For the Solemnity of Mary Mother of God, the Feast of the Epiphany, and the Second Sunday, Third Sunday, and Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God – January 1, 2023 Readings: Nm 6:22–27 • Ps 67:2–3, 5, 6, 8 • Ga … [Read more...]
About Deacon W. Patrick Cunningham
Deacon Pat Cunningham was ordained in 2002 and recently celebrated twenty years of diaconal service. He is retired from Catholic school teaching and administration but still serves part-time at St. Pius X parish in San Antonio, TX. He has been married to Carolyn since 1971; they have three daughters and ten grandchildren.
Saint Joseph and the Perpetual Virginity of Blessed Mary
April 28, 2022 by Deacon W. Patrick Cunningham
My friend was an Evangelical Protestant but we occasionally discussed faith. I had questioned him enough to conclude, with him, that he agreed with the great Christological and Trinitarian Councils of the early Christian centuries, … [Read more...]
Homilies for June 2021
May 20, 2021 by Deacon W. Patrick Cunningham
For June 6 (Corpus Christi), June 13, June 20, and June 27, as well as the Solemnities of the Sacred Heart (June 11), of the Birth of John the Baptist (June 24), and of Sts. Peter and Paul (June 29) Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and … [Read more...]
Accusation, Forgiveness, and the Joy of Forgetting
April 8, 2017 by Deacon W. Patrick Cunningham
The greatest problem any one of us human beings has is sin. Sin can make our lives miserable on earth, and, if it is unrepented and unforgiven, it can result in everlasting misery. When the priest-prophet Zechariah foretold the ministry of … [Read more...]
A Pastoral Approach to Bullying
September 13, 2016 by Deacon W. Patrick Cunningham
In a little over a two-month period, two men in our city killed themselves because of what can only be called “bullying.” Shortly after the New Year, a student, attending a high school I had attended and taught at decades before, ended his l … [Read more...]
Preaching, Music, and Acoustics
February 12, 2015 by Deacon W. Patrick Cunningham
The work of the New Evangelization is identical to the work of evangelization in every age: to communicate to those who are unaware of the saving work of the Son of God those things that will bring them to accept the gift of faith, and come … [Read more...]
Breaking Down the Barriers to Prayer
July 26, 2014 by Deacon W. Patrick Cunningham
The heart hardens with a kind of moral crust that excludes compassion for others and prevents communication with others, especially God. Habits of sin, especially the seven deadly sins, keep us focused on our own pleasure, honor, and … [Read more...]
The Virgin Birth, Perpetual Virginity, and NFP
May 23, 2014 by Deacon W. Patrick Cunningham
...we need to look back at the reign of Joseph’s direct ancestor, the great King David ... (which) will help us understand that Mary was ... the lifelong Spouse of the Holy Spirit, and that Joseph was her protector, but not her sexual p … [Read more...]
Orthodoxy and Doxology
August 25, 2013 by Deacon W. Patrick Cunningham
Orthodoxy is both right praise and right teaching. Orthodox understanding of, and adoration of, the Blessed Trinity is the most critical component of our unity in Christ. St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians (1:12) reminds us that in C … [Read more...]
Homilies for June 2013
May 26, 2013 by Deacon W. Patrick Cunningham
For Sunday Liturgies and Feasts Homilies for June 2013 "Christ of St. John of the Cross" by Salvador Dali, and consecration of the Eucharist. Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ (Corpus Christi)—June 2, 2013 … [Read more...]
Cantor, Psalmist, and Cleric: The Pastoral Care and Responsibilities of the Soloist Musician
January 25, 2013 by Deacon W. Patrick Cunningham
Next to the ministry of priests and deacons, the ministries in parish music—particularly music for Mass—are the most visible in many Catholic communities. With the advent of the new Missal, ... music ministries have the opportunity to beco … [Read more...]
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