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December 20, 2020
Merry Christmas!
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On this fourth Sunday of Advent, in the name of the entire staff, I wish to express to all of you a very blessed Christmas which we will be celebrating on Thursday and Friday of this week. A huge thank you to our wonderful staff who have been so dedicated throughout the pandemic and have served me and all of you so faithfully. We are extremely blessed with the personnel we have at Holy Spirit Parish. Our priests, deacons, religious and laity truly are a fabulous team. The caring and concern they have for each other is truly Christ-centered and makes our working together a peaceful and joyful experience.
I am also extremely grateful to all of you, our parish volunteers, who help in every way. We are so blessed by your service to the parish. Those of you who serve in liturgical ministries and who volunteer in our outreach programs—and are sometimes the very same people—we are extremely blessed by your service and witness. Please watch for the December 27th bulletin, which will be a special edition highlighting all the wonderful things you have accomplished in our parish, even during these challenging times of COVID-19. No matter how involved you may already be, you might not realize how many other things you are not involved in have been going on in our parish. It is truly eye-opening when you take everything into consideration, how much is going on that is truly beautiful in Holy Spirit Parish. We are going to try and articulate at least most of the wonderful service you render. I am sure we might miss a few things but after reading this list of selfless activity, I am sure you will join me in being very proud and very grateful for all that has been done and continues to be done in the name of Christ in our community.
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Mass schedules are as follows:
Christmas Eve:
2:00 pm Mass in Sears Parking lot
4:00 pm Mass at St. Vitus, St. Mary, St. Camillus, one Mass at 4:00 pm
will be live streamed Midnight Mass at St. Vitus
Christmas Day:
8:00 am St. Mary, and 10:00 am St. Vitus and St. Camillus.
This will no doubt be a Christmas to remember for a whole variety of reasons. COVID-19, of course, makes it all the more strange and memorable. Could any of us have ever imagined we would be celebrating a Christmas Eve Mass at 2 o’clock in a shopping mall parking lot? Glory be to God for the graciousness of McClure Realty and the various stores at the Union Plaza for allowing us to celebrate holy Mass on their property since June! Their goodness and generosity give us all another reason to rejoice. It is also proof of Emmanuel, God with us! The Lord is definitely and without question with us in the Holy Eucharist of his Body and Blood. And he is certainly alive and well in the hearts of many of you who live out your faith in incredible ways! May this Christmas, as unusual and bizarre as it might be, continues to strengthen our faith and hope in Christ with us! May we all experience anew the Christ Child deep within our own hearts and homes!
Please note that the link to the Holy Spirit Parish 2020 Survey: Priorities & Plans has been sent to all parishioners using their email address from our parish database. Anyone who does not have access to email may pick up a paper survey in one of the bulletin bins outside the churches. Please return your survey to the main office at the St. Vitus site or place it in the collection basket the weekend of December 19/20.
God love you,
