Dear friends,
As enter into another year of God’s gift, I wish you a very Happy, God-filled and Grace-filled New Year!
My prayers for all of us comes from the words of the Psalmist: “May He give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed” (Psalm 20:4).
We have a lot to pray for. With God’s presence and blessings, we can accomplish of them this year.
As we celebrate the Feast of Saint Brother Andre Bessette, C.S.C. I invite you to join us for a Special Mass at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 7, 2023 followed by the blessing of the Statue of Brother Andre.
The Grotto work is progressing very well. I am grateful to you for your generosity toward our campaign: God’s Heart our Dream 2.0.
I take this opportunity to extend my warmest welcome to KELLI SALCEDA as our new DRE (Director of Religious Education). Kelli comes to us from serving in the same position at a Catholic Church in California. Having had several years of experience she would be a perfect fit for our parish. Hearty Welcome to you Kelli.
This year we will be going on a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe from 15-20 May 2023. And another 11-day pilgrimage to Greece and Ephesus from 11–21 October 2023. More details will be coming soon.
On the First Day of January the Mother Church invites us to celebrate the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God. Mother Mary is given this unique privilege to be the Mother of God. Of all the Marian celebrations of the Church, this day dedicated to Mary, Mother of God, is the greatest. Drawing on scriptural and patristic sources, it celebrates Mary’s role in the Incarnation and in Redemption. In this role, he special relationship with her son is emphasized, and she is acknowledged as a model of the Church. When the shepherds bring the message that Jesus is the Messiah, Mary begins to process the news and she continues to treasure them . Instead of panicking she looks at this news as God’s perfect plan for the salvation of the world. Mary looks to the future with peace and hope. As Kate Larson puts it: “Contemplating the future can be scary. God has a plan for each of us, but God unfolds it little by little. None of us know the full picture or implications. Let us pray to have Mary’s trust, peace, and confidence as we contemplate the year ahead.”
First January is the Octave Day of the Nativity of the Lord. The 8 days of Christmas comes to an end but the Christmas Season will continue until the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord which falls on January 9, 2023. I want to Congratulate those of you who continue to meditate on the mystery of the Nativity with the help of the creche/ nativity/ manger.
Have a blessed week!
With love,
Fr. John