On this 4th & final Sunday of Advent, I want to let you know about our Christmas Confession & Mass Schedule for this year of the pandemic. I know that many like to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation before Christmas, however I ask you to keep in mind that due to social distancing requirements and the unavailability of priests like Fr. O’Grady to help us with confessions this year, opportunities for the sacrament will be limited. During the pandemic, I have asked that you either make an appointment with me on our website for confession, or to simply ask me if I am available to hear your confession after one of the weekday or weekend Masses. These are still options for you but I do also ask that you consider the words of Pope Francis earlier this year when the question of the necessity of confession came up during the lockdown. He said, “Do what the Catechism (of the Catholic Church) says. It is very clear: If you cannot find a priest to confess to, speak directly with God, your Father, and tell him the truth. Say, ‘Lord, I did this, this, this. Forgive me,’ and ask for pardon with all your heart.” Make an act of contrition, the pope said, and promise God, ‘I will go to confession afterward, but forgive me now.’ And immediately you will return to a state of grace with God.”
Secondly, I will announce at all the Masses this weekend our Christmas Mass schedule and it is also posted on our website and included in our greeting when you call the rectory office. If you come to the 4pm Mass on Christmas Eve, please try to park in the rectory office parking lot if you are able. When we have determined that the church is at capacity, we will then direct others to park in the lot closest to the school & gym buildings and to attend Mass in Lux Hall where the 4pm Mass in the church will be live-streamed. We will have Eucharistic ministers bring over Holy Communion.
There will be no 7pm or 10pm Mass on Christmas Eve. On Christmas Day, we will continue to have the 8am and 11am Masses in the church. Of course all of these Masses will be live-streamed on our website as well as through our YouTube, Twitter & FaceBook accounts.
We have more 2021 Breaking Bread books for you to take home and keep (you’re welcome to bring them with you to Mass but please be sure to take them back home with you). We are ordering additional ones in case those we have provided this weekend run out again.
Congratulations to Grace Stanek as she receives her First Holy Communion during the 11am Mass this Sunday! What a wonderful time of year to receive the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist.
Please visit our website for an Advent message from Bishop Malesic as well as additional resources for Advent & Christmas from the Diocesan website.
Just to backtrack a little bit, on Thanksgiving Day, I was able to enjoy a wonderful meal at my sister Janet’s home in Akron, along with my sister Judy. I was also able to meet Janet’s first grandchild and my first great-nephew, Logan Christopher, who was born about 6 months ago. I also had my first great-niece born this past year too. So these were the highlights of 2020 for me. My step mother Mildred also turned 101 last Saturday. That’s a lot of Christmases she’s celebrated...and a lot of gifts received. What a gift she is to my dad & to all of us.