Weekend of January 1-2, 2022

Dear Friends,

We celebrate today the great feast of the Epiphany, when the newborn Christ was made manifest to the people of every nation, represented by the Magi who came to worship him, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. This great Christmas feast is yet another reminder to us of Emmanuel, God-with-us. As we honor the Lord, who is born in our hearts over and over again, we ask him to make us bearers of his light to a world that so desperately needs him.

            I would like to take this occasion to thank you all for your generosity in our Christmas collection. The sacrifices that were so evident in your contributions are appreciated by me, as your pastor, and are certainly not unnoticed by God. This is one of the most important collections of the year, and so I want you to be sure that your generosity is not only appreciated but very necessary for the upkeep of our parish. The total for the Christmas collection will be reported in the bulletin within the next few weeks, since envelopes for Christmas are still being received by the parish office.

            Thanks are also extended to all those who made donations for Christmas flowers in memory of their loved ones. The beauty of our church during this holy season is a credit to all of you. Your envelopes, upon which you wrote the names of your beloved deceased, have been placed next to the tabernacle in both the upper and lower churches, where they remain close to the heart of Jesus and are remembered in our prayers and in the celebration of Mass, especially during this holy season.

            Finally, I would like to once again thank all those who so generously sent cards, gifts, and treats to the Rectory for Father Buck, Father Noone, Buster, our wonderful staff, and me. Your generosity is truly overwhelming.

            You will have noticed by this time that we have made progress on our outdoor Shrine to Saint Joseph, which will be on the corner of the rectory property closest to the church. The wooden cross, which formerly stood there, was removed several weeks ago, and, as of this writing, the contractors have already laid the footing for the statue. I anticipate that, very soon, they will be erecting the brick pedestal for the statue, and that the statue itself will be in place very soon after that.

            I remind you that, surrounding this beautiful shrine, will be brick memorials, similar to that which surrounds the grotto of Our Lady outside of “C” Building. You will be able to memorialize a brick in memory of or in honor of your loved ones, whom we will place in the care of Saint Joseph, who is such a loving and powerful father and intercessor. In the upcoming weeks you will be hearing more about how you can purchase bricks in memory of and in honor of your loved ones.

            I remind you that, in celebrating the feast of the Epiphany today, we still have another week in our season of Christmas. This season of joy and festivity doesn’t officially end until next Sunday, when we celebrate the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. No matter what’s on the Hallmark channel or the radio, and even with the Valentine’s Day decorations and candy on sale in the stores, it is right that we continue to celebrate Christmas, and the first manifestations of this Child, who is the Saviour of all humanity.

            Know that you and those you love are daily remembered in my Mass and my prayers.

                                                                                    Love and prayers,

                                                                                    Father Olivere