Fr. Will Rooney was baptized at St. Anthony’s Parish in Bryan, TX where his parents had been married. He has two younger brothers, David and Travis. Will received his First Communion at St. Anthony’s and around that time began to think about becoming a priest. Will was confirmed at St. Thomas Aquinas in May 2006. During high school, he actively participated in the parish youth group and was involved in robotics competitions. He and his brothers also raised poultry for 4-H and FFA projects. Upon graduation from A&M Consolidated High School in 2009, Will studied Biological and Agricultural Engineering at Texas A&M University. While at A&M, he worked as a Middle School youth minister and felt a growing desire toward priesthood. In his senior year at A&M, he decided to apply for seminary, was accepted, and began attending Holy Trinity Seminary for pre-theology after he graduated. Two years later, Will was sent to St. Mary’s Seminary in Houston for theological studies. He served his pastoral year at St. Louis, King of France, Catholic Church and School in Austin (2017-2018). He was ordained to the Diaconate May 18, 2019 and currently ministers at Our Lady of the Visitation in Lockhart, TX. He was be ordained to the priesthood June 27, 2020 and currently ministers at St. Mary Cathedral in Austin, TX
Fr. Will Rooney has hosted 137 Episodes.
-
The Revelation that Changes Us | Homily for the Feast of the Epiphany | Dcn. Matt Hoelscher
January 7th, 2024 | Season 3 | 9 mins 33 secs
b, christmas, epiphany
-
God Revealed: What's Our Response? | Homily for the Feast of the Epiphany | Dcn. Barney Rodriguez
January 7th, 2024 | Season 3 | 10 mins 10 secs
b, christmas, epiphany, revealed
-
It's a Family Affair | Homily for Feast of the Holy Family | Fr. Will Rooney
December 31st, 2023 | Season 3 | 14 mins 20 secs
b, christmas, family
The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him. (Lk 2:40)
-
The Story | Homily for Christmas Day Mass | Fr. Will Rooney
December 25th, 2023 | Season 3 | 10 mins 49 secs
-
Light Shines in the Darkness Homily for Christmas Midnight Mass | Fr. Will Rooney
December 25th, 2023 | Season 3 | 10 mins 26 secs
-
A Father who Loves Homily for Christmas Vigil Mass | Fr. Will Rooney
December 24th, 2023 | Season 3 | 9 mins 17 secs
Out of love, the Father sends the Son as a delightful, defenseless, demanding child to save us by provoking us to love Him through his total self-gift. The Son, the Word, loving his Father and loving all of us is sent, desirous to save us, through the power of the Holy Spirit.
-
Stay Focused | Homily For Fourth Sunday of Advent | Dcn. Matt
December 24th, 2023 | Season 3 | 6 mins 54 secs
4, advent, b, dcn., focus
-
Waiting with Love | Homily for the Third Sunday of Advent | Fr. Will Rooney
December 17th, 2023 | Season 3 | 17 mins 25 secs
3, advent, b, charity
Today the Church places before our eyes the greatest examples of waiting that we have in the Bible. John the Baptist and Mary, the Mother of Jesus. If we want to learn what to do in the waiting, we can look to them. What do they do in the waiting? Both Mary and John teach us how to wait – that we are in fact called to charity while we wait – both also specify that above all else our Charity is to direct others to an encounter with God.
-
Waiting with Hope | Homily for the Second Sunday of Advent | Fr. Will Rooney
December 10th, 2023 | Season 3 | 19 mins 58 secs
2, advent, b, hope, saints, waiting
When we know we are loved it changes everything, when we know we are awaited it changes everything. The story of Josephine Bakhita demonstrates the power of hope. Our faith leads us to trust God, and through it we come to hope in his promises. Hope then changes the way we wait.
-
Waiting with Faith | Homily for the First Sunday of Advent | Fr. Will Rooney
December 3rd, 2023 | Season 3 | 16 mins 24 secs
1, advent, b, faith
O Lord make us turn to you; let us see your face, and we shall be saved. (Psalm 80:4) We do not get to choose whether or even how long we wait, but we do get to choose how we wait. We wait because we are human; but how we wait determines whether we flourish or fail as humans. We wait in faith. We cry out in our waiting, O Lord make us turn to you; let us see your face, and we shall be saved.
-
Living for Heaven | Homily for the Solemnity of Christ the King | Fr. Will Rooney
November 26th, 2023 | Season 3 | 11 mins 9 secs
34, a, christ the king, ot, service
Heaven – unending communion with God – that is what you are made for. We ought to long to hear those words; come blest of my Father and enter into the kingdom prepared for you. Jesus gives us a very clear measure today of what is necessary to in communion with him. The measure of whether you are whether you are ready for heaven is to consider whether you are ready to do as he does – to lay down your life for the least of these. If we refuse communion with Christ in those around us, we cannot hope to be with him in glory. Yet the opposite is also true, if we love like him, we will reign in glory with Him in the communion of the Spirit to the Glory of God the Father!
-
What is Hell? And How to Avoid It. | Homily for the 33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time | Fr. Will Rooney
November 19th, 2023 | Season 3 | 9 mins 47 secs
33, a, hell, judgement, ot
We don't like to admit that Hell is a reality - it makes us uncomfortable to think about. Yet, Jesus speaks often speaks of it. No one goes to Hell accidently, and “God predestines no one to go to hell; for this, a willful turning away from God (a mortal sin) is necessary, and persistence in it until the end." God loves us so much that he gives us the freedom to choose against loving him. But we can always choose to return to him, while we live there is hope. Turn to the Lord and be saved!
-
Ready for Judgment? | Homily for the 32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time | Fr. Will Rooney
November 12th, 2023 | Season 3 | 14 mins 13 secs
32, a, judgement, ot
These are the conditions for each of us to win at the game of life. If we wish to enter and share the joy of the wedding feast, we must live so as to love God above all things and our neighbor for God’s sake. This is what Jesus means when he says stay awake! Stay awake to the fact you will die, and that heaven awaits you, if only you choose it. “Every action of yours, every thought, should be those of one who expects to die before the day is out. Death would have no great terrors for you if you had a quiet conscience.… Then why not keep clear of sin instead of running away from death? If you aren’t fit to face death today, it’s very unlikely you will be tomorrow”.… Imitation of Christ 1.23.1
-
Death | Homily for the 31st Sunday of Ordinary Time | Dcn. Matt
November 5th, 2023 | Season 3 | 6 mins 27 secs
death, judgement
-
Humility and Spirituality | Homily for the 31st Sunday of Ordinary Time | Dcn. Barney
November 5th, 2023 | Season 3 | 13 mins 11 secs
31, a, ot
-
Love is a Skill | Homily for the 30th Sunday of Ordinary Time | Fr. Will Rooney
October 29th, 2023 | Season 3 | 14 mins 29 secs
30, a, charity, habit, ot, skill, virtue
We are born with the potential to love; but we are made for a deeply personal love! Love is not simply an emotion; but rather is a skill we can develop. Jesus challenges us to do that, and his Death and Resurrection make it possible!