded our Lord’s words to her: “By means of this image I will grant many graces to souls”. (Diary, no. 742).

The Chaplet of Divine Mercy was also given to Sr. Faustina with this promise: “Whoever will recite it will receive great mercy at the hour of death….. I desire that the whole world would know My infinite mercy”. ( diary, no. 687 ).

The second Sunday of Easter is the Octave day of Easter. The Gospel focuses on doubting Thomas who refused to believe in the Lord’s resurrection until he tested the risen Lord by putting his finger into the nail marks and touching His side. (John 20:19-31). The Lord was so merciful to his doubting disciple that He invited him to examine his wounds. The Gospel narrative of Jesus’ forgiveness to Thomas fits right into the theme of Divine Mercy.

Thomas proclaimed his faith in the Risen Lord with the words:

“My Lord and my God!” ( John 20:28 )

Tradition has it that St. Thomas went to India to preach the Good News of the Lord in 70 AD. He reached the southern-most tip of India known as Kerala which is the only Catholic state in the country of India where 85% of the people are Hindus. As St. Thomas was making his way through the country, preaching and teaching the Word of God to the people, he was martyred for the faith in a city called Madras which is now renamed ‘Chennai’. I come from India, not from the state of Kerala, but from the state of Andhra Pradesh.

Today there are many vocations to the priesthood and Religious life in India thanks to the seed of faith planted by St. Thomas the Apostle.

Jesus, I trust in you!

God bless you!

Fr. Bob Romaine

Easter Sunday

Sat, 04 Apr 2026 11:45:02 GMT

My dear brothers and sister in Christ,

Christ has risen alleluia!

As we rejoice in the resurrection of the Lord, I wish God’s blessings upon each and everyone.

The Easter season is the most important of all liturgical times. This season begins with celebrating the resurrection of Our Lord from the dead and culminates in His Ascension to the Father and sending of the Holy Spirit upon the Church. The initial joy of the disciples in seeing the risen Lord extends for a period of eight days which is known as the ‘Easter Octave’. The length of the Easter season is fifty days and concludes on Pentecost Sunday.

There is no evidence in any of the religions of the world that anyone other than Jesus Christ has died and come back to life on one’s own. Such an honor, glory, power and privilege belongs only to Jesus Christ who rose from the dead on the third day. Only Christianity has that greatest News to proclaim to the world!

The witnesses to this supernatural event are the Apostles who saw the risen Lord after His resurrection. They ate and drank with him for forty days after He rose from the dead. All of the four Gospels mention the event of the resurrection. The first of the disciples to see the risen Lord was Mary Magdalene. According to the Gospels, she got up early in the morning to go to the tomb of Jesus to anoint His dead body. Little did she know that Jesus was not in the tomb. The tomb was empty. An Angel appeared and told her and the other women that Jesus was no longer in the tomb and that He was risen. Mary Magdalene ran to tell the good news to Peter and the other disciples who came to the empty tomb to see for themselves. Later on, the risen Lord appeared to the disciples. Peter the leader of the Apostles said that they are the witnesses of all these events. (Acts 10:

The resurrection of the Lord brings us hope against hope. What is impossible for human beings, is possible for God. Everything seemed lost on Good Friday, but Christ’s resurrection on Easter morning was the saving grace for everyone.

Let us not give up on anyone, on anything.

God will bring everything to fulfillment.

May the risen Lord bless you!

Fr. Bob Romaine

Palm Sunday

Sat, 28 Mar 2026 12:00:01 GMT

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

This weekend we begin the Holy Week which is the most sacred of all the 53 weeks in this year 2026 because we celebrate the Passion, death and Resurrection of Christ known as the Paschal Mystery.

The main events of the Holy Week are:

1. Palm Sunday

We celebrate the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem seated on a mule mentioned in al the four gospels: Mathew, Mark, Luke and John. The crowds welcome Jesus spreading their cloaks on the ground ( equivalent of red carpet in our modern day language), waving palm branches shouting “Hosanna” and “Blessed is he who comes int the name of the Lord”. Palm Sunday is the beginning of the Hoy Week. During the Palm Sunday liturgy palms are blessed and distributed to the people. The mission of the Savior is to bring redemption to the people by his passion, death and resurrection. The entry of Jesus into Jerusalem is in fulfillment of the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9:

“See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey”.

2. Chrism Mass

During the Holy Week the Bishop of a diocese concelebrates the Hoy Mass together with Priests from around the diocese and during which he consecrates the sacred Chrism and blesses the oils of the Sick and the Catechumens. The priests renew their commitment to serve the Lord as the cooperators of the Bishop in his Pastoral work.

3. Holy Thursday

It is also known as Maundy Thursday or Thursday of the Lord’s Supper. It marks the beginning of the sacred Triduum. It is the commemoration of the Last Supper of the Lord during which he washed the feet of his disciples and gave the commandment to love one another by serving each other.

It is during the last supper that Jesus gave the greatest gift of himself to us in the Eucharist under the species of bread and wine. He took bread, blessed it and gave to the disciples saying: “Take and eat, this is my Body”. Similarly he took the cup filled with wine, blessed it and gave to the disciples saying, “Take and drink, this is my Blood of the new and eternal Covenant.”

He then told his disciples to do it in his memory. By this commissioning, he also instituted the Priesthood.

After the Mass, the adoration of the Lord takes place in the garden of Gethsemane till late at night. In our Church here at Sacred Heart, the adoration concludes at 11 pm.

4. Good Friday

We observe the death of the Lord on the Cross. It is a day of fasting and abstinence. There is no celebration of the Mass on Good Friday. However there is praying of the Stations of the Cross in our Church at noon and taking part in the Passion Liturgy at 3 pm.

5. Easter Vigil

It is the greatest and most noble of all solemnities. It begins at sunset.

On this holy night, the Church keeps watch, celebrating the resurrection of Christ in the sacraments and awaiting his return in glory. The whole liturgy begins with blessing of new fire outside the Church. The Paschal candle is lit from the new fire and the people process into the church with lighted candles lit from the Easter candle. During this awesome liturgy, the catechumens are baptized and confirmed. They would also receive the holy Communion. The new Catholics are known as the neophytes.

May you be filled with the graces of the Holy Week.

God bless you!

Fr. Bob Romaine

5th Sunday of Lent

Thu, 19 Mar 2026 18:22:46 GMT

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

“ Lazarus, come out!” (John 11:43).

On the fifth Sunday of Lent, the Church gives us the powerful account of the raising of Lazarus by Jesus in the Gospel of John 11:1-45.

The Samaritan woman who was forgiven of her sins (John 4:5-42), the man born blind who was healed (John 9:1-41) and Lazarus, who died and was brought back to life, are three solid witnesses who could not stop telling the people that JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD, THE MESSIAH!

Jesus’ friendship with the three siblings, Martha, Mary and Lazarus, brought a lifetime of blessing to their family when Jesus brought his dead friend Lazarus back to life. The humanity of Jesus is expressed by the fact that Jesus cried when He heard about the death of Lazarus. This is recorded in the shortest verse in the entire Bible: “Jesus wept.” (John 11:35)

Before raising Lazarus from death to life, Jesus gave the Promise of Eternal Life to all those who believe in Him when He told Martha the following life-giving words: “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.”

Friendship with God brings abundant blessings, not only in this life, but in the life to come. Become Jesus’ friend and your reward will be in heaven!

Starting this Sunday until Good Friday the crucifixes and the images in our church will be covered as a way of helping us to enter into the memorial of the Passion and Death of Jesus Christ, so that we can rise with Him on Easter Sunday.

I look forward to joining you in “polishing the parish” by cleaning and mulching the parish grounds on Saturday, March 28, 2026 at 9 am. Let us all join in this effort for God’s glory!

God bless you!

Fr. Bob Romaine

4th Sunday of Lent

Sat, 14 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMT

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

“ I do believe, Lord, and he worshipped him.” (John 9:38)

The fourth Sunday of Lent is traditionally known as ‘Laetare Sunday’ . It means rejoicing in anticipation of the resurrection of the Lord.

The Gospel this Sunday is about the healing of the man born blind taken from the Gospel of John 9:1-41. The blind man who was healed of his physical blindness became a believer in the Lord. What a joy it must have been for him to see the beauty of the creation of God! Today the same Son of God who healed the blind man two thousand years ago, is the source of our joy as he is present in every Mass. Therefore, as soon as we enter the Church, we make the sign of the Cross with holy water which reminds us of our Baptism. Immediately, our gaze should be on the tabernacle where the Eucharistic Lord awaits us day and night. Acknowledging the presence of the Lord, we walk in silence to find a seat in the pews, preferably starting with the first pew.

I want to walk you through the Mass as follows:

1. Introductory Rites:

This includes the entrance procession, with the priest and altar servers approaching the altar as a hymn is sung, veneration of the altar by the priest by kissing the altar and incensing the altar during solemn Masses, beginning the Mass with the sign of the cross by the priest, greeting the congregation by the priest, penitential rite during which we ask God’s forgiveness, and concludes by glorifying God by singing the Gloria on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation. The Introductory Rites conclude with the Collect which is the opening prayer said aloud by the priest.

2. Liturgy of the Word:

The Word of God is proclaimed. The first lector reads the word from the Old Testament which is followed by saying or singing the responsorial psalm. The second lector proclaims the word from the New Testament from the Acts of the Apostles or the letters of St. Paul, St. Peter, St. James or the book of Revelation. After the Gospel

acclamation, the Gospel is read either by a deacon, if present, or by the priest. Then comes the homily by the priest summarizing the readings with a message for the people. After the homily, the whole congregation professes the Faith by reciting the Nicene Creed led by the priest. The Liturgy of the Word ends with the Prayer of the Faithful.

3. Liturgy of the Eucharist:

This is the major part of the Mass during which the miracle of transforming of the bread and wine into the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ takes place. The gifts of bread and wine are brought to the sanctuary by the people, along with other gifts, and given to the priest. The priest then prepares the altar, inviting the Faithful to engage in prayer dialogue known as the preface. After that, the priest invokes the Holy Spirit to come upon the bread and wine to sanctify them so the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ.

The priest then pronounces the Words of Consecration as said by Jesus at the Last Supper over the bread and wine. The Words of Consecration are:

Take and eat, this is my Body which will be given up for you.

Take and drink, this is my Blood of the new and eternal Covenant poured out for you and for many…. Do this in memory of me.

During the Consecration, the priest acts in the “person” of Christ. The passion, death and Resurrection of Christ are made present for us as the priest prays for the whole creation, the Church, the Pope, the Bishops, the Clergy and the Faithful. The Eucharistic prayer concludes with the doxology which is a glory and praise to the Trinity. The people respond with a collective “Amen.”

Then the priest invites the Faithful to recite the Lord’s Prayer and exchange a sign of peace with each other. After that, the Lamb of God is proclaimed to the people as the priest invites them to receive the Lord under the appearance of bread and wine. After the distribution of Holy Communion, there is sacred silence.

4. Concluding Rites:

The Concluding Rites contains the prayer after Communion, the announcements, the final blessing and the dismissal of the congregation to go out into the world to proclaim the good news. During the recessional song, the priest and the altar servers go back to the sacristy.

God bless you!

Fr. Bob Romaine

3rd Sunday of Lent

Sat, 07 Mar 2026 13:00:16 GMT

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

“ But whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:14-15)

This weekend the Gospel of John 4: 5-42 gives us the account of the conversion of the sinful Samaritan woman after her dialogue with our Lord at Jacob’s well. The conversation, which was initiated by our Lord casually asking the Samaritan woman for a drink, ended up with the grace and the miracle of her repentance and conversion from her sinful life. Returning to her village of Samaria, she shared the good news of her conversion and boldly proclaimed that Jesus was the long awaited Messiah. Thus, she became an Apostle by proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ in her village and the surrounding areas. We are also called to be Apostles and to proclaim Jesus to the world by our love and service. Let us ask the Lord to continue to bless us to fulfill our Apostolic mission.

The following are a few things I want to bring to your attention:

1.This weekend our parishioner, Larry Plunkett, the leader of Stewardship Committee, will be giving his witness regarding the Catholic Ministry Appeal (CMA) at all Masses. Please be generous to this diocesan wide appeal.

2. This week we begin the first scrutiny for our elect, Robert Escamilla, who will receive the Sacraments of initiation: Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Eucharist at Easter Vigil on April 4, 2026.

3. Please come to praise and worship the Lord with song and music in the Eucharistic Adoration on Monday, March 9, 2026 from 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm. Please bring your children and youth to introduce them to Adoration.

4. On Wednesday, March 11, 2026, we will have our parish Lenten Penance Service at 6:30 pm. Please come and be reconciled to the Lord.

5. Next weekend we will have teaching Masses during which I will be explaining the different parts of the Mass during the Eucharistic celebration. This way we all can have a deeper understanding of the sacrifice of the Holy Mass.

6. Finally, I thank you for your prayers, wishes and gifts to me on the occasion of my 60th birthday. Whether I look 60 or not, my life belongs to the Lord and I want to make it all about HIM.

God bless you!

Fr. Bob Romaine

2nd Sunday of Lent

Sat, 28 Feb 2026 13:00:06 GMT

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

“And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light” (Mathew 17:2).

On this Second Sunday of Lent, the Church takes us to Mount Tabor where the transfiguration of the Lord occurred. The normal appearance of Jesus was transformed and the glory of the Lord surrounded Him. The light was so bright that the core group of disciples, including Peter, James, and John who accompanied Jesus up the mountain, could not see Jesus’ face. They heard the voice:

“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased”.

These are the same words which were heard at Jesus’ Baptism.

The Disciples with Jesus saw Moses and Elijah talking with our Lord. Peter felt so uplifted that he didn’t want to leave and go down the mountain. The Transfiguration of the Lord is only a glimpse of the glory that is awaiting us in heaven. With His transfiguration, Jesus intended to strengthen the faith of the disciples in the face of His Crucifixion so that they would not be scandalized or shattered, but would continue to believe and spread the message.

Today, the Lord is telling us that our trials and tribulations are only temporary. With courage and strength from the Lord, let us carry our daily crosses. With this message, please continue to follow the Lenten penances that you have taken up. Even if they become difficult, they are worthwhile.

As St. Paul said:

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” (Romans 8:18)

This weekend I will be enthroning the most Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary during all the Masses.

I invite our parishioners and all those who attend the Masses at our Church, to come to the parish hall after each Mass to enjoy a slice of the local kumquat pie to celebrate the enthronement of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary and also to celebrate my 60th birthday. I am so grateful to the Lord for the gift of life to me and for choosing me as His priest and bringing me to the United States of America to serve Him and His People here. Please pray for me so that I will continue to be His faithful Servant until the end of my life.

The kumquat pies are sponsored by my mom.

Thank you, mom!

God bless you!

Fr. Bob Romain

1st Sunday of Lent

Sat, 21 Feb 2026 13:00:08 GMT

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

“Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned” ( Psalm 51:3 )

Throughout the season of Lent the mercy of God is echoed in all our prayers and penances. On the first Sunday of Lent, the Church is asking us to meditate on the temptations of Christ based on the gospel of Mathew 4:1-11. After praying and fasting for forty days and forty nights, Jesus became hungry. The devil thought that our Lord was vulnerable as hungry he was to yield to his temptations. Little did the evil one know the power of our Lord who refuted all his temptations. It is a lesson for us to be aware that the devil is wicked and cunning. He tempts us when we are weak and vulnerable. Let us seek the help and the mercy of God in times of temptations of body, mind and soul. After Jesus triumphed over the temptation of the devil, the angels came and ministered to him (Mathew 4:11). God sends the angels to assist us in our struggles. So let us keep up the good fight with the evil. With God’s grace we will be victorious.

On the first Sunday of Lent (2/22/2026), our OCIA director David Goswick and I will be presenting our catechumen Robert Escamilla to our Bishop, Most. Rev. Gregory Parkes during the Rite of Election at St. Jude’s Cathedral in St. Petersburg. During the ceremony of the Rite of Election, the Bishop gives his approval to all the catechumens from various parishes in our diocese to go forward towards the reception of the sacraments of initiation: Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Eucharist at Easter Vigil.

I thank our parishioner Anavictoria Campos who went out of her way to teach Robert the tenets of our Catholic Faith.

My gratitude goes to Anna Swiderski, Robert’s sponsor and his would be mother in law, Sarah, his fiancee and her whole family for their support to Robert in his journey to Catholic Faith.

During the forty days of Lent, I will be happy to come to your homes to officiate the enthronement of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the

immaculate Heart of Mary in your homes. Please call our office to schedule the time and the date of the enthronement once you have the images of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary ready.

We have the most beautiful round shaped stained glass windows of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary on the back wall in the sanctuary. They capture our attention as we enter the church. They date back to the first Church building.

We will do the enthronement of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate heart of Mary in our Church next Sunday.

God bless you!

Fr. Bob Romaine

6th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sat, 14 Feb 2026 13:00:04 GMT

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

“This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it”. ( Psalm 118:24)

This weekend I would like to prepare all of us, in a gentle and prayerful way, to enter into the season of Lent which begins on Ash Wednesday, February 18, 2026.

The Lord, in the Gospel of Matthew 5:17-37, gave a new dimension to the old Mosaic Law as a way to advance towards perfection. It is an invitation by the Lord to all of us to grow in holiness day by day. Let us accept the Lord’s invitation and enter into Lent with the hope of becoming better disciples.

The Lenten season consists of forty days based on the Biblical reference to the forty days and nights of floods at the time of Noah (Genesis 7:4), the forty years the People of Israel wandered in the wilderness before entering the promised land (Numbers 14:33), the forty days and nights Moses spent on Mount Sinai before receiving the Ten Commandments (Exodus 24:18) and the forty days of fasting and prayer by our Lord Jesus Christ in the wilderness (Matthew 4:2).

The number “40” in the Bible symbolizes a time of testing, trial, purification and preparation for something new and better—a higher transformation. In the Church, we have the tradition of giving up something during this time or making a pledge to do something positive such as spending extra time in prayer or doing additional works of charity. Please use this Lenten season to focus your time and attention on the Lord and what He asks of you. Let us all make the best use of this time of Lent to prepare ourselves for the glories of Easter.

On a personal note, I would like to share that in 2023, I gave up Facebook during Lent. The grace from that Lent is that I now have no desire to get back on Facebook. I use the added time towards the holy hours which I do for different intentions. Praise the Lord!!!

Our Parishioners Roger and Kelli Crabb have purchased 230 copies of the book ‘The Seven Pillars of Catholic Spirituality’ by Matthew Kelly for our Lenten reading. Please take one per family. We thank them for their generosity to our Parish.

I highly recommend that parents talk to their children about the seven pillars of Catholic Spirituality. It will strengthen their faith.

Finally, I want to invite you to look forward eagerly to Lent not as a somber or negative time, but as an invitation to each of us to come close to the Lord. By the end of the day and by the end of our lives, all that matters is GOD!

God bless you!

Fr. Bob Romaine

5th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sat, 07 Feb 2026 13:00:01 GMT

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

“This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it”

(Psalm 118:24)

This weekend, the Lord is asking us, through the Gospel of Mathew, Chapter 5, to be the “…salt of the earth and the
light of the world.” Before laying out the ways and means to follow his direction, let us first thank God, as a Parish,
for His blessings to us this last year.

Last year, the Lord blessed us with Eucharistic Revival in the form of having video lessons with Bishop Robert Baron
on different parts of the Mass. We were blessed with brown scapulars enrolling our parishioners in the Confraternity
of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. We started silent Eucharistic Adorations every Friday after the 8 am Mass and
Eucharistic Processions annually to conclude the Christmas season. We held a Ministry Fair and established 50
ministries and groups. With the cooperation of the Jubilee Committee, we organized the veneration of the relics of
various saints. The repair committee supervised the various repairs to the Church after the two hurricanes. The
entrance of our Church looks fabulous with new doors and a historic plaque displaying the history of our Church on
the wall. We thank God for His many other blessings to us as individuals and families.

Now the way for us to be salt of the earth and light of the world is by taking part in the CATHOLIC MINISTRY APPEAL
of the Diocese of St. Petersburg. By participating in this Appeal, we are cooperating with our Shepherd, the Most.
Rev. Bishop Gregory Parkes, to continue the works of charity and mercy established by the Diocese. Through the
Catholic Ministry Appeal, pregnant mothers are helped to protect and care for the babies in their wombs, the poor
students in our Catholic schools are given tuition assistance, the poor and those economically struggling are helped
through Pinellas Hope and Hillsborough Hope, and the seminarians of our Diocese are supported in their training to
be future priests.

We reached our goal last year. This year our goal is $56,314.00.

I have completed my pledge.

I encourage all the members of our Parish to please participate in this Diocesan-wide Appeal. Together we can do so
much good.

The Lord said:

“Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.” Mathew 25:40

God bless you!

Fr. Bob Romaine

4th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sat, 31 Jan 2026 13:00:02 GMT

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

“This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it”

(Psalm 118:24)

We are already one month into the year of 2026. Time will not wait for anyone. Therefore, let us make the best use of every
minute the Lord gives us.

I would like to highlight the feast of the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple which is celebrated on February 2nd every
year. According to the law of Moses, every first born male child was to be presented to the Lord in the temple. (Exodus 13)
Again according to the law of Moses, a woman was considered ceremonially unclean for forty days following childbirth.
(Leviticus 12). Thus, the Blessed Virgin Mary, even though sinless, pure and unstained by original sin, offered a pair of turtle
doves or two young pigeons for her purification as prescribed by the law. The presentation of the Lord in the temple was in
all aspects a respect for the Mosaic law.

Digging deeper, the presentation of the Lord in the temple was, in fact, the return of the glory of the Lord to the temple. In
the book of Ezekiel, chapter 10, the prophet Ezekiel saw the vision of the glory of the Lord departing from the Jerusalem
temple because of the sins and the wickedness of the people of Israel. God was so angry with the people that He left the
temple. This meant that all those years, before the arrival of the Savior, the temple priests were offering empty sacrifices in
the temple.

As the sinless Virgin Mary was carrying the child Jesus, the Son of God, in her arms, climbing the steps of the temple
assisted by St. Joseph, the Heaven opened and all the nine choirs of Angels sang hymns of praise and worship and bowed
down in Adoration to welcome the Lord back to the temple. It must have been an awesome moment, although it was hidden
from the eyes of the people. How Blessed are you, O Virgin Mary, to bring the Son of God into world and become the means
of returning the Glory of the Lord to the Jerusalem temple!

I would ask all parents to consecrate your children to the Lord, regardless of the child’s age so that they remain in God’s
graces at all times.

There is the tradition of Priests and Nuns belonging to Religious Orders renewing their Vows on this Feast Day. In addition,
there is a tradition of blessing of candles during the Mass, which is why the Mass is sometimes referred to as the
“Candlemas.” We too can renew our commitment to the Lord for ourselves and our children on this special occasion.

This weekend we have placed the Catholic Ministry Appeal envelopes in the pews. Next weekend I will speak about the
Catholic Ministry Appeal at all Masses and commission all the ministries, committees and councils in the parish.

Standing next to me in the picture is Frank Gude, the oldest member of our Parish, who celebrated his birthday on January
26th. Congratulations on a life in which you have served the Lord and our Parish.

God bless you!

Fr. Bob Romaine

3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sat, 24 Jan 2026 19:32:41 GMT

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

“This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it”

(Psalm 118:24)

This weekend we celebrate the 3rd Sunday of Ordinary time of the year.

The Lord began his preaching by inviting everyone to repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Repentance comes from the Greek word ‘ Metanoia’ which refers to a profound change of heart and mind,
one’s behavior and one’s way of life. It is a conversion towards loving God above all and to love others as
God would want us to love them.

In today’s gospel Jesus calls the first disciples to follow Him: Peter, his brother Andrew, James and his
brother John. All four of them were fishermen. As the days passed, he chose the rest of the twelve
disciples. Their role was to assist the Lord in the establishment of the Kingdom of heaven. Indeed they had
done their part. Today we are entrusted with the task of proclaiming the Kingdom of God and the Good
News of Jesus Christ throughout the world.

In order to continue the good works of the Kingdom of heaven in our diocese, we are invited by our Bishop
the Most. Rev. Gregory Parkes to take part in the Catholic Ministry Appeal. Through this Program, our
diocese helps the poor find shelter and affordable housing through Catholic Charities, offers the needed
care to pregnant mothers to protect and nourish their babies in their wombs, helps the poor students in
our catholic schools towards their education, assists the teens and young Adults attend the Good
Samaritan Projects to build up their character, supports seminarians in their training to becoming future
priests and many other charitable activities.

Our goal this year is $ 56,314.00.

With the participation of all the families, we will reach our goal and help continue the good works of the
kingdom of God in our five county wide diocese and beyond. I ask all the families of our parish to
prayerfully consider pledging to this appeal of our Bishop.

God bless you!

Fr. Bob Romaine

2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sat, 17 Jan 2026 13:00:06 GMT

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

“This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it”

(Psalm 118:24)

This is the second Sunday in Ordinary Time of the year. John the Baptist refers to Jesus as ‘the Lamb of God’ in the Gospel of John.

In the Old Testament, lambs were sacrificed in the temple as an atonement for the sins of the people. The blood of a lamb was sprinkled upon people as a way of easing away their sins and offenses. But the truth is that the blood of a lamb has no power to forgive the sins of people.

It is only the blood of the Son of God that has the power to wash away the sins and offenses of the people.
That is the truth which John the Baptist proclaimed when he addressed Jesus as ‘ the lamb of God’. John was given the privilege of seeing the Holy Spirit coming upon Jesus in the form of a dove. That was the confirmation to him that Jesus was the Son of God.

This week, January 18-25, is known as the week of prayer for Christian Unity which was initiated by the Graymoor Franciscans in 1905. This is an Ecumenical observance that lasts eight days where the Catholic Church is joined by other, Protestant denominations to pray for Christian unity. We refer to the Church as the Body of Christ which has been broken into various pieces. We hope and pray that soon there will be ‘one flock and one shepherd’ (John 10:16).

January 22nd is the day of prayer for the legal protection of unborn children. We continue to pray with the hope that the hearts and minds of parents will be strengthened to ensure that every unborn child is protected in the womb of his or her mother. The birth of a child brings so much joy to the entire family. As all human life is the gift of God, we are called to preserve, promote and protect it from the moment of conception to natural death.

May God bless and protect all the families and their children.

God bless you!

Fr. Bob Romaine

The Baptism Of Our Lord

Sat, 10 Jan 2026 13:00:00 GMT

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

“This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24)

This weekend we celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord.

Even though Jesus did not need to be baptized because He is God, He allowed John the Baptist to baptize

Him out of respect for the tradition. Soon after Jesus was baptized, the heavens were opened and the Spirit

of God came upon Him in the form of a dove. A voice came from the heavens, proclaiming: “ This is my

beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased”. This is the affirmation from God yahweh that Jesus is the long

awaited Messiah.

Jesus was baptized as an Adult at the age 30 as the beginning of his public ministry. In the early years of the

Church only the Adults were baptized in the Church. Due to the black plague which killed 20 million people

most of whom were children in Europe in 1300 AD, the Church started baptizing babies so that they would

have the grace of Baptism.

According to the teaching of the Church, Baptism is the sacrament by which the original sin we were born

with is forgiven.

What is original sin? It is the sin of our first parents, Adam and Eve, as a result of their disobedience to God

as mentioned in the book of Genesis, chapter 3.

Once our original sin is forgiven, God adopts us as His children and we become members of the Church. The

grace of Baptism is that it leaves an indelible mark on our souls, reminding us that God claimed us for

Himself and that we belong to God for ever. Since most of us were baptized as infants, the date of our

Baptism remains in the Parish records. Somehow there has been no tradition to celebrate the Anniversary

of our Baptism while we celebrate our birthdays every year. The day of our Baptism is important as the life

of grace starts that day. That’s why it is worth finding out the date of our baptism from our Parish records

and celebrate it with gratitude to God by attending the holy Mass. I know the date of my Baptism. Do you

know the day you were baptized ?

With the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, Christmas season comes to an end. On January 12th, the

Ordinary Time of the year begins in the liturgical calendar. The Ordinary Time is the longest period during

which we reflect upon the public ministry of Jesus, His teachings, miracles and His call to conversion.

It is already ten days into the new year 2026. Let us live each day of the year for God’s glory, remembering

our baptismal vows of renouncing sin and the glamour of evil, professing our faith in the triune God and

following the teachings of the Church. Let our faith be seen in good works on a daily basis. Here the

inspiring words of St. Mother Theresa of Calcutta are worth noting:

“Let us do ordinary things in an extraordinary way”.

God bless you!

Fr. Bob Romaine

The Solemnity of The Epiphany of The Lord

Sat, 03 Jan 2026 13:00:01 GMT

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

“This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24)

This weekend we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord which is also known as the Feast of the Magi, and the Feast of the Three Kings. Whatever name it is referred to, the central theme of the Feast is that God sent His Son into the world for all people. Jesus came to bring salvation not only to Jewish people, but also to people of all nations, ethnicities, races, colors and creeds. This is the meaning of the Feast of the Revelation of the Lord to the gentile world.

Let us not keep Him just to ourselves, but proclaim Him to the whole world.

Like last year, we are going to host a Eucharistic Procession on Sunday, January 4, 2026 after the 10:30 am Mass in our walking path. There will be four stops during the procession for Benediction:

At the first stop, a blessing will be imparted to Sacred Heart Parish, East Pasco- Hernando Deanery, and the city of Dade City.

At the second stop, a blessing will be given to the Diocese of St. Petersburg and the Universal Church.

At the third stop, the State of Florida will be blessed.

At the fourth stop, the United States of America will receive the blessing.

After returning to the Church, the whole world will be blessed by the Eucharistic Lord.

I would like to thank the Eucharistic Procession Ministry for purchasing a new canopy for the parish.

I am grateful to the Women’s Club for arranging refreshments after this holy procession. I invite you all to join the procession in praise of our Lord and in honor of the gift the Lord gave us in His Son.

God bless you!

Fr. Bob Romaine

The Feast of The Holy Family

Sat, 27 Dec 2025 13:00:00 GMT

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

“This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it”. (Psalm 118:24)

This weekend we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph on the Sunday after Christmas. This feast highlights the truth that the Son of God chose to be born into a human family and grew up in the town of Nazareth. The Gospels tell us that Jesus, as a boy, was obedient to his mother Mary and his foster father Joseph. This is an invitation to all the children to always listen to your parents.

When we think of the Holy Family, there is a misconception that Mary and Joseph did not have any worries or problems and that they had everything given to them. The Holy Family had their share of the troubles of life from the time of the birth of the Savior until his saving death on the cross. What we can learn from the Holy Family is that Mary and Joseph trusted in the Lord at all times. They experienced moments of fear when King Herod was trying to find the baby Jesus so that he could kill Him. They had to flee to Egypt to protect their child. Overall, it was the Lord who was protecting them all throughout their lives.

We all know that families are not perfect. We all face the struggles and challenges of life on a regular basis. Parents and grandparents worry about their children and grandchildren. That is why we need to imitate the Holy Family and trust in the Lord.

I pray that all the parents take responsibility for their children and teach them the ways of love, peace, sharing, forgiving and being thoughtful with each other. The twofold commandment of love of God and love of neighbor is taught in the family.

In order to welcome the new year of 2026 and to celebrate the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, we will have a Vigil Mass at 4 pm on December 31, 2025 and a 9 am Mass on January 1, 2026.

With the start of the new year, I encourage all of us to make some New Years resolutions to live by.

Happy New Year!

God bless you!

Fr. Bob Romaine

4th Sunday in Advent

Sat, 13 Dec 2025 02:27:12 GMT

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

“This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it”.

( Psalm 118:24)

As we celebrate the 4th Sunday of Advent, we are coming close to the Birthday of our Savior, Jesus Christ, on December 25th. This is the fulfillment of all the prophecies of the Old Testament.

Isaiah 7:14 speaks of the sign from God that the Virgin shall conceive and bear a son and shall name him Emmanuel.

The Archangel Gabriel confirmed this message to the Blessed Virgin Mary during the Annunciation by telling her that she would conceive the Son of God and carry Him in her womb by the Power of the Holy Spirit. The Archangel Gabriel also revealed the same message to Joseph in a dream about the Birth of the Savior.

As the Gospel of Mathew, Chapter 1:24:

“When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home”.

There was only one reason for the Incarnation to take place.

That reason is found in John 3: 16:

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life.”

This gift to us of our Savior by God, our Father, was the first and most important Christmas gift.

We will celebrate Christmas Eve Vigil Mass at 4 pm on December 24th and will celebrate Midnight Mass on December 25th, and Mass at 10 am on Christmas Day.

I pray for God’s abundant Blessings upon you as you gather with family and friends to celebrate the joy of the Birth of the Savior. As you exchange gifts, remember that we are all gifts to each other. Above all, Jesus Christ, is the greatest gift God has given to us.

I wish all of you a Merry Christmas!

Fr. Bob Romaine

3rd Sunday of Advent

Sun, 07 Dec 2025 19:45:19 GMT

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

“This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it”

(Psalm 118:24)

The third Sunday of Advent is traditionally known as ‘GAUDETE SUNDAY’. It is based on the verse from the letter of St. Paul to the Philippians, Chapter 4:4-5 where it says:

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice! Your kindness should be known to all. The Lord is near.”

What does ‘Joy’ actually mean?

Is it a feeling of satisfaction or having fun all the time or having no worries, or problems?

Joy actually means to be conscious of God’s presence which is within us and surrounds us at all time. This conscious awareness of God’s presence is the strength which helps us survive the trials and tribulations of life. That is why Nehemiah in the Old Testament told the people of Israel after they returned from Babylonian exile to rejoice because God was with them. It is worth quoting that sentence from Nehemiah 8:10:

“This day is holy to our Lord —— for the Joy of the Lord is your strength.”

God did not abandon His people during their exile in Babylon.

The reason for their captivity was because they abandoned the Covenant their forefathers, Abraham, Moses, Isaac and Jacob, had made with the God of Israel.

The New and Eternal Covenant which Jesus Christ, the Son of God, made with the entire humanity is the Holy Eucharist where we eat His body and drink His blood. What a heavenly gift!!!

By being faithful to this New and Eternal Covenant, let us be joyful and grateful that the Lord is always with us. He will never abandon us! With that joy, we celebrate His birthday and wait for His second and glorious coming.

God bless you!

Fr. Bob Romaine

2nd Sunday of Advent

Fri, 05 Dec 2025 16:34:04 GMT

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

“This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it”.

(Psalm 118:24)

On this Second Sunday of Advent, the Church is asking us to prepare the way of the Lord by listening to St. John the Baptist who called himself a “…voice crying out in the wilderness.” This is an invitation to all of us to renew our lives by regularly attending mass, receiving the sacrament of Confession, and growing deeper in loving God and our neighbor.

December 8th is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

It is a Holy Day of Obligation which means that it is to be observed like a Sunday. We have three Masses that day as follows:

8 am, noon, 6 pm .

On May 17, 1846, the U.S. Bishops consecrated the United States of America to the patronage of the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title of the Immaculate Conception.

What is the dogma of the Immaculate Conception?

First, a dogma is a teaching or doctrine of Faith which has been defined by the Church’s Magisterium and proclaimed by the Pope as the official teaching of the Church as “…infallible and divinely revealed truth.”

The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary was proclaimed a dogma of our Faith by Pope Pius IX on December 8, 1854, ex cathedra: (meaning with full authority of the office of the Pope, implying infallibility)

“We declare, pronounce, and define that the doctrine which asserts that the Blessed Virgin Mary, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God, and in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, was preserved free from every stain of original sin is doctrine revealed by God and, for this reason, must be firmly and constantly believed by all the faithful.”

This dogma is the reason that Mary is so important to the Church and to us, its members, as she is not only free from sin but she is also the Mother of Christ. By virtue of her position as mother of our Savior, she is our mother as well. How fortunate we are to have Mary to care for us and for the Church, just as she cared for Christ when He was on this earth.

God bless you!

Fr. Bob Romaine

1st Sunday of Advent

Wed, 26 Nov 2025 17:21:10 GMT

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

“This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 128:24)

We begin the Liturgical year of 2026 on this First Sunday in Advent. The Lord is telling us in the Gospel of Matthew to stay awake and wait for the Lord’s coming. It is important to note that at the beginning of a new liturgical year, the Church is preparing us for the Parousia which is the second coming of Jesus Christ—which will occur on a day and at a time which is kept secret from all of us.

The meaning of the season of Advent is “waiting.” We are called to be waiting for the Messiah as faithful and dutiful servants. Let us give God the top-most priority in our lives as we wait for the coming of Christ. Let not the ungodly ways of the world influence our lives, our families or our children.

At this beginning of our new year of worship and practice of the Fatih, I ask all of you to make a renewed commitment to attend Mass on Sundays, whether you are at home or are traveling. Be regular in your prayers and consistent in your charitable works. As a guide for us during this Advent season of preparation, we have books containing Advent reflections to help us in our preparation. They are available after all Masses. I would ask you to use these books as a guide in your preparation for the arrival of the Christ child.

We will be starting Eucharistic Adoration on Monday evenings once a month. This will give those who have commitments during the day an opportunity to participate in the Adoration of the Lord. I invite parents to bring your children and teenagers to this Eucharistic Adoration and participate as a family. We will advise you of these up-coming dates.

God bless you!

Fr. Bob Romaine

34th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Thu, 20 Nov 2025 02:30:59 GMT

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

“This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

(Psalm 118: 24)

On this 34th Sunday of Ordinary time, the Church celebrates the solemnity of Christ, King of the Universe which concludes the Liturgical Year 2025. It was established by Pope Pius XI in 1925.

In the gospel of Luke 23: 37 the inscription on the cross above the head of Jesus read: “This is the King of the Jews”.

He is not only the king of the Jews but also our king and of the whole world. He brought us salvation and freedom from the evil not by shedding the blood of people but by shedding his own blood on the cross. The world cannot imagine how the king allowed himself to be crucified. The only reason is because he loves us so much that he died for us. As a gratitude, we are called to show our loyalty to our king forever. I have personally decided to be loyal to our king Jesus Christ and to serve him as his priest till my last breath. I urge all of you to renew your commitment and loyalty to our King Jesus Christ.

On this solemnity of Christ, King of the Universe, our Parish is cooperating with St. Rita’s Parish in Dade City to host the Eucharistic Procession. The procession begins from St.Rita’s Church at 2:30 pm on Sunday, November 23, 2025. Processing through the downtown of Dade City praying the Rosary, we will stop at the Court house for praying the divine Mercy Chaplet and Benediction. From the Court house we continue the Procession praying the divine Mercy Chaplet till we reach St. Rita’s Church where the Procession concludes.

I ask all of our parishioners to please take part in the Eucharistic Procession through which we proclaim our Faith in Jesus Christ who is our King and God. Our cooperation with St. Rita’s Church for this holy event is an indication that we all belong to the Church which is One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic. The address of St. Rita’s Church: 14404 14th street, Dade City, FL 33523

God bless you,

Fr. Bob Romaine

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 15:49:33 GMT

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

“ This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep”.

(Nehemiah 8:9)

On this 33rd Sunday of Ordinary time, the Lord is warning us about the end of the world in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 21:5-19. He predicted the destruction of the Jerusalem temple which prediction was realized in the year 70 AD, when the Romans destroyed the temple. All that is now left of the temple is the western wall known as the “wailing wall” where the Jewish people go and pray in mourning for the temple. Let the truth be proclaimed that Jesus Christ is the Messiah sent by Yahweh, God the Father in fulfillment of the prophecies of the prophets of the Old Testament. We continue to pray and hope that someday our Jewish brothers and sisters will realize the truth that Jesus Christ is the long awaited Messiah who came to save the world 2025 years ago. And, in accordance with His promise, HE WILL COME AGAIN.

The Lord also predicted that before His return there would be wars and insurrections and nations rising against each other. He also predicted that there would be earthquakes, plagues, famines and other natural disasters. The Lord predicted divisions within families and warned us against false prophets who would mislead God’s people.

Finally, he predicted that there would be persecution of His followers.

Having told us the reality of the end of the world, the Lord promised His protection to all who believe in Him. He promised that although we may be hated because of Him, our perseverance in following Him would be our saving grace. This is an invitation for us to be faithful to the Lord until the end of our lives just like the Blessed Virgin Mary, who remained faithful to God from the moment she gave her ‘yes’ to her presence at the saving death of the Lord on the cross.

Let us continue to persevere and to proclaim our Faith in the Lord by performing Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy.

God bless you!

Fr. Bob Romaine

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Tue, 04 Nov 2025 23:46:18 GMT

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

“This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it”.

(Psalm 118:24)

Happy Veterans Day to all the veterans!

This weekend we honor all the veterans of the US armed forces, both living and deceased, for their selfless service to our country and the world. Veterans Day in the USA is observed on November 11th every year. As it is a Federal holiday, our office will be closed that day.

Originally, Veterans Day was known as ‘armistice’ day. The ‘armistice’ refers to the peaceful agreement signed by the allied forces led by the United States of America and the rival forces led by Germany to end the hostilities of World War I at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918.

The change of the name from ‘armistice day’ to ‘Veterans Day’ was approved by the United States Congress and signed into law by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on June 1, 1954. Since then, Veterans Day has been celebrated throughout our country with parades, prayer services and award ceremonies.

PRAYER FOR VETERANS:

Lord God, Almighty Father, we ask you to bless the members of our armed forces. Give them courage, hope and strength. May they experience your love and compassionate healing. Give pardon and eternal life to those veterans who died protecting the liberty of the people. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

In honor of Veterans Day, the Archives Ministry in our Parish is inviting all the parishioners to come to the blessing of the historic plaque which has been installed on the front wall of our Church two weeks ago and the Military Memorial which was built by the Gude family in 2022 right next to the Church. The Blessing Ceremony will take place at 9 am after the 8 am Mass on Sunday, November 9, 2025.

God bless you!

Fr. Bob Romaine

All Souls' Day

Fri, 31 Oct 2025 11:28:01 GMT

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

“ This day is holy to the Lord our God; do not weep, do not be sad.”

(Nehemiah 8:10)

November 2nd is the day of Commemoration of All Souls which is known as All Souls Day. This year it falls on Sunday, the Day of the Lord.

Instead of transferring the commemoration of souls to Monday, the Church authorities have decided to observe it on Sunday. The celebration of Masses on Sunday will be in observance of All Souls Day. There will be no Gloria sung at the beginning of the Mass.

The month of November is dedicated to praying for the souls in purgatory. Therefore, the Church encourages the faithful to pray for souls, offer Masses for their salvation and visit the graves of their loved ones.

We are also called to pay closer attention to the teachings of the Church on the following:

HEAVEN:

Those who die in God’s grace and friendship and are perfectly purified live forever with Christ. They are like God for ever, for they see Him as He is, “face to face”. ( CCC 1023-1024)

PURGATORY:

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, purgatory is a state of final purification after death and before entrance into heaven for those who died in God’s friendship, but were only imperfectly purified; a final cleansing of human imperfection must be completed before one is able to enter the joy of heaven. (CCC 1030-1032)

HELL:

To die in mortal sin without repenting and accepting God’s merciful love means remaining separated from Him forever by our own free choice. This state of definitive self-exclusion from communion with God and the blessed is called “hell”.(CCC 1033-1037)

I want to emphasize that our God is a merciful God who loves us so much that He wants us to be with Him in heaven.

Finally, I want to thank all of you who came to the Ministry Fair last weekend and decided to participate in one or more ministries. Your participation not only helps others in our parish, but gives Glory to God.

God bless you!

Fr. Bob Romaine

30th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Thu, 23 Oct 2025 13:29:17 GMT

This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it”.

(Psalm 118:24).

I want to inform you that Frank and Andrea Gude have been chosen from our Parish as the recipients of St. Jude Medal. Frank Gude, who is 95 years of age, is the oldest member of the Parish and has always been one of the Parish’s most active and dedicated members. He has been singing in our church choir for seventy years and he continues to sing in the choir at the 8 a.m. Mass every Sunday. He has served the Parish as a Lector, Eucharistic Minister, as President of the Men’s Club, and as a member of the Parish Council. He was very involved in establishing our Sacred Heart Early Childhood Center. He has always been someone we can count on to get things done. Frank and his late first wife Rosemary, who also received the same award in 2014, donated the tabernacle to the Parish.

Andrea Gude also has been a long time parishioner of our Parish. She has served the Parish as a Sacristan, Lector, Eucharistic Minister, member of Women’s club, Martha’s Table, and, recently, head of the healing ministry. Andrea was instrumental in starting the Human Trafficking Ministry in our Parish by inviting an officer from Pasco Sheriff’s Office to speak on Human Trafficking last year. Frank and Andrea are an example of doing God’s work in their every activity and we are blessed to have them as members of our Parish.

This weekend we are hosting our Parish Ministry Fair after all the Masses. We have a number of exciting ministries that have been established. I urge you to attend the Ministry Fair and accept God’s invitation to become involved in one or more of these ministries.

By doing God’s work, through these ministries, we put our Faith into action.

It takes hard work to organize a Ministry Fair and to prepare a ministry brochure. My heartfelt gratitude goes to our Ministry Organizers, Mary Andrysiak and Kelli Crabb, our staff, Iris Alicea, our Parish Administrator, Jennifer Caiazzo, our DRE, and John Bard, who is in charge of maintenance for the Parish, for their roles in organizing the Ministry Fair.

I also want thank Peggy Moffett, President of Women’s Club and the members of the Club for providing refreshments during the Ministry Fair. Please join your fellow parishioners in attending the Ministry Fair, and learn all of the ways you can serve God and your Parish.

See you all at the Ministry Fair.

29th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Thu, 16 Oct 2025 23:46:00 GMT

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

“ This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it”.

(Psalm 118:24)

This weekend we celebrate World Mission Sunday.

Our Holy Father Pope Leo XIV has urged all of us to take part in World Mission Sunday. I have previously highlighted World Mission Sunday in last week’s bulletin and asked all parishioners to help our Holy Father by generously donating towards the Missions in the second collection at all Masses this weekend.

Who is a Missionary?

The answer: All baptized Christians are commissioned by Christ to spread the Gospel and to be His missionaries.

We are all Missionaries of Hope to the people we interact with.

Some of us are called to go overseas to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ to people who have never heard of Him, while others remain at home where they are called to live the Gospel message of love of God and neighbor. The charge to all of us-- parents, grandparents, teachers, Catechists, Priests and elders—and yes, even children—is to be missionaries in our daily lives.

Where does our “mission” begin?

The answer: Right outside the Church door as we leave Mass

We enter into our own “Mission land” as we walk to the parking lot to get into our cars. We enter into this “Mission land” as we go to school or work and interact with others every day. This is how we live the Gospel in our daily lives. Another way of being a “missionary” for Christ and participating in World Mission Sunday is by taking an active role in our Parish ministries. There is a ministry or committee for everyone where their interests and talents can be used to serve others. As we host our Parish Ministry Fair next weekend, please make it a point to learn about the ministries in the Parish and become involved in at least one ministry.

This is the way we serve Christ as His “missionaries”, show our faith in our actions and teach our children and youth to be actively involved in the Church.

Prayer for Missionaries:

Lord, bless all the missionaries, those who proclaim the Gospel in homeland and those overseas taking the Word of God to people in distant lands. Amen.

God bless you!

Fr. Bob Romaine

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Wed, 08 Oct 2025 13:32:50 GMT

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

 “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it”.

(Psalm 118:24).

Please give your attention to the two upcoming events.

1 . World Mission Sunday 2025

World Mission Sunday is next Sunday, October 19, 2025. On this Sunday we especially pray for the Missions overseas in distant lands where the Gospel of Jesus Christ is proclaimed. Some of these countries are poor. The Church asks us to help the missionaries in those poor and forgotten areas by our monetary donations. The Good News of Jesus Christ is “preached” to the people in these areas by helping them build churches, schools, hospitals, orphanages, providing drinking water and other basic needs. Please be generous to the missions and the people they serve as we take up the second collection for the Missions. This is the Universal nature of the Church to love and care for the poor and the needy throughout the world.

2. Sacred Heart Church Ministry Fair

Our Parish Ministry Fair will be held the weekend of October 25-26, 2025 after all the Masses. This is an opportunity for our parishioners to visit the tables/booths with the displays of different ministries in the Parish hall. Please consider joining a ministry which appeals to your heart. By participating in one or more of these ministries, we help not only people in our Parish, but become the “eyes and hands of Christ” to others in the community.

Each ministry has a leader or coordinator who is responsible for the ministry. I have appointed two of our Parishioners: Mary Andrysiak and Kelli Crabb as co-directors of ministries in our Parish. Their immediate role is to produce ministry booklets and to plan and organize the Ministry Fair.

I am confident of their dedication and hard work. I am grateful to them for saying ‘yes’ to this big responsibility.

God bless you!

Fr. Bob Romaine

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 22:17:07 GMT

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

“This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it”.

( Psalm 118:24)

I want to thank the members of the St. Joe Fall Festival Committee and volunteers for their hard work in organizing the festival. I am sure the parishioners of Sacred Heart Parish and the people of the area had a fun- filled time. God bless you for hosting this community building event.

In the Catholic Church., the month of October is dedicated to the Most Holy Rosary. We are encouraged to pray the rosary daily for the dignity of human life from the moment of conception until natural death. The Church teaches us to protect, preserve and promote the gift of God-given life at all stages. The Feast of the Holy Rosary which is celebrated on October 7th commemorates the victory of Christian forces at Lepanto in 1531 thanks to the praying of the rosary. Miracles have happened throughout the world through the praying of the rosary. I highly recommend that parents take the initiative to pray the rosary with your children.

We are also called to pray the rosary for peace and unity in the Church and in the world. Despite the hatred and violence present in the world, we pray with hope that people will change and that love will prevail over hatred. By praying the rosary, we entrust ourselves to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary who will present our prayers to her Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace. St. Francis of Assisi (1180-1220), whose feast is celebrated on October 4th, invites us to be instruments of peace, love and healing. May peace reign in our hearts, in our homes, in our country and in the world.

Please keep all the priests of our Diocese in your prayers as we gather together this week, October 6-9, 2025 at the Bethany Center in Lutz, for our annual Priestly Convocation.

God bless you!

Fr. Bob Romaine

26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Wed, 24 Sep 2025 22:13:16 GMT

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

“ This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it”.

( Psalm 118:24 )

I am grateful to God and our Bishop Most. Rev. Gregory Parkes for installing me as Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, Dade City, FL. I will serve you, the parishioners of Sacred Heart Parish, to the best of my ability. As St. Augustine said: “With you I am a Christian. For you, I am a Priest”.

Together let us glorify God and bring people to the Lord as our Bishop told us during his homily.

Beginning on Monday and going forward I will be offering a Holy Hour for all our parishioners every Monday.

I thank all those who have worked hard to prepare for the event of the Installation:

Iris Alicea, our Parish Administrator for overseeing the whole event, our DRE Jennifer Caiazzo for assisting Iris with the preparations, John Bard our maintenance person for cleaning and trimming the bushes on the grounds and painting the rectory doors, my friends and our parishioners Kelli and Roger Crabb for helping to spruce up the rectory, Sandy Holcomb, our parishioner for organizing the reception in the hall and the members of the women’s group and all who assisted her, our sacristans, lectors, ushers, eucharistic ministers and altar servers led by Hai Nguyen, Mary Jo Gude, the leader of decoration ministry for beautiful flower arrangements in the church and the hall, and finally the choir members from the three Masses who came together to lead the congregation in praise of the Lord at the 10:30 am Mass. I also want to thank all of those who worked behind the scenes to make this a special day for me and for the parish.

God bless you all!

I am pleased to inform you that Bill Zeranski our parishioner has graciously accepted the position of Youth Minister of our Parish. He was born here and grew up here in the parish. He has a great core team of committed parishioners who are ready to revive the youth ministry.

Are you all ready for the Fall Festival? It is already here. The Festival Committee has worked hard to make this annual event special for the Parish and our community. The Fall Festival will be held on Saturday, October 4, 2025 from 9 am - 3 pm. Please invite your family, friends and neighbors and coworkers to this community building event.

God bless you!

Fr. Bob Romaine

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Thu, 18 Sep 2025 13:54:47 GMT

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

"This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it".

(Psalm 118:24)

Please join me in welcoming our Shepherd, the Most. Rev. Gregory L. Parkes, Bishop of the Diocese of St. Petersburg, FL, to our Parish. He is here to celebrate the Holy Eucharist at 10:30am mass, during which he will install me as the Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, Dade City, FL.

What is the installation of a pastor about?

It is a formal liturgical ceremony where a newly appointed clergy member such as a Pastor or Bishop officially takes on the leadership of a parish or a diocese. In this case, our Bishop will officially present me to the parishioners, staff and Councils of the Parish.

During the ceremony, I will lead the congregation in professing our Faith by reciting the Nicene Creed. At the end of the Profession of Faith, I will pledge an Oath of Fidelity to the Magisterium of the Church, headed by Our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV. I will also pledge my obedience to Bishop Parkes. I am grateful to our Bishop for appointing me and installing me as your Pastor. With his blessing and guidance, I am here to serve God and you, the parishioners of Sacred Heart Parish. I pledge to do my best to celebrate the Sacraments of the Church reverently, to be with you in good times and through difficulties and to attempt, in everything I do, to faithfully shepherd our parish for the glory of God. I make it my goal to do my best to live out the Gospel and to be an instrument of the Lord to bring His understanding, consolation, presence, love and many blessings to you as we walk through our lives together.

As I formally assume this role, I humbly ask for your prayers so that I will be able to faithfully fulfill my duties as God intends. I appreciate your support, patience and cooperation so that together we will happily serve the Lord and give glory to Him. I assure you of my continued prayers for all of you.

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.

Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us.

God bless you!

Fr. Bob Romaine

24th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sat, 13 Sep 2025 13:58:10 GMT

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

BEHOLD THE WOOD OF THE CROSS, ON WHICH HUNG THE SALVATION OF THE WORLD:

COME, LET US ADORE!

From Good Friday Liturgy)

This weekend we celebrate the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (September 14th)

which this year falls on Sunday, the Day of the Lord.

The Crucifixion was the worst form of punishment legalized by the Roman Empire at the time

of Our Lord for non-Roman citizens. Therefore, the cross was resented by the people. Jesus

Christ, the Son of God, the sinless one, by dying on the Cross made it holy. Today the Cross

has become a symbol of Christ's victory over sin and death and our hope and salvation.

The invitation of Our Lord to all of us is to Carry our daily crosses and follow Him.

I would like to call your attention to the following two up-coming events:

1. The Eucharistic Encounter:

On Saturday, September 20, 2025 Our Diocese will host a Eucharistic Encounter, from noon to

9pm, at Amalie Arena, Tampa. An estimated 15,000 Catholics from around our Diocese are

expected to attend this uplifting Eucharistic Event. Nationally acclaimed speakers like Sr.

Bethany Madonna, Fr. Mike Schmitz and musician Matt Maher will be highlighting the

importance Of the Eucharist in our lives. The Encounter will conclude with Adoration and Holy

Mass. I will be attending the event and encourage all those who have signed up not to miss it.

2. Our Bishop's Visit to our Parish:

On Sunday, September 21, 2025, our Bishop, Most. Rev. Gregory Parkes, will be visiting our Parish to install me as the Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish during the 10:30 am Mass. As I am humbled to be given this opportunity and I pledge my obedience to our Bishop who is the Pastor of all the Parishes in the Diocese as per the Canon Law. Please join me in welcoming Bishop Parkes to our Parish.

I have requested our Parish Administrator, Iris Alicea, to organize and oversee the event: the liturgical ceremony and the reception. She has graciously agreed to do so. Therefore, I ask all the liturgical ministers and other volunteers to cooperate with her so that it becomes a grace-filled event.

God bless you!

Fr. Bob Romaine

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Thu, 04 Sep 2025 15:38:58 GMT

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

“This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it”. (Psalm 118:24)

This weekend the joy is doubled as our Holy Father Pope Leo XIV canonizes two millennials as the first new saints of his papacy:

St. Carlo Acutis (May 3, 1991 - October 12, 2006)

St. Pier Giorgio Frassati (April 6, 1901 - July 4, 1925)

St. Carlo Acutis was born in London, England, but grew up in Milan, Italy. He had a great devotion to the Holy Eucharist, so much so that he began attending daily Mass as a child, shortly after his First Communion. He used his computer skills to put together a summary of Eucharistic miracles from around the world consolidated into one website. Unfortunately, Carlo was diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia at the age of 15 and died suddenly before completing this summary of Eucharistic miracles.

St. Pier Giorgio Frassati was born into a wealthy family in Italy. He saw his wealth as a way of caring for the poor. He spent his money to buy food for the poor people in his neighborhood. Pier Giorgio went to daily Mass. He was an active participant in the Marian Solidarity, the Apostleship of Prayer, St. Vincent De Paul Society, the Catholic Student Foundation, Catholic Action and the People’s party. He was a College Student with a major in mining Engineering. His other passions include mountain climbing, art and music, and attending the theatre or Opera. At age 24, Pier Giorgio was diagnosed with Polio which he contacted from serving the Poor.

The lives of these two young saints is a testimony that holiness is open to all. I urge the youth of our Parish to be inspired by these young men who are canonized this weekend. God wants you to become saints. God wants everyone to become saints.

St. Carlo Acutis, Pray for us

St. Pier Giorgio Frassati, Pray for us

God bless you,

Fr. Bob Romaine

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Sun, 31 Aug 2025 18:51:23 GMT

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

"Oh Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!" (Ps 8:1)

The Scripture readings for the 22nd week of Ordinary time, year C, highlight the virtue of

humility. What is humility? Does it mean to think less of oneself? The answer is No.

Humility is a virtue by which one acknowledges one's dependence upon God for everything,

while preserving one's dignity as a child of God and recognizing one's own sinfulness.

Humility frees a person from pride and vain glory and motivates that person to serve others

with love and compassion. Psalm 8 proclaims the glory and majesty of God and helps us to be

humble before God. Please read the full text of the Psalm at home.

In the second part of the Gospel, the Lord told the host of the dinner banquet to invite the

poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind.

Since they can not repay the man for his act of kindness, our Heavenly Father will repay him.

I would like to inform you that, starting next week, the Ministry of Continuing Education in our

Parish will highlight the initiative of our Bishop titled ' Million Acts of Mercy '. Acts of Mercy

are a concept that has been part of the Church's teaching for many years and it is still

applicable today.

Under the Diocese's initiative, every member of the Diocese is encouraged to perform Acts of

Mercy—both Spiritual Acts of Mercy and Corporal Acts of Mercy—and then can go online to

the Diocesan website and register that Act of Mercy. This initiative has already been in

operation throughout the Diocese. Each Act of Mercy performed by someone, no matter how

small, helps others and advances God's Kingdom. The details of registering the Acts of Mercy

online will be provided in the bulletin next week and we will follow up on this program in the

coming weeks.

I intend to participate in this Diocesan initiative and highly recommend that everyone take

part in this Acts of Mercy program and glorify God by our acts of mercy to God's people and

to God's creatures.

God bless you!

Fr. Bob Romaine

21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

Wed, 27 Aug 2025 16:13:53 GMT

Some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last. - Lk 13:30

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” ( Psalm 118:24 )

FAITH FORMATION PROGRAM:

Last Sunday we started our Faith Formation classes for grades K-9. I would ask all of the parents with young children to register them in our Faith Formation program. This is the way we teach our Catholic beliefs, prayers, practices and devotions to our children. Being in a classroom with other children, they will develop social skills and make new friends. I also highly recommend that parents follow up and talk with their children about what they have learned in the classroom. This is in line with the teaching of the Church that parents are the first teachers of the ways of faith, morals and all other values to their children. Soon we will be hosting a session for parents once a month as they wait to pick up their children in the Parish hall after religious education. This is a practice initiated by the Diocese to involve the parents and family in the religious education of their children and to strengthen the faith and beliefs of both parents and children.

YOUTH MINISTRY:

In an effort to revive the youth ministry in our Parish, we held an informal gathering of parents and their children on Thursday, August 14, 2025 at 6:30 pm. There were about a dozen youth and their parents in attendance. I thank the core team members Kaycee Fagan, Bill Zeranski, Jennifer Caiazzo, Charles Beck, Ligia Beck, Theresa Miner, Janet, and Dr. Thomas Humphries for their willingness and generosity to help our youth. I invite the youth of our Parish to look for the upcoming gatherings.

MINISTRIES IN THE PARISH:

We are finalizing the list of ministries in the Parish. Please prayerfully consider joining one or more Parish ministries once we publish the list.

God bless you!

Fr. Bob Romaine

20th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Already Blazing

Sat, 16 Aug 2025 14:48:34 GMT

20th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Already Blazing

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

“And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me”. (Isaiah 6:8)

I would like to inform you that this is the last weekend that our seminarian, Ben Kieler, will be with us. On Monday, August 18, 2025, Ben will be traveling to St. Vincent De Paul Regional seminary, Boynton Beach, FL, to begin his Formation to Priesthood along with other seminarians from our Diocese and other dioceses. We will be imparting a special Blessing upon Ben soon after the homily at all Masses this weekend as our ‘send off’ gift to him.

Following the example of the prophets, Ben has said ‘Yes’ to God's call to serve Him and His Church as a Diocesan Priest. After prayerful discernment, Ben requested that our Bishop Most. Rev. Gregory Parkes, Bishop of the Diocese of St. Petersburg, FL accept him into the Diocese to pursue formation towards becoming a priest. Our Bishop has officially accepted Ben as a seminarian of the Diocese and has given his approval for Ben to start his seminary formation in Boynton Beach, FL. Ben will be in training or eight years.

Ben will be studying Philosophy and Theology as an integral part of his formation, along with other related topics. We know that Ben will be inspired by the Holy Spirit Lord who will guide him as he prepares to serve the Lord. May our prayers support him as he begins this journey. As a parish, we pledge our support to our parishioner Ben as he works toward his goal to complete his seminary formation and becoming a priest after eight years and may we thank God for the gift of another priest to serve His Church.

On behalf of the Church, I want to thank Ben's parents, Greg and Patty Kieler, and his three brothers, one of whom is a priest of the Diocese of St. Augustine, FL, for their support to Ben in his decision to dedicate himself to God as a priest. God’s abundant Blessings to Ben!!!

God bless you,

Fr. Bob Romaine