I want to say a big thank you to everyone who worked so hard in decorating and preparing our church for Christmas.  Many people have told me how much they enjoyed the Christmas Service.

Thank you to Pat Prakopcyk, Lisa Sforza, Nancy Coletti, and Glenn Ricketts, our musicians who make our services and liturgies throughout Advent and Christmas so special and prayerful for all of us.

Thank you to our Ministry Heads and all the Ministers: Rob Preston for coordinating all our Readers; John-Joseph Bober for coordinating our Extraordinary Ministers of Eucharist; Rich Kopf for coordinating the Ushers; and our Sacristan Margaret Rocca here at St. (Read more…)

Today we celebrate the feast of the Epiphany.  This is one of the Feasts of the Manifestations of Christ to others after His birth.  But the manifestations were accepted by those who were witnesses. And those witnesses would give witness to others. Our world today is in great need of people who will witness for their faith in Christ.

When we leave Church on Sundays we are called to go home and “make known” what we have heard, seen, and received. (Read more…)

The Holy Family

As we know our Christmas Season continues, and today we celebrated the feast of the Holy Family, the family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, the family that makes this Season possible. Our Holy Father Pope Francis has a great love for the family unit. He has challenged us to strive for spiritual unity and for the strengthening of families by following the example of the Holy Family.

He stated, “Dear Families, you know very well that the true joy which we experience in the family is not superficial; it does not come from material objects, from the fact that everything seems to be going well. (Read more…)

Dear Parishioners,

The Christmas Gospel speaks to us of a family, rejoicing at a child’s birth, their lives uniquely affected by God’s presence in their midst, responding with faith and trust to their special role in the history of salvation.

The example of the Holy Family inspires us as we celebrate Christmas. As they rejoice at Jesus’ birth, so too do we, remembering the new divine life made possible by Jesus’ life on earth.

I want to encourage you, in as sincere a way as I can, to remember to keep Christ “first” in all you do and say while you are going through your Christmas activities.  By keeping Christ first, we can be sure to reach out to those around us (yes, even those who are rude) with the true message of Christmas, and that is that Jesus Christ came to earth to seek and to save that which was lost. (Read more…)

We have available the “Oplatki” or “Christmas Wafers” for your use. This is millennia old tradition that began in Poland, Slovakia, and Lithuania.

At the Christmas Eve Meal one of the wafers or, a part of one, are placed on each person’s plate. Before the meal, a prayer is said and then beginning with the father and mother of the house, a Sign of Peace is exchanged in the same manner and the wish of a Happy Christmas. (Read more…)

This week, on Wednesday, December 8, we celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Not only is this a great feast of our Lady in its own right, but it is under the title of her Immaculate Conception that the United States is dedicated to our Lady as our patroness – it is our national feast day.

Here are 7 things you need to know about the teaching and the way we celebrate it. (Read more…)