As we celebrate the Feast of Epiphany today, we remember the gifts of the Magi. Wise men from the East came with gifts to honor the newborn King. We have all received so many special gifts this holiday season and we all need to pause to say Thank You. There are so many people I need to thank for making this Christmas season at St. Mary’s so very special.

I thank PALAD for the wonderful celebration of Simbang Gabi that is such an important part of our Christmas celebration. The children who participated in the Simbang Gabi Christmas pageant certainly showed us all the way to enter into the true joy of a simple story; the Birth of our Savior. It was a truly special evening with great food, great music and a great pageant.

I also need to say a special word of thanks to PALAD for coordinating the “Lucky Weeks Raffle” that raised more than $22,000 for our Elevator Fund. Hopefully, we will be able to begin construction in the near future.

I thank all those who gave their time to help decorate our Church for Christmas. Because of the size of our Church and the size of the trees we need, decorating St. Mary’s is no small task. It was truly monumental effort by a dedicated team of people and I am extremely grateful.

I thank all who participated in our music ministry. Under the direction of Joel Condon, our choirs certainly made a joyful sound unto the Lord. Their contributions made each Christmas liturgy very special.

I thank all the servers, lectors, Eucharistic ministers, ushers, the liturgy committee and everyone else who helped to make each mass a wonderful celebration of God’s love. Those visiting St. Mary’s for the first
time certainly saw our parish at its best.

I thank everyone who attended the Christmas masses. It was wonderful to see our Church so filled with people celebrating God’s love. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if this could happen every week? That is what we need to work towards and to pray for.

I thank everyone who shared with us their wonderful home-made sweets and holiday treats. The Rectory staff and I truly enjoyed them.

Finally, I thank all of you for your contributions to our Christmas collection and our collection for Christmas flowers. Your generosity is deeply appreciated.

The past year had been a difficult one for St. Mary’s. This past June, our old school suffered extensive water damage due to a broken valve in a second floor bathroom. We have been working very hard to undo the damage but the insurance settlement we received is insufficient to accomplish all the necessary repairs. We have been forced to tap into our parish saving account to complete the work.

As we look to the future of St. Mary’s, I am confident that with your generous and prayerful support, we will continue to proclaim the Gospel of Christ in our community and will make present the peace and joy of Christmas throughout the coming year.

Fr. Carey