Monsignor Reports
Monsignor's Reports
Monsignor Gentili frequently suggests interesting articles from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Archbishop Chaput, Pope Frances and more. To be an informed Catholic it’s important to be aware of the key Catholic issues that are happening in our community and world.
Monsignor has also written articles on various issues that affect our parish community.
Current News
Voting Guidelines from Monsignor Gentili
From the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference:
In our commitment to follow Jesus Christ we must do more than just show up for Mass on Sunday morning, we must bear Christian witness in all we do—in our homes, in our work and recreation, in our interaction with the world around us and in the public square. You are encouraged to vote in upcoming elections.
Flyers distributed or signs placed on the Church property supporting any particular candidate are not authorized nor permitted. Monsignor Gentili reminds you that this type of activity jeopardizes our tax exempt status as a religious institution. If you see someone putting out political materials such as signs on the Church property, flyers in the Church Narthex or flyers on cars in the Church lot, you may contact the Buckingham Police.
The only election information materials on candidates permitted are those authorized by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia or the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference. Monsignor will make those material available to parishioners as appropriate through our normal means of communication.
Click the button below to read more.
Current News
Vatican document on human dignity condemns gender transition, surrogacy, abortion
Monsignor Gentili highly recommends this spiritual reading. This article also includes a link to the Vatican website with the actual document, Dignitas Infinita, translated into English.
Click the button below to read more.
Current News
The Announcement of Easter and Moveable Feasts - 2024
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
As we have rejoiced at the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, so by leave of God’s mercy we announce to you the joy of his Resurrection, who is our Savior.
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On the 14th day of February will fall Ash Wednesday, and the beginning of the fast of the most sacred Lenten season.
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On the 31st day of March you will celebrate with joy Easter Day, the Paschal feast of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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On the 9th day of May will be the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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On the 19th day of May, the feast of the Pentecost.
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On the 2nd day of June, the feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ.
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On the 1st day of December, the First Sunday of Advent of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom is honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
In Christ,
Rev. Monsignor Joseph P. Gentili
Current News
Pope Francis Appoints
Three New Auxiliary Bishops for Philadelphia
Last week, a wonderful announcement came from Rome regarding the life of our local Church.
Pope Francis has named Reverend Keith J. Chylinski, Reverend Christopher R. Cooke, and Reverend Efren V. Esmilla as Auxiliary Bishops to serve the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and her people.
Click the button below to read more.
Current News
Mission Co-Op Collection for Haiti
Haiti, September 27, 2023
Reverend Monsignor and my Brothers and Sisters from
Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish,
Greetings of love and peace and best wishes in Christ from Haiti. I’m writing you this message with mixed feelings; joy of reaching out to you and the sadness of not being able to travel to the United States to talk to you directly. It’s been three years now that circumstances have not allowed me to obtain a visa as the U.S. Embassy has temporarily canceled the consulate service in Haiti.
I thank God for each and every one of you and for your friendship, prayers and continuous support of our missionary activities. In spite of the many discouraging obstacles and difficulties, our school is continuing to somehow offer a quality education to our youth. It is classified among the best schools in the North-East Department. This year we are happy to report to you that we have finally completed all the High School grades. Last July we sent our first batch of baccalaureates (2) to the official exams and the first results are very positive. We have succeeded with 92%. The first laureate for the entire department is from our Saint Jean-Bosco School. This rewards someway our joint efforts. These efforts could not be achieved without your incredible support.
Monsignor, thank you so much for your caring attention to our cause. Thank you to each and every one of you, my brothers and sisters, on behalf of our students, parents, our school staff and all Saint Anne’s parish and our own name.
Since the murder of the president Jovenel Moïse, it is shocking to witness daily the degradation of the situation here. The insecurity has escalated; worsening the condition of the people already deprived of a suitable living. Left by themselves, many people are fleeing all over the place leaving behind everything as the increasing gangs are killing at will, stealing, kidnapping and raping without fear. The government seems weak to resolve these challenges.
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The U.S. State Department has encouraged all U.S. citizens to leave Haiti as soon as they can, and the Dominican Republic has also closed all its borders. This makes our living even harder. Hope and faith are the only thing left. People seek urgent help and we need your support. Changes are slow, very slow, and can happen only if everyone and everywhere could do something at every level for Haiti. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we do pray for you.
Again, I express my heartfelt gratitude for your patience and loving attention. “whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers, you do it on to me”.
May God shower blessings upon you all for your undeniable generosity.
Fr. Mubakanda Bavon Marie, cicm Haiti
Building Our Future:
The Comprehensive Campaign for Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary
LEARN MORE WATCH THIS VIDEO!
Dear Friends in Christ,
Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary is the oldest Catholic institution of higher learning in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The seminary began in 1832 ~ on the upper floor of Bishop Kenrick’s residence on Fifth Street ~ with five men seeking to respond to God’s call. By 1871, Saint Charles Seminary needed more space and a new home at the intersection of Lancaster and City Line Avenues. Over the past 150 years it has grown and changed at that location. Today, we welcome a diverse array of people each year as they embark on a formational journey to become priests, deacons, catechists, and lay men and women seeking to embrace ministerial roles who will be servant leaders after the Heart of Jesus Christ. As priest alumni of Saint Charles, we are filled with deep gratitude for the way it prepared us to serve the Church we love.
As you know from your own personal experience, spiritual journeys, and the places we call home, evolve over time. The seminary’s ongoing evolution has brought us to a new chapter and the hope-filled prospect of a new home in Lower Gwynedd Township. We look forward to transforming our physical space into one that will flourish as a house of formation preparing priests, deacons, and other leaders for our Church for generations to come.
We are asking you to be a part of the Building Our Future: The Comprehensive Campaign for Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary because we know you share our love for the seminary and its mission. Please partner with us and walk with the seminarians and students who will come to us at the seminary’s new location. While this is an extensive undertaking, together we will ensure that our vibrant seminary community of committed disciples has every opportunity to succeed. Be assured of our prayers for you and your intentions. Saint Charles Borromeo, pray for us!
Sincerely in Christ,
Most Reverend Timothy C. Senior
Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia
Chancellor, Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary
Most Reverend Nelson J. Pérez, D.D.
Archbishop of Philadelphia
Current News
Eucharistic congress videos
Dear Friends,
Thank you very much for your participation in the Eucharistic Congress last weekend. We are pleased to share with you the recordings of the Opening Mass and the talks for the Adult English Track from the Congress. The videos can be found at the link below (please note that there are two pages of the playlist).
God bless you!
Fr. Joseph Shenosky and Maria Richardson
Eucharistic Congress Organizers
Current News
Catholic VOTE - Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA)
Dear Parishioners,
I highly encourage all of our parishioners, along with any person of good will reading this article, to take a stand and respond to the following request from Catholic Vote.
Congress passed the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) to protect pregnant mothers against discrimination in the workplace. The poorly written law did not directly mention abortion, so the Biden administration is exploiting the law to invent a right to abortion out of thin air.
The administration has formally proposed regulations to implement the PWFA. The proposed regulations would require every employer in the USA to provide "reasonable accommodations" for pregnant women to seek abortions. There are no meaningful religious exemptions, so faith-based organizations would be forced to facilitate abortions, including travel and possibly paying for the abortions themselves!
In addition, the law gives unprecedented power to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to possibly target pro-life organizations. This means that Catholic organizations will yet again be subjected to long and expensive lawsuits to assert their religious freedom.
By law, the administration must accept comments on the proposed regulations and then respond to them. Identical comments are treated as one, but unique comments must be reviewed and responded to individually, lengthening the amount of time it takes to implement the regulations. You can submit the example comment as written, or you can put it in your own words so the administration is required to read it!
Please see the link below or go to the parish website to make you voice heard.
Thank you and God Bless You and God Bless America.
Rev. Monsignor Joseph P. Gentili
Current News
OLG Exceeds 2022 Catholic Charities Appeal Goal
The Catholic Charities Appeal ensures that our most needy and vulnerable brothers and sisters receive the material, emotional, and spiritual support they need.There are over 200 parishes in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and their support of the Catholic Charites Appeal is crucial to the success of the initiative. Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish is one of just 64 parishes that exceeded their 2022 goal and one of just a few that contributed more than $100,000.
“The generosity of our parishioners is astounding. Their commitment to helping those in need is consistently demonstrated throughout the year. In addition to the Annual Catholic Charities Appeal, our parishioners regularly support the local community through food and clothing drives, personal assistance for people in desperate need, support of pregnant woman and families with young children and much more.
We also continually provide funds, resources and volunteers at our sister parish in Haiti,” comments Monsignor Joseph Gentili, pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish.
OLGC THANKS YOU!
Please Welcome Deacon Izquierdo
Deacon Izquierdo was ordained a transitional deacon on May 26, 2023 and will be at Our Lady of Guadalupe for the 2023-2024 school year.
Dear Parishioners,
I was born in Colombia and moved to the States when I was five years old with my parents and brother. After living in Miami for a few months, we found a home in Lincoln, NE. My parents' Catholic faith was instilled in me since I was young and they wanted a Catholic education for me. I attended Catholic school from the start of my academic career all the way through high school. I then attended the University of Nebraska for two years before entering the seminary. I attended St. Gregory the Great Seminary in Nebraska for Philosophy and then attended St. Charles Borromeo Seminary and received my Master of Divinity in May of this year. I look forward to meeting you and serving you in September. I ask for your prayers for my ministry.
Have a blessed Summer.
In Christ,
Santiago Izquierdo
Recommended Reading from Monsignor
Practical Ways to Cultivate Chastity in Body, Mind, and Heart
Lust is a brutal sin to combat. Once yielded to, it has a way of seizing hold of us and sinking in deep roots. At times, the struggle against it can seem overwhelming. There is good news, though: there are many practical steps we can take to say “No!” to this sin and “Yes!” to God.
Current News
HELP PREGNANT WOMEN!
Dear Parishioners,
Pro-abortion forces in the PA House of Representatives want to take essential funds away from pregnancy resource centers around the Commonwealth. I personally encourage you to participate in this important initiative to support the organizations that help mothers and fathers say “yes” to life.
Please click link below to Help Pregnant Women and send an immediate message to your state lawmakers to preserve funding for pregnancy resource centers.
In Christ
Rev. Monsignor Joseph P. Gentili
Current News
Learn more about the Permanent Diaconate
We are thankful to have Deacon Brady as part of the Our Lady of Guadalupe family! If you are interested in learning more about the permanent diaconate watch the video, check out the website or reach out to Deacon Brady or Monsignor Gentili.
Current News
Making A Good Confession
- Monsignor William J. King
The sacrament of reconciliation is depicted in a stained-glass window at St. Aloysius Church in Great Neck, N.Y. (CNS photo/Gregory A. Shemitz)
A father watched his young son at work in the garden.
Instructed to remove the weeds, the son eagerly took up the challenge, taking garden clippers and lopping off the stems as close to ground level as he could maneuver. He assured his father that the weeds were gone, never to return, but the father knew better: without removing their roots the weeds would grow back.
Making a good confession of our sins is like weeding the garden of the soul. Most of us have the experience of assuring our heavenly Father that we have removed all the weeds, but unless we attack them at their roots, we’ll confess the same sins again and again.
It takes work to make a good confession. Focusing on behaviors and actions alone is like taking garden clippers to weeds: we may for a time cut off the parts we can see, but hidden within the soil of our behaviors the roots of sin are still growing. The real power of the Sacrament of Penance is unleashed when we expose the roots to God’s grace.
Monsignor Gentili Message
Please listen to Monsignor Gentili's message to our parish family about the return to Church, plus a coronavirus update.
PLEASE WATCH!
For Further reflection:
Covid-19 Virus and Vaccine Update
Dear Parishioners,
In my effort to keep parishioners informed on all important issues, I offer this article to assist you in making decisions concerning the Covid-19 Virus and the vaccines available at the present time. I did publish a Flocknote on Friday, March 5, 2021 regarding the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) statement on the virus. In the interim another statement has been published by the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference of Bishops. I have been able to do some research and receive guidance which helps to clarify and add to past information published on the website and bulletin. I realize that, at times, it may be difficult to plow through and research all the information that is out there for us to consume in order to be informed Catholics. I am attempting to synthesize some of the salient points regarding the vaccines associated with the Covid-19 Virus. I highly recommend that you read the resources I have made available to you in the past as well as those referenced in this article.
The Bishops of the state of Pennsylvania encourage all people to get vaccinated as soon as possible. Getting the vaccination, whichever one you may choose, or is made available to you, is considered an act of charity and even part of a moral responsibility for the common good. It is a way of protecting not only you, but also those around you. The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference of Bishops reminds us of the consistency of their message throughout the pandemic in reference to the virus and vaccines:
“While we should continue to insist that pharmaceutical companies stop using abortion-derived cell lines, given the world-wide suffering that this pandemic is causing, we affirm again that being vaccinated can be an act of charity that serves the common good…In essence, we recognize that at this time individuals are not given a choice of which vaccine to receive and that this should not prevent Catholics from getting vaccinated as soon as possible. Catholics may in good conscience receive any vaccine in order to protect themselves.”
Click to view entire statements at:
The Ethics & Public Policy Center recently offered a pastoral approach to the issues at hand when reflecting on the virus and the vaccines associated with it. The article is entitled, “Statement for Pro-Life Catholic Scholars on the Moral Acceptability of Receiving COVID-19 Vaccines.” You may be aware that there are four major vaccines available at the present time: Moderna, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca. (The AstraZeneca vaccine is not yet approved in the United States.) The authors of the article present to us a cogent, appropriately Catholic rationale, in communion with the Vatican’s Statements on Covid-19, the USCCB as well as the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference of Bishops. They make the case that in accepting any of the vaccines offered at the present time, one would not show disrespect for the remains of an unborn human being. Furthermore, one could say that you would not be violating the most important value of defending the intrinsic equal dignity all human beings from conception to natural death. “Accordingly, Catholics, and indeed, all persons of good will who embrace a culture of life for the whole human family, born and unborn, can use these vaccines without fear of moral culpability.”
Additionally, I refer you to the Vatican documents, “Vatican Covid -19 Commission in collaboration with the Pontifical Academy for Life and Sciences” (December 29, 2019) and “Note on the morality of using some anti-Covid-19 Vaccines.” These documents are well worth your read as they set into context the Church's constant and consistent moral teachings, observations and concerns regarding the virus and vaccines in the areas of: research and production, avoidance of commercial exploitation, fair and equitable distribution, forming a proper conscience, along with the overriding concern for the public health and well-being of humanity during the present crisis of this world pandemic.
I hope you find this information helpful. Let us continue to pray for one another and for all those people working so diligently to serve all of us who have been affected by this horrific pandemic.
Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us!
Rev. Monsignor Joseph P. Gentili
Pastor, Our Lady of Guadalupe Church
Fully Vaccinated Individuals
do not Require Masks in Church
As you are aware, Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish has followed the CDC, Pennsylvania Department of Health and Archdiocese of Philadelphia (AOP) guidelines related to COVID-19 safety protocols. We thank you for your support throughout this time.
Letter from Monsignor as COVID-19 Restrictions are Lifted
Dear Parishioners,
Thank you again for all that you are doing to help Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish navigate the tail end of the pandemic. Below you will find the recording of a recent webinar from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, a link to the new liturgical directives as COVID-19 restrictions lift and a few other resources.
Click below for a webinar recording: Liturgical Directives as COVID-19 Restrictions Lift
Click below for the document of Liturgical Directives as COVID-19 Restrictions Lift (dated May 19, 2021)
Information about the Church's teachings on vaccination, links to the Catholic Schools and PREP guidelines and many other resources can be found on the Arise website at http://archphila.org/arise/.
Yours in Christ,
Rev. Monsignor Joseph P. Gentili
Pastor, Our Lady of Guadalupe Church
Monsignor's recent COVId -19 UPDATE
Nothing Compares to Being There
Monsignor's Articles
2022 - The Relics at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church
Catholic Philly: Across the Aisles Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish
2017 - Crossing the Finish Line, Monsignor Talk at All Masses
recommended reading
Lenten Video homilies
Here you will find recordings of Lenten Homilies beginning in 2018.
