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 - January 25, 2026

“The People Who Walked In Darkness Have Seen A Great Light”

This could be called the "season of manifestation". Over the past few Sundays, we have seen Christ manifested first, to the Shepherds at His birth, then to the Gentile world through the Maji, then at His baptism as the beloved Son of God, and last Sunday, as the Lamb of God, via John the Baptist. And now this Sunday, Jesus is revealed as the long awaited Davidic King prophesied by the Prophet Isaiah and others.

In our first reading (Isaiah 8:23-9:3), we hear Isaiah’s prophesy during a time of great duress as the northern tribes of Israel were being besieged and overrun by the Assyrian Army, beginning with Zebulun and Naphtali. This is the region in which Capernaum is located, the city in which Jesus chose to live and begin His ministry. In great confidence, Isaiah foretold of a future time when a new Davidic King would bring "abundant joy and great rejoicing". We hear this prophesy proclaimed every Christmas Eve during the Mass at night, heralding the birth of the Christ child, the new King of Israel.

In our Epistle reading(1 Corinthians 1:10, 17), St. Paul sought to end rivalries and division among the Church in Corinth by urging them to focus on Christ as the true center and wisdom of the Church. “I urge you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ . . . that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and in the same purpose.”

In our Gospel reading (Matthew 4:12-23), we hear repeated this same passage from our first reading, now being fulfilled in Jesus' return to the very same area decimated by the Assyrians so long ago. Jesus began His public ministry as the new Davidic King, himself the “light shining in the darkness”. Jesus began choosing His apostles and started preaching and healing throughout Galilee. Jesus “left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali, that what had been said through Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled.”

Again, we see the prophesies of the Old Testament being fulfilled in the New Testament by Jesus. This revelation helps us see that God's plan of salvation has been ongoing since the beginning of creation.

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/012526.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.