Encouraging the Culture of Encounter with Jesus Christ, His Church, and All People

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

“Heart of the Shepherd” Pledge Weekend
Thank you to all who have sent in your pledge cards for the Heart of the Shepherd Campaign.  As I mentioned last week, we have exceeded the goal, but now the work and patience begins.  I will keep you updated as payments come back to the parish.  In the meantime, I will begin setting up committees for the different projects we are looking to do.  We will post updates as we move forward on each of them.  On behalf of the bishop and the seminarians and priests and many others who will benefit from your generosity, I thank you.

Confessions Schedule for Advent
In addition to our regular parish confession schedule, our parish cluster will host confession nights.  There is one night left, Tuesday December 21 at Queen of Heaven Parish in Green.
If it has been a while since you have been to confession, take courage!  Just go! If you are unable to make these times or are concerned about health, please call me and we can make arrangements for me to come to you.

Decorations and “O Antiphons”
As you can see this weekend we have turned a corner in our preparations.  The focus of Advent now shifts to more directly prepare to celebrate the Nativity of our Lord.  Thank you to all who have helped to set up the tress, wreaths, and narthex decorations to help us delve deeper into the mysteries of this great season. 
It is also at this time that in the Church’s Liturgy of the Hours there are particular antiphons (like the ones chanted after the opening hymn at our Masses) like “O Wisdom,” “O Eastern Light”, “O King.” They are often called the “O” Antiphons as they call out different titles of the coming Messiah.

Christmas Mass Schedule
This year Christmas Day falls on a Saturday, which makes things interesting.  Christmas Eve is a Friday thus the regular 4pm Confessions and 5:30 Mass are canceled.  Masses will be:
Christmas Vigil (Ordinary Form) at 4pm on December 24.
Midnight Mass (Extraordinary Form)
Christmas Day (Ordinary Form) at 10am

As per instruction from the diocese, there will NOT be Saturday evening confessions or evening Mass on Dec. 25.

Sincerely in Christ,

Fr. Pfr