I hope these last Advent days find you accomplishing what needs to get done and praying your way through everything. I pray this season of hope, promise, expectation, and conversion brings you to the Christmas Season filled with joy, love, light, and peace.
Few things looking to the end of the week:
---This year there are no capacity or spacing restrictions at Christmas Masses. There is no need to register.
---Bishop da Cunha has asked the faithful to please keep each other safe by wearing masks (though not mandated) and using hand sanitizer.
---All Christmas Masses will be streamed, and both the 4pm Christmas Eve and 10am Christmas Day Masses a Eucharistic Minister will be out in front of church distributing Communion for those praying with us in your cars watching the stream.
---The Christmas Mass schedule is: Two simultaneous 4pm Masses in church and parish center; (remainder in church) 8:00pm, Midnight at 12:00am, and 10am Christmas Day.
---Be encouraged to take a new 2022 calendar compliments of Kane Funeral Home with you.
---Please note even though this week's bulletin said there would be a 4pm Vigil Mass for Sunday's Feast of the Holy Family we will not have a Mass Christmas Day evening. The only Masses for Holy Family are 8:30 & 10am.
---January 1st, the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, is not a holyday of obligation this year since it falls on a Saturday. However, we will have a 9:00am Mass in church New Year's Day morning for those who wish to honor the feast day and pray that 2022 will be holy, healthy, and happy.
---Our annual Children's Pageant will once again take place during the 8:30am Mass on Epiphany, Sunday, January 2nd. It's not quite as comical as the video below but a tender and touching experience of the Christmas story.
Fr. John, Deacon Gary and I are keeping you in our prayers. We and your fellow parishioners ministering with us look forward to greeting you, proclaiming the Good News, bearing the new born King to you in Holy Communion, and singing with you Joy to the World. I very much appreciate your presence and supportive generosity in keeping Holy Cross alive and well into the New Year 2022.
God Bless and keep you,
Fr. Brad
Enjoy getting ready by watching the Christmas story told through the eyes and hearts of children below!
As Advent comes to a close, one of the best ways to prepare for Christmas is to revisit the story of the Nativity - the true meaning of Christmas.
You can read the story of the first Christmas in both the Gospel of Matthew (1:18 - 2:12) and the Gospel of Luke (2:1-20). What better way to end the season of Advent than to take time as a family to read about the Holy Family!
We can get so used to all the secular images of Christmas that we can easily forget what it really looked like. As fun as it is to celebrate with presents and elves, reindeer, and Santa - the first Christmas was even more magical!
After spending some time reading through the Christmas story, click the video below to watch children explain the story of the Nativity in their own words, as their parents act it out. :)
What part of the Nativity story stands out most to you?
Leave a comment to let us know!