Nov 30, 2023

Greetings,

Happy Advent! This Sunday we begin the new liturgical year and the shortest possible advent that we can have! The fourth Sunday of advent will be followed immediately on Monday with Christmas. So, we will celebrate our full Sunday schedule and then that aȅernoon begin our Christmas Masses. In three days, your priests will celebrate nine Masses, but you only need to attend two! Had we still the Latin Mass it would have been eleven Masses!

So, get ready to open the first day on your advent calendar or light the first candle on your advent wreath. And there are a few events here at your parish for your consideration to help augment your advent festivities:

HALLOW APP: Hallow is not only one of the best Catholic apps, but also one of the best apps period. There will be a Praise and Worship Concert here TONIGHT, December 3 at 6:30pm featuring Daniel Oberreuter. You can find some of his music on YouTube. Refreshments to follow. If you were looking for something to kickstart and augment your prayer life, this might be the thing for you. It is great having something consistently wholesome to look at or listen to on one’s phone. The event is free and open to the public.

ADVENT NOON ADORATION AND ORGAN RECITALS: Because of the shortened advent season, there will only be three of these recitals. At noon on Tuesdays during adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, there will be an organ recital. It is a time to be moved to prayer while listening to one of our local organists fill our space with music. There is no applause until the end since we are there to pray. The recitals are free and open to the public. Each recital lasts approximately thirty to forty minutes.

CHRISTMAS CANDLELIGHT CONCERT: At 7pm on Sunday December 17, our choir and other instrumentalists will be performing their Christmas concert. It should be especially noted that this will be Lynn Steward’s final Christmas concert as she will be retiring as our Director of Music in the spring. The concert is free and open to the public. I hope to see you there!

HOLY DAY OF OBLIGATION: The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception is this Friday, December 8. It is under this title that she is patroness of the United States. It is also the anniversary of Bishop Pevic celebrating Mass for us installing me as pastor. In these days, our nation and our parish could use prayers more than ever before. Our Mass schedule follows: Thursday, December 7 at 7pm Friday, December 8 at 9am & 7pm

GIVING IDEAS: Of course, we always have ADORATION of the Blessed Sacrament on Tuesdays following the morning Mass and closing with compline and benediction at 7:40pm. The GIVING TREE is still up in the narthex of the church to donate presents to those in need. And there is ST. VINCENT DE PAUL who assists those within our parish boundaries. There is a special need at Christmas. You may donate in the Poor Box at the back of the church, send your donation to the rectory or drop a clearly designated donation in the collection to St. Vincent DePaul.

IN OTHER NEWS:

CDs: We have just about sold out of our first batch of CDs by Lynn Steward and our choir, but more are on the way! Make sure to secure yours aȅer Mass in the choir loȅ or at the rectory during office hours.

CONFESSIONS: Lines get pretty long, and the wait gets longer the closer we get to Christmas. Might I suggest that you get your Christmas confession in early? Confessions are Tuesdays from 7 to 7:30pm, Fridays from 4 to 5pm and Saturday mornings from 9:30 to 10am.

God bless,

Fr. Valencheck