My Dear Brothers and Sisters,

We have begun the holy Season of Advent. This is a time of preparation and waiting for the great feast of the Lord’s Nativity. During these weeks, meditate prayerfully on the message that the Sacred Scriptures present to us. Let us open our hearts in love to the Lord.

There presently is no mandate in the church for wearing masks. Those who feel more comfortable using one may still find them at the entrances of the Basilica. There are also bottles of hand sanitizer around the entrances. There has been no outbreak of the virus in the parish. Just remember to stay home if you feel sick in any way and remember to wash your hands frequently.

My annual Christmas Appeal has been mailed out to the households. Please prayerfully consider a gift to the parish above and beyond your normal tithing. We are facing a number of large maintenance projects in the coming year and want to stay ahead of things.

Since Christmas falls on a Saturday this year, please note carefully the Mass times and plan ahead:

There will be two Masses on Christmas Eve, Friday the 24th: 4:00 p.m. and Midnight.

There will be one Christmas Mass on Christmas Day, Saturday the 25th, at 4:00 p.m. There will be no morning Mass and no confessions that day. There will be a Spanish Mass at 6:00 p.m.

The Masses on Friday and Saturday fulfill the obligation for Christmas and not for Sunday. The two Sunday Mass at 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. will be the Masses of the Holy Family and fulfill the Sunday obligation. So, you will need to attend one of the Christmas Masses and one of the Sunday morning Masses to fulfill the obligations for both days.

The Capital Campaign for the diocese will be launched in the new year. We are in the first phase of parishes that will be starting. There will be more on this as the time gets closer and the details are worked out. We are scheduled to begin after Easter.

If you receive an E-Mail or text from me or from Bishop Joensen, or from any priest, requesting money or gift cards, please DO NOT RESPOND. WE WOULD NEVER ASK YOU FOR FINANCIAL HELP IN THIS WAY. Just delete it and try to block the person. This has been happening to a lot of priests and to Bishop Joensen as well.

Let us go forward, trusting Divine Providence in all things. Let us use our time wisely and give sufficient time for prayer. This is a good time to examine your spiritual lives and your relationship with the Lord.
 

Devotedly yours in the Lord,

(The Very Reverend) Aquinas M. Nichols

Pastor