Habemus Papam? Not yet; however, very soon we will hear this expression when we see white smoke at the Vatican, and a Cardinal informs us who the new Pope is. Before the Cardinal says this, the Cardinals meet in a special meeting called Conclave to decide who should be the new Pope for the Roman Catholic Church. What is a conclave? The word “conclave” comes from the Latin “Com,” which means together, and “Clavis,” which means Key. In other words, a conclave is a meeting where all the cardinals are locked-in, praying and asking God to send the Holy Spirit to come upon them and through His help, they can choose the best man to take the Seat of Peter and guide our Church according to God’s will. This meeting is private, so no phones, social media, or any other way to communicate with the rest of the world is allowed in the conclave. We will not have the possibility to know what is going on inside the conclave, and the cardinals will not know either what is happening in the rest of the world. The only way that we know if the cardinals elected already a new Pope for the Church is to look for the color of the smoke that comes out from a chimney: black smoke means no new Pope, white smoke means we have a new Pope.

There are 252 cardinals in the world, but only 135 of them are eligible to participate in the conclave because they are under 80 years old. According to the norms of the Church, the conclave starts 15 days after the Chair of Peter is empty. The conclave will start this coming May 7th, the USCCB says, “In the past, 15 to 20 days after a papal vacancy, the cardinals gathered in St. Peter’s Basilica for a Mass invoking the guidance of the Holy Spirit in electing a new pope. Only cardinals under the age of 80 are eligible to vote in a conclave. They are known as the cardinal electors… The cardinals vote by secret ballot, processing one by one up to Michelangelo’s fresco of the Last Judgment, saying a prayer and dropping the twice-folded ballot in a large chalice. Four rounds of balloting are taken every day until a candidate receives two-thirds of the vote. The result of each ballot is counted aloud and recorded by three cardinals designated as recorders. If no one receives the necessary two-thirds of the vote, the ballots are burned in a stove near the chapel with a mixture of chemicals to produce black smoke.

When a cardinal receives the necessary two-thirds vote, the dean of the College of Cardinals asks him if he accepts his election. If he accepts, he chooses a papal name and is dressed in papal vestments before processing out to the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica. The ballots of the final round are burned with chemicals producing white smoke to signal to the world the election of a new pope. The senior cardinal deacon, currently French Cardinal Dominique Mamberti, Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, announces from the balcony of St. Peter’s “Habemus Papam” (“We have a pope”) before the new pope processes out and imparts his blessing on the city of Rome and the entire world” (USCCB – How Is a New Pope Chosen).

Let us pray for the Church, especially for the cardinals, so guided by the Holy Spirit, they can elect the new Pope who will guide the Church according to Christ’s heart.

Let us pray,

O God, eternal shepherd, who govern your flock with unfailing care, grant in your boundless fatherly love a pastor for your Church who will please you by his holiness and to us show watchful care.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen. (USCCB – Prayer for the Election of a New Pope)

Remember, The parish that we dream is the parish that I help to build.

God bless you and may the Blessed Virgin Mary be with you always!

Father Jorge Ramirez

Jesus Christ is the one and true hero

How many of us have gone to the theater to enjoy a good movie? I think most of us go to relax and enjoy a good time, whether it is watching an action, horror, comedy, science fiction, or superhero movies. I confess that I like movies a lot, and I am fascinated by the superhero movies. Superman is one of those heroes that I wanted to be when I was a child and that possibly some of you wanted to be as well. But the problem with the movies is when they are over, our life continues its course. Even though Superman may have saved the world, our life continues in the same form, with the same routine that sometimes is nonsensical.

We, Catholic Christians, just lived through Holy Week where we celebrated the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the only true hero because with His death on the Cross and His resurrection from the dead, He has saved all of us; in other words, He has saved the whole world. And although we have certainly seen many movies about the life of Jesus of Nazareth, we know and strongly believe that Jesus is not a character invented by a writer and acted in a Hollywood movie, but He is a real person who loves us immensely. He protects us from our enemies as a shepherd protects His sheep from the wolf that wants to devour them, just as the Lord Jesus tells us: “I give my life for my sheep” (Jn. 10,14).

The Lord Jesus takes cares of us always, and we should always follow Him. In the same way, Christ Jesus, by the immense love that He has for us, sends the Holy Spirit, so all of us can obey the Lord through our love for Him and for our brothers and sisters. Jesus says: “As the Father loves me, so I love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in His love. I have told you this so that joy may be in you and your joy may be complete” (Jn. 15:9-11). Hence, Christ is the true hero among heroes because He is not a selfish being who wants power only for himself, but He gives us His power, His strength so that we may follow His steps and make of this world a better one.

When a mother worries about her children, when teachers prepare their lessons with care so that their students may learn, when a policeman ensures the safety of the citizens, or when a priest celebrates the Eucharist with love, all of them are heroes because they all have the same Spirit of Christ. You and I have the Holy Spirit. And when we manifest the Holy Spirit in our lives, we are true witnesses of the Resurrection of the Lord. We did not just live a week where something that seems fictional was narrated, but we commemorated the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of the Lord. That is why St. Luke reminds us in his Gospel that we are witnesses of these things (Cf. Lk. 24,48). Let us live the Resurrection of the Lord with immense joy, and let Him be the true and only hero among heroes.

¡Felices Pascuas! Happy Easter!

Remember, The Parish that we dream is the parish that I help to build. God bless you, and may the Blessed Virgin Mary be with you always!

Fr. Jorge Ramirez

“Exult greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem! Behold: your King is coming to you, a just Savior is He, Humble, and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9). This text from the Bible was written by the prophet Zechariah approximately 500 years before the triumphant entrance of our Lord Jesus Christ into Jerusalem. But, what is the real meaning of this? Why did the prophet announce this solemn entrance of a king, not riding a big horse or steed, but instead this king rode a donkey? What kind of king is this who preferred to demonstrate all His splendor and majesty through a simple act of humility, such as riding a simple donkey? Some people could think that there was a mistake in the vision of the prophet or that Jesus did not have another option than to ride this animal; however, I see a coherent way to demonstrate that the Kingdom of God is always present in simplicity.

Our Lord Jesus Christ was a simple man who was always surrounded by the Anawim, the poor of Yahweh. “Who were the ‘Anawim’? They were the poor of every sort: the vulnerable, the marginalized, the socio-economic oppressed, those of lowly status without earthly power. In fact, they depended totally on God for whatever they owned. The Hebrew word Anawim (inwetan) means those who are bowed down” (catholicnewsagency.com).

Jesus came to serve the Anawim. He wanted to serve them. This was one of the big lessons that Jesus taught to His disciples in the Last Supper. When our Lord washed the feet of the apostles, He taught them to serve one another in a humble way. Service is a fundamental part of the Kingdom of God which was proclaimed by our Lord. Jesus served always with happiness because He was serving the creation that God, the Father, made with so much love. Because Jesus loves all creation, He wanted to stay with us in the form of bread and wine. In the Last Supper, Jesus Christ offered Himself as the living bread that came down from heaven (John 6:51). The Eucharist is the most sublime act of love of Jesus because it has connection with the ultimate sacrifice that He gave for us on the Cross. In the Last Supper, Jesus Christ gave us His body and blood for the forgiveness of our sins. For that reason, when we eat this bread and drink this cup, we are announcing the Lord’s death until He comes again (cf. 1 Corinthians 11:26-32).

We are proclaiming the death of Jesus. And Jesus died on the cross for us because He loves us very much. No question about this. The death of our Lord on the cross is the highest proof of His love. He, the King of the Universe, sacrificed His life for us, His sheep, His flock. A king does not need to sacrifice for anybody, but Jesus Christ did it because He came to serve, not to be served (cf. Matthew 20:28). His Kingdom is a kingdom of love, sacrifice, sorrow… a kingdom of the Cross. However, this kingdom is as well a kingdom of happiness, joy, hope… a kingdom of Resurrection. The death of Jesus on the Cross is the way that He redeemed humankind, and His resurrection is the hope that we find in our lives.

My brothers and sisters, Holy Week is not just another week where we have extra activities in Church, or a way to stage the last moments of our Lord Jesus Christ. Holy Week is a commemoration of salvation that we received through the passion, death, and resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Let us experience with love and happiness each one of the celebrations during this week and let us thank God for the opportunity to celebrate these sacred mysteries in the company of our family… the family of the Roman Catholic Church.

Remember, The parish that we dream is the parish that I help to build!

God bless you and may the Blessed Virgin Mary be with you always!

Fr. Jorge Ramirez

My dear brothers and sisters.

Our Lord Jesus Christ always tells us about the importance of loving God, our neighbors, and our- selves. The good works that we do in our lives reflect this wonderful love that we have. The Church also reminds us of the importance of giving alms, especially during Lent time. Last year, on February 10 & 11, Holy Trinity Church had a Penny Sunday, which was destined to the missions in Kenya. Fr. Tulio Ramirez, on behalf of my classmate, Fr. Jimmy Gil, who works in Kenya, spoke about this mission. Now, Fr. Jimmy is writing a letter in gratitude for our generosity for his mission.

Dear Holy Trinity Church and Reverend Father Jorge Ramírez,

Receive a fraternal greeting in Christ Jesus.

We would like to express our deepest gratitude for the generous support of $5,161 that you offered us last year to help sustain the evangelizing mission in our community. Your cooperation has been a true testimony of ecclesial communion and missionary solidarity.

Thanks to your contribution, we have been able to carry out various works within the parish and for the benefit of the community. There is often much more we would like to do, but the daily challenges we face can overwhelm and limit our efforts. For instance, termites had destroyed the roof of the tank where we store rainwater for times of drought. Thanks to your support, we were able to repair the damage and ensure access to water for the community.

We were also able to address other urgent needs within the parish, such as reorganizing and improving the rooms and bathrooms of the guest-house, which were in very poor condition. These actions, though simple, have had a significant impact on both pastoral life and the well-being of the community.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Our parish is located in mission territories, and we cannot sustain ourselves alone. Much of what we do in service to others would not be possible without the generous support of sister communities who, aware of the Church’s universal mission, collaborate to sustain those who serve in these places.

Thank you for allowing us to serve. May the Lord bless you abundantly and reward all the good you do in your journey as Church. With gratitude and esteem,

Fr. Jimmy Alexander Gil Ocampo

This weekend, the Church is celebrating the fourth Sunday of Lent, which is called Laetare Sunday or Sunday of Rejoicing. This Sunday is like Gaudete Sunday which is celebrated on the third Sunday of Advent. Hence, in both Sundays, Laetare and Gaudete, the Church uses the rose color. The rose color indicates a glimpse of joy that awaits us on Easter before we go to celebrate the Passion and Death of Our Lord Jesus Christ. In other words, Laetare Sunday reminds us that we are close to the sacred mysteries of the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of our Lord. Therefore, the Church wants to express hope and joy in the middle of penance, fasting, and the rest of the Lenten observances.

Mr. Michael Heinlein, editor of Simply Catholic, says, “Laetare Sunday is the Church’s way of giving us a ‘shot in the arm’ as we approach the darkness and horror of the days through Good Friday and Holy Saturday. It’s an opportunity to savor and keep in the back of our minds what awaits us on Easter Sunday — the reality that Jesus Christ is risen from the dead, and that our hearts will always be filled with joy!” (Simply Catholic).

Laetare Sunday reminds us that Jesus Christ came to save each one of us. He did not come to condemn us, but to guide us to the house of our heavenly Father. He came to restore our friendship with God, and the way that Jesus did this was through His Passion and Death on the cross, and of course, His resurrection. Therefore, this Sunday invites us to rejoice not for the death of Jesus but rejoice because through Jesus’ death on the Cross and His Resurrection, we have been saved. In addition, the Resurrection of the Lord is giving us hope that we will find something better and wonderful in the Kingdom of God.

Let us remember that God does not want to condemn us, to send us to Hell. Hell is a reality in which if we are not careful with our spiritual life, we can go. But Jesus’ love is bigger than our sins, and He wants all of us go to the Kingdom of Heaven. Hence, we are celebrating this Laetare Sunday.

Let us celebrate and rejoice in this time of Lent as an anticipation of joy at the Easter festivities.

Remember, The Parish that we dream is the parish that I help to build.

God bless you, and may the Blessed Virgin Mary be with you always!

Fr. Jorge Ramirez

Every year, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester presents the Catholic Ministries Appeal, CMA, which is the annual campaign that through generosity of all faithful, the Diocese can help many, many people who are most in need. As you know, this year’s slogan is Extending Christ’s Mission through the Catholic Ministries Appeal. St. Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians (1 Cor 11:27) says that we are the mystical body of Christ. Our work and generosity are proofs of God’s love.

This year, the Church of the Most Holy Trinity, has a goal of $192,000 dollars. I am very pleased and excited to share with all of you that we achieved this goal. We have given 100%. Your donations are expressions of the many thoughtful ways in which you care for people in need throughout the entire Diocese.

I have shared with you that the parish is not only the pastor or the staff. All of you are also very important members of this wonderful family, Holy Trinity. Thank you very much for being present in our parish family, working hard for our Parish, our Diocese, and for the Kingdom of God. Let us continue to work even harder so all our wonderful Holy Trinity Family can feel God’s love through each one of our actions.

I thank God every day for the time that I have been able to share with all of you. It is my privilege to be your pastor. And, with God’s help, I look forward to many more years of sharing my ministry with you. Thank you again for your most generous donation to the CMA. Holy Trinity Church is very appreciative of your generosity. Remember, you are always in my prayers.

Remember, The Parish that we dream is the parish that I help to build.

God bless you and may the Blessed Virgin Mary be with you always!

Fr. Jorge Ramírez