Dec 19, 2023

Christmas Greetings!

A very Merry and Blessed Christmas to you and your loved ones!

Welcome home to our seminarians and students who have been away studying. It is always wonderful to see your faces. Greetings to those who are visiting back home for the holidays. I hope your visit home is full of graces. Blessings to our visitors! May your time in Akron and at St. Sebastian Parish lift your spirits to the Newborn King. A special  hello to those who are visiting from other parishes or even other faiths. Know that you are welcome here and if you are looking for a spiritual home, I hope that you can find it at St. Sebastian Parish.

And finally, to all of our St. Sebastian parishioners, may our Christmas celebrations be for you a shining point of our worship of our Father throughout the year. Thank you for your devotion and support. What a grace it is for me to get to be your pastor. Please know of my daily prayers for you and I ask that you keep your priests (and intern!) in yours.

IN OTHER NEWS:

HOLY DAY: Because of the odd way that Christmas falls this year, the Fourth Week of Advent will only last a few hours and we will enter directly into our Christmas celebrations. So, it will feel as though you go to Mass for your Sunday obligation and will have to turn right around again and get to come to Mass for Christmas. Here is the schedule:

FOURTH SUNDAY IN ADVENT MASSES

• Saturday, December 23 Sunday Vigil Mass 4:30pm
• Sunday, December 24 Sunday Mass 9:00am
• Sunday Mass 11:00am

CHRISTMAS MASSES

• Sunday, December 24 Christmas Mass 4:00pm
• Christmas Mass 7:00pm
• MIDNIGHT MASS 12am
• Monday, December 25 Christmas Mass 9:00am
• Christmas Mass 11:00am

NEW YEAR’S MASS: Monday, January 1, the Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God, is NOT a holy day of obligation this year because this feast falls on a Monday. Unlike Christmas, if this feast falls on a Saturday or Monday, there is no obligation to attend Mass on this day. There will be Mass that day, however, for those who wish to attend. It will be at 9am.

OFFICE CLOSED: The parish offices will be closed for Christmas from December 22-26, except December 23 from 8:30-11am. They will also be closed for New Years from December 29-January 1, except December 30 from 8:30-11am.

REGISTERED?: If you would like to register for the parish, you may do so by stopping by the office during business hours or on our website. It would be great to have you as official parishioner.

God bless,

Fr. Valencheck