St. Martha Catholic Church at 60 Martha's Vineyard, Prestonsburg, KY 41653-1701 US -
Are You Saved?
Another question that Catholic Christians in Appalachia are always being asked is "Are you saved?". We Catholic Christians, and Christians of other denominations, may use the same word, "saved" or "salvation", but various ...
Why Do You Call the Priest "Father"?
Another question that we Catholic Christians living in Appalachia are often asked is "Why do you call the priest "Father?". Doesn't Jesus tell us in the Bible not to call anyone Father? To fully understand why Jesus says "call no one ...
How Do Catholics View the Bible?
God's word broke into the life of Abram (Abraham) nearly four thousand years ago, and a stream of God's revelation began which reached its fulfillment in Jesus of Nazareth and continues in our hearts today. In the fullness of time, God's word came not merely as a ...
How Are Catholic and Protestant Bibles Different - Why the Difference?
When you read the Catholic and the Protestant Bibles, you will notice that there is a difference between the two Bibles. Whatever Protestant Bible (King James, NIV, RSV) you may read, you will notice first of all that the translation may be different from the Catholic ...
What Exactly Is Lent?
It is easy to identify a Catholic on Ash Wednesday each year - the signature cross of ashes (made from the burning of last year's palm branches) gives Catholics away as we begin the sacred season of Lent. Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent, and Lent continues until ...
Why Do Catholics Make the Sign of the Cross?
When I became a Catholic Christian in 1976, after being raised in a different Church in my younger years, some of my family would ask me "Why do you do those Catholic things?". One such Catholic "thing" that they were referring to was the Sign of ...
The Sign of the Cross (Part 2)
"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit" The Sign of the Cross is a prayer that all of us Catholic Christians are very familiar with in our lives. We need to remember that the Sign of the Cross is not simply a way to begin and to end praying. The ...
Why Do Catholics Confess Their Sins To a Priest?
One of the most common questions that those who are not Catholic may ask of the Catholic Church is "Why tell your sins to a priest when you can go directly to God?". I am reminded of the little boy who was afraid of thunder and lightening. One night, as he was sleeping, a ...
Why Don't Catholic Priests Get Married?
Being a Catholic priest for 28 years and being from Pike County, I have family members and friends who ask "Why aren't you married?"; in other words - "Why don't Catholic priests get married?". You may have asked that same question yourself. The Catholic Church calls ...
Where Do Catholics Get Their Beliefs?
There are many people who ask: where do you Catholics get all those things you believe in? How do you come up with all your beliefs--where do your doctrines come from? To begin to answer those questions, there are certain principles that guide the ...
Fr. Bob's 2011 Vacation/Retreat to Utah
Follow Fr. Bob on his journey through the amazing land of beautiful deserts, unusual rock formations, breathtaking canyons, beautiful blue skies and majestic mountains of southern Utah. Just click on the link below and enjoy the peace and serenity provided by our natural wonders that could only have been created ...
What Is Changing?
Beginning with the First Sunday of Advent this year, November 27, certain responses and phrases will be changing in the Mass. After several years of studying the English translation of the original Latin text, our Church has changed certain words to reflect more precisely the Biblical and original ...
Why Change the Words?
As you have read, some of the words of the Mass will be changing at the beginning of Advent, 2011. Some of you are asking, why change the words that I am so familiar with? Our Church wants us to realize that we are the ecclesial Body of Christ, as St. Paul tells us in the First letter to the ...
What Exactly Will Change In the Mass?
In this article, we are continuing to speak of the changes in the Mass, starting Advent of 2011. What exactly will change in the Mass? The structure of the Mass will NOT change. The words of the prayers, including the Eucharistic Prayer, and the community ...
A New Style of English?
As previously noted, the revised translation of the Mass will convey more fully the rich biblical images and allusions that can be found in the Latin original. The revised translation uses a style of English that is less conversational and more noble in tone. This style helps us to express an even ...
The Penitential Act
As We continue our walk through the Mass, we enter the Penitential Act which follows the Greeting, the priest invites the gathered community to ask God for mercy. When we ask for God’s mercy at this moment in the Mass, we recognize our sinfulness, we recognize...
The Confiteor
Our church provides three options to be used during the Penitential Act as I mentioned in my last article. The first option which is most familiar to everyone is the penitential Prayer called the Confiteor—the first word of this prayer in Latin, meaning ‘I confess’. In ...
What Is "Mountain Echoes"?
(Check It Out)
(Check It Out)
The newest addition to our parish website, "Mountain Echoes", is a growing library of audio presentations that reflects diverse aspects of the wisdom found among the people of the mountains of Appalachia. Growing up in these mountains, I was always surrounded ...
St. Martha Wish List
We want to sincerely thank all of our parishioners who have given, and who continue to give, so generously to our parish. We would also like to extend an opportunity to special friends and members of our extended parish family to purchase/donate to the procurement of items needed to ...
RCIA Begins August 18
The RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) is a series of sessions concerning the beliefs of our Catholic Church for those who are not Catholic. In these sessions, we learn with our mind and our heart the Catholic Way of Life and our walk with the Lord. These sessions will be held ...
Bible Study - St. Paul's Letter to the Romans
The St. Paul Bible Study Group meets at 7:00 pm in the Education/Outreach Building. This year we are discussing St. Paul's Letter to the Romans, Chapter 9-16. Did you know that St. Paul's Letter To the Romans is St. Paul's longest letter in the New Testament, ...
CCD Classes
CCD classes - religious education classes - for the young people of our parish meet at 10 am in the Education/Outreach Building. Classes are offered for children age 2 years through 17 years. Parents, bring your children so that they may learn more about our God, our Church, and the ...
Adult Apologetics
Are your children asking you questions about the faith that you don't know how to answer? Are your friends, family, neighbors, or coworkers challenging you with questions concerning the Catholic Church? Do you want to know more about our Catholic Faith in order to grow closer to ...
St. Luke Catholic Church Destroyed by Tornado
On Friday (March 2) at 6:48 p.m., an EF-3 tornado tore through the town of Salyersville, Kentucky and changed not only the landscape of our small town, but also our day-to-day life. Directly in the path of this monster tornado was the church/parish hall, the rectory, and the outreach ...
We Are Rebuilding!
A trailer has been purchased by our insurance company is now on our property. This temporary structure will serve us as our worship space, CCD/education space, fellowship space, community space and office space. This week we have installed water and sewer lines, electricity, ...
