Thanksgiving

11-18-2021Letters From Fr. BrianRev. Brian F. Manning

Dear Parishioners and Friends of Saint Mary’s,

This coming Thursday is Thanksgiving Day which is a very beautiful and wonderful time for us. For the most part we all gather with family and friends to celebrate with a special meal. I know that the Pandemic will influence how we celebrate this year, but our celebration will be closer to what we normally do. Not everyone is blessed to have family and friends that they can gather with on this day, so please recognize how blessed you are in your gathering with loved ones. All of us, of course, will hold in our hearts the special people of our lives who have gone before us to the other side of life. May they rest in peace. Amen. Also remember that some are missing from our tables because of bitter fights, long held grudges or remembered or forgotten resentments. Perhaps the Pandemic will help some of us to realize that a lot of our “issues” really do not matter and we should extend a hand of welcome to our missing family and friends. In the long run most negative issues we carry really do not merit the darkness we have kept in our hearts and the work to keep the alienation going. Some of my family will be gathering at our home down the Cape. There will be the traditional turkey dinner, (with the 3 minute rule if I drop the turkey! And the code of silence about it!)

One way to prepare our hearts for Thanksgiving would be to come to the special Town–wide Interfaith Thanksgiving Service which is being held in our church this year this Sunday November 21st at 7 PM. Some folks like to say that Thanksgiving like so many things have lost its meaning; I suggest that each one of us do something about it. I would say: please come to the spiritual and religious service being held this Sunday evening.

A few Parishioners have inquired whether our Missalettes will be returning to church now that a new church year, starting on the Sunday after Thanksgiving is arriving. We will continue to use the one time Worship Aid (the weekly printed music booklet) for the foreseeable future. The approximately $8000.00 (yes, about eight thousand dollars) for Missalettes for the entire church when most people should not be using books or papers which others have touched is an expense that makes no sense. We, also, must pay over $1500.00 for the ‘license” to print the music. We have to purchase this permission every year for the special booklets we use for Holy Week, Christmas, Confirmation and other events. If you wish to have the readings in printed form, you can get the series Magnificat by subscribing at: us.magnificat.net 

The Sunday after Thanksgiving is the First Sunday of Advent which launches our new church year. It is also one of the four Sundays to help us focus on the faith dimension of Christmas. On each Sunday evening, starting the First Sunday of Advent, November 28 at 7 PM there will be an Hour of Adoration and Exposition in our chapel – the lower level of our church building. Come and be in the special presence of the Lord. The Hour will conclude with Benediction. Perhaps a quiet hour of prayer is what you need in life.

I always am appreciative of the generosity of so many of you to the Mission and Holy Work of our Parish and also the Saint Vincent de Paul Society.

We make our prayers through the intercession of Mary, the Mother of God and our Parish Patroness. Our beloved Saint Rocco intercedes for all our ill, especially our young at the heavenly throne.

God bless,

Father Brian

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