Mass Times: Saturdays at 5:00 pm;
Sundays at 8:00 am and 10:30 am.
Mon, Tues, Wed* (*Communion service),
and Fri at 8:15 am;
Thurs at 6:00 pm.
St. Rita Roman Catholic Church
1008 Maple Dr., Webster, NY 14580
585-671-1100
 

The Parish Office is open from 9 am to noon, Monday through Friday.  Stop by or give us a call at 671-1100.

Pastoral Messages

Together We Bring Hope

As Francis of Assisi grew in his faith but was not yet fully converted, he suffered from an extreme disgust of those who suffered from the disease of leprosy. Even seeing a leper at a distance would cause him to double over with nausea.

He would go well out of his way to avoid the places where they lived.

One day, while riding home on his horse, there was suddenly a leper in his path. The leper stood there with his hand out and with pleading in his eyes, begging for alms. Francis, made stronger than himself, got down from his horse and not only gave the man alms, but also kissed the open sores on his hands.

Francis turned and got back on his horse and when he turned back to the path, the leper had vanished.

This is my favorite story of my favorite saint. I have always loved how the Grace of God transformed Francis’ heart and made him “stronger than himself”.

Another way that God helps us to be stronger than ourselves is when we come together as a faith community.

Joyfully living the Gospel of Jesus, we can do so much more when we journey through life together. We do this as St. Rita Parish and as the Diocese of Rochester. When we realize our unity as a diocese, we are literally made stronger than ourselves. The work and love extend so much further and bear so much more fruit than we could ever hope to accomplish on our own.

Please support our parish and our diocese. Please give generously and early to the Catholic Ministries Appeal.

For six straight years, we have finished before Christmas. The CMA is important and deserves our attention and energy. But we also have other important things that God is calling us to do. So, let’s do the CMA well, complete our responsibility before Christmas, and move into the new year able to devote ourselves to other ministries.

And also, if at all possible, please increase your ongoing regular contributions to St. Rita. In your envelopes, or even better, online, support all the ministries that St. Rita is involved in. There is so much more happening and being accomplished than any of us could hope to do on our own. But it all does happen. It happens by the grace of God and because together we are made stronger than we are on our own.

Thank you for all that you do. I am so proud of the people of our parish.

Yours in Christ,
~Fr. Tim


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Scripture

An Introduction to the Sunday Scripture Readings - December 28, 2025

“And Over All These, Put On Love”

On this Holy Family Sunday, our readings focus our attention on the family model set for us by Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Above all, they were holy, living in right relationship with God and with each other. Their life was one of obedience and respect.

Our first reading (Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14)can be summed up simply - Honor thy father and thy mother. It is a call for love and respect within the family that is as holy as the holy family itself. Sirach writes, “God sets a father in honor over his children; a mother’s authority he confirms over her sons . . . Whoever reveres his father will live a long life . . . he stores up riches who reveres his mother.”

In our Epistle reading(Colossians 3:12-21), St. Paul offers a lesson in the virtues that should thrive within all Christian families, “Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another; if one has a grievance against another, as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.” After offering this list of virtues, Paul put the icing on the cake, "And over all these, put on love."

In our Gospel reading (Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23), we hear how Joseph, being warned in a dream by an Angel, took his family and fled to Egypt to escape the slaughter of Herod. Then on the death of Herod, he returned to Galilee and settled in the town of Nazareth. All the while, they remained a family, holy and obedient to God.

With His incarnation, Jesus not only entered into the human family of God’s chosen people, He also entered into a singular family, obedient and respectful of His mother and earthly father. The ethics and values listed in Paul’s letter to the Colossians are those lived by Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. They lived their lives within the context of God’s power and purpose. This is the example set for us today.

While we may stumble and fall short at times, we can always desire and aspire to live as they lived.

God will bless the effort.

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/122825.cfm


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© 2014 St. Rita Roman Catholic Church - Last updated 2022-09-13 21:11:10
Mass Times: Saturdays at 5:00 pm;
Sundays at 8:00 am and 10:30 am.
Mon, Tues, Wed* (*Communion service),
and Fri at 8:15 am;
Thurs at 6:00 pm.