Confessions at 6:30pm Every Night This Week
Confessions will be heard from 6:30-7:30pm on every night this week, as well as from 7:30am-9am on Saturday Dec. 23, and 2:30pm-5pm on Saturday, Dec. 23.
Christmas Mass Schedule
Christmas Eve Mass at St Mary Church: 4pm and 8:30pm in English, 6:30pm in Spanish, Caroling Before Midnight Mass at 11pm
Christmas Eve Mass at Holy Cross Academy (all in English): 4pm and 6:30pm
Christmas Day Mass at St Mary (all in English): 12midnight, 7am, 8:30am, 10:30am, 12:30pm
Advent Lessons and Carols This Friday at 7pm!
From the Desk of Director of Music and Organist
On Friday, December 15, 2017 at 7:00 p.m., the choirs of St. Mary will present a service of Advent Lessons and Carols as part of the St. Mary Concert Art Series. In addition to the readings and music presented by the choirs, there will an opportunity for the congregation to participate in singing carols of the Advent Season.
The tradition of the Festival of Lessons and Carols was established in England as the adaptation of an earlier service on Christmas Eve, 1918, in the chapel of Kings College, Cambridge University, for the university community and for the city of Cambridge. The Kings College service was first broadcast by radio in 1928; and, excepting the year 1930, these broadcasts have continued to this day. This wonderful tradition, moreover, has been duplicated in cathedrals and churches throughout America.
It is my hope that all who can will attend this beautiful and most spiritual service of the season.
God’s Blessings,
David Uschold
Christmas Schedule Note
Dear Folks,
So what Mass are you going to for Christmas? Let me make a suggestion: ‘anything but the 4:00 pm.’ Yep, I typed that…. I personally don’t get the fascination with the earliest possible Mass. We have the overflow Mass at Holy Cross Academy and it is also packed. Why not try the 6:30 HCA or 8:30 pm Church if you have to go to Mass on Christmas Eve?? Getting a seat will not require arriving an hour early.
And seriously, last year someone called the fire marshal to complain about overcrowding. This resulted in a visit from the fire marshal Christmas eve and already this month warning us of over crowding. There is a very real possibility that the fire marshal will be watching us like a hawk this year.
Christmas Eve — Doors open @ 3pm!!
Oh, and yes, in order to try to minimize the frustration of folks saving entire pews, the doors to the Church will open at 3:00 pm for the 4pm Mass. I know that the ‘seat-savers’ will fill the church in minutes, but that is better than one person holding 2 pews by arriving 2 hours early…. which I have seen in parishes that don’t have a specific times the doors open. If you insist that ‘early is the only way,’ then in the words of the Christmas carol… “God Bless You.”
Or even better… As a Christmas gift to yourself, come on Christmas morning. The Masses on Christmas morning are far more prayerful than the ones on Christmas eve!
But, you ask, what about our family traditions? I get it. 2 years ago, my unmarried siblings and parents moved the gift exchange to the AM of Dec 26th! This was a traumatic change that took years of negotiations. Now on Christmas day, after all the Masses, I go to my parents home and we have a few calm minutes of rest, food, and conversation before my parents house is taken over by 23 Grandchildren. It worked! Christmas is now much more peaceful and prayerful!
Pax et Bonum,
fr mosimann