Choir and Christmas

12-10-2021Letters From Fr. BrianRev. Brian F. Manning

Dear Parishioners and Friends of Saint Mary Parish,

This Sunday at 3 PM in our main church our Choir will offer a most wonderful “Lessons and Carols” Service. Our extraordinary choir will be offering various Christmas Carols interspersed with sacred scripture about the Birth of Jesus Christ. This is during daylight hours and it is a great opportunity to prepare spiritually for Christmas. This is also a wonderful service of less than one hour to take your children to. Afterwards visit our beautiful outdoor Christmas Crib outside on the St. Rocco Plaza.

Terry Kerr, our gifted Music Director and Organist has prepared this special service for all of us. Also on this Sunday evening there will a Holy Hour of the Exposition and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament from 7 PM until 8 PM in our chapel on the lower level of the church. Christmas is fast approaching and perhaps you would consider attending one of these special spiritual events to prepare for Christmas.

Yes, Christmas is fast approaching for all of us. On our website, in the bulletin and on various signs are the Christmas Eve and Day Mass and Outdoor Communion Schedules. We will be Distributing Holy Communion outside at the Christmas Crib for those who do not find it possible for various reasons to attend Mass with lots of people inside a building. I will also be emailing the Schedule again to every household this coming Thursday so that you can consult it next weekend, the weekend before Christmas when you are most likely making your final plans for Christmas Eve and Day. I always say “people vote with their feet” and so our schedule reflects what over 98% of what parishioners wanted and did for last Christmas 2020.

Our Saint Vincent de Paul is most appreciative of those who gave to the “Giving Tree” via gifts cards.  They also deeply appreciate your support with food/cleaning supply items and financial donations. I am very grateful to those of you who continue to faithfully support us via on-line, mail in or drop by envelopes and those who give at the baskets at the Church doors when they attend Mass. Like you, our expenses are dramatically up, but unfortunately our income is down.

I hope you take some time to prepare spiritually for Christmas and also take the time to connect in various ways with your family and friends. This is still Pandemic times so all of life is a complicated to a great degree. Do the best you can in light of all the many factors. Do not neglect the important people in your life because of the Pandemic.

We remember and honor that our Parish Patroness is Mary, the Mother of God. Through her intercession our God helps us in our lives. Saint Rocco, our special Patron intercedes for those who are ill, especially our young.

God bless,

Father Brian