Once again scam emails claiming to be from priests of St Mary are going around. Please never buy or gift anything like gift cards because of some random email that comes in. Call and check with the office and you will find the priests never emails asking for gift cards or special favors. Please be careful, especially around the holidays.
Dear Folks,
Happy Thanksgiving weekend! This year’s list of 10 things I am thankful for:
1. Capital Campaign: Mission Accomplished!
2. With the Capital Campaign success, I have started trying to get exercise and trim down a bit. I am off to a good start these last 10 weeks, but have a long ways to go!
3. Bacon, peanut butter & jelly burger. Even with #2, I still get to enjoy food sometimes!
4. Humility: all the sports teams I root for seem to be in meltdown mode.
5. The volunteers who worked more than full time hours to make the Capital Campaign happen!
6. Rectory life with priests who love being priests, laugh abundantly, and serve generously!
7. Our gigantic parish – I visited one of our small neighbors, and was surprised there was nobody there on a weekday.
8. Buc-ees beaver nuggets. Yep, a Texas gas station chain made the list, if you have been you may understand. Haha!
9. Chick-Fil-A diet lemonade! So tart, so delish!
10. Gym membership & trainer: parishioners helping me combat that 3 things on this list are still food!
A year ago I was in the Holy Land for the Feast of Christ the King. Since I am not a ’news hound,’ and because everything over there seems so chaotic, I pray often for the innocent folks who suffer as collateral damage in war. I have messaged some of my contacts in the Holy Land, and received positive, but anxious responses. All the more reason that we need to pray that Christ the King reign in our hearts, in His homeland, and everywhere.
The Diocese of Arlington is preparing to celebrate our Golden Jubilee. Tonight (Sunday 11/26) a celebration of Solemn Vespers to inaugurate the Jubilee Year will take place at Saint Michael’s Catholic Church in Annadale, at 5pm. A reception will follow in the Saint Michael’s School gym. All are invited. There will be other events including a family picnic, and re-dedication of the cathedral over the course of the year.
And finally, with next Sunday being the first Sunday of Advent, please remember that our 7pm Mass on Sunday night will be a candlelight Mass! We will turn down the lights and add more candles and get into the advent mood!
Thx be to God!
Pax,
Father John Mosimann
In joyful expectation of Christ’s coming at Christmas, the Festival Choir of Saint Mary and the Choir of Holy Cross Academy will present a service of Advent Lessons and Carols on Friday, December 15, 2023 at 7:30 p.m. In addition to the readings and choral anthems presented by the choir, 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.
Come and prepare your hearts for Christ’s coming!
