Father JC's Page

A little about me....

I was born in the Philippines on April 14… many years ago! Growing up, I wanted to be either a pilot or a lawyer - but early on in my childhood, I realized my passion for the arts, especially for music and theater.

Music has always been my connection to God. Music brought me close to church as a youth. Music is also my best form of prayer. I have gained real friends (and families) through Music. It has always been a part of my life.

I see that the spiritual life is a journey. Life itself is a journey: an Emmaus walk with a friend, the Camino - a pilgrimage. We walk together - where Jesus Christ is at the center, and our Blessed Mother Mary holding our hand. I am thrilled that I am with you on this journey - our path - the Little Way.

Building friendships and small christian communities have always been my passion. Sharing faith and simple stories nourish me spiritually; I find that sharing the grief, pain and struggles - as well as the joys, victories and successes - of people is at the core of my calling. I thrive in places where there are real people who are searching for real questions and answers in life.

I have a lot of favorite things to do and places yet to see. I have recently found myself passionate about technology and the New Media. (I don’t like selfies, but always find myself having to do it anyway!)

I like to binge-watch series on Netflix, HBO Max, Disney Plus and Hulu. I like food and I enjoy traveling - exploring new places and learning little things about their great people and their history.

In summary - Who is JC? One who loves God and is fascinated by people:
a very happy Catholic priest!

Fr. JC Merino

Your Parish Priest

Fr. JC's Pastoral Letter

My dear Little Flower,

As we stand at the threshold of Holy Week, we hold palms in our hands, signs of victory, joy, and welcome. We cry out, “Hosanna!”… and yet we know how quickly that cry will turn into “Crucify Him.”
Palm Sunday brings us into a sacred tension: the tension between acclaim and rejection, between light and darkness, between love offered… and love refused.
And in the quiet background of this great mystery, the Church places before us a silent figure who helps us understand how to walk this path: Saint Joseph.

Joseph never walked the road to Calvary with Jesus. He was not physically present in the Passion narratives. And yet, everything about the Passion is already written in the way Joseph lived and taught Jesus, the Holy One of God.

Joseph taught Jesus the power of silence in the face of suffering.
As Jesus stands before Pilate, He speaks very little. As He carries the Cross, He does not defend Himself. As He hangs on the Cross, He entrusts everything to the Father.
Where did this come from?
In the hidden life of Nazareth, Jesus learned from Joseph that silence is not weakness, it is learning to listen; it is obedience, it is trust. Joseph’s silence was never empty.
It was filled with obedience. When God spoke, he listened. When God asked, he surrendered.
This is the same silence we are invited into this Holy Week: not a silence of fear, but a silence that says, “Father, I trust You, even here… in chaos, suffering, and darkness.”

Joseph was called a righteous man, in the Scriptures and so was Jesus.
Righteousness is not about appearances. It is about being wholly aligned with the will of God.
Joseph surrendered his plans for God’s.
Jesus, in Gethsemane, does the same: “Not my will, but Yours be done.”
What Joseph lived quietly in Nazareth, Jesus reveals fully on the Cross.
Righteousness is not perfection, it is total surrender.

Joseph made a home for Jesus. Jesus now makes a home for us.
Joseph protected, provided, and led the Holy Family. He built a place where love could grow in hiddenness.
And now, through the Passion, Jesus opens His heart… so that we may dwell in Him.
From Nazareth… to Calvary… to the empty tomb, God is always doing the same thing:
He is making a home for His people.

This is the spirit of Saint Joseph.
And this is the spirit of the Passion:
love poured out… not held back.

So, as we enter Holy Week, let us walk with Joseph (and our Blessed Mother) into the Passion of Christ.
Be silent, so you can hear the voice of the Father. Be righteous, so you can trust even when it is difficult. Be faithful in the ordinary, so that your life becomes a dwelling place for God.
Do not be afraid of the Cross.
Because the Cross is not the end of the story. It is the place where love proves itself… completely.

Saint Joseph,
guardian of the Church,
walk with us through this Holy Week.
Teach us how to stand in silence at the foot of the Cross, how to trust when we do not understand, and how to remain faithful until the dawn of the Resurrection.
St. Joseph, Father and Patron of the Universal Church - pray for us.
Your Parish Priest,
Fr. JC