Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Today we celebrate the Fourth Sunday of Advent.
On Tuesday evening, December 24, we will begin the celebration of the birth of our Lord. As you probably know, in our Liturgies we follow the Jewish understanding of time. Once the sun sets, that day is over and the next day has begun. So, by 5 PM on December 24, Christmas has already begun. The Christmas season ends with the Baptism of the Lord,
which this year will be on Sunday, January 12.
Our Children’s Mass will be at 5 PM, preceded by a Christmas Pageant at 4:40 PM. At 7 PM we will have our Family Mass, and at 9 PM we will have our Mass during the Night in English, while our Mass during the Night in Spanish (“Misa de Gallo”) will be at 11 PM. On December 25, our Mass during the Day will be at 10 AM in English and 12 noon in Spanish.
In the hectic schedules that so many of us will have in these days, I would like to encourage you to seek out some quiet time to reflect on the gift that the Father has given us of his Son, Jesus Christ. It can help to accompany the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph as they journey to Bethlehem in our thoughts in a meditative and prayerful way.
We have some pamphlets with our Advent and Christmas season schedule in them; please hand these out to at least one person you know you doesn't come to church as a way to invite them to come back or come for the first time.
We’re continuing to fundraise for our third parish/school activity bus. We have purchased the bus on faith, because we didn’t want to lose four children who needed transportation in order to be able to attend. We’re hoping that we will be able cover the cost of $50,000 through donations. Each bus can hold 14 children, and I’m happy to report that all of the
buses are full. So far, we have raised $3706 so we have $46,294, left to raise. Thank you for your support for our school, and this future generation for the world and the Church which our school educates.
We are hoping to place a nice statue of the Holy Family on the corner of East St. and Edmonson St. It might be in marble or bronze. If we go with one that would be six feet high at its highest point and 32 inches by 22 inches at the base, the cost would be $17,320 in marble or $31,310 in bronze. We will also have to build a plinth (a heavy base to support the
statue) and mount the statue on it, which will cost more. It might be nice to build a small brick wall behind it someday as well. We hope this piece of art will be a landmark, a sign and a reminder to all who pass by of the dignity and sanctity of the family in the eyes of God. This is especially needed in today’s culture. Donations can be submitted to Precious Blood Catholic Church, putting “Holy Family Statue” in the memo line. As of this week, we have received $3005 in donations.
Happy Holy Days,
Fr. Kevin