The Holy Family
Link to photos from Midnight Mass.
Bishop’s Note
While we have been so very busy with our Christmas celebrations and Epiphany preparations, Fr. Siordia and our friends South of the Border in Cocoyoc, Mexico, have been hard at work themselves as they celebrated their patronal feast of Señor de la Expiración (Our Lord of the Expiration). The Mexican people really know how to celebrate the feasts. They prepared for the feast by a novena consisting of the daily Rosary and prayer to Our Lord of the Expiration. Then the people come from all over for three solid days of prayers, Masses, and celebrations including a Mariachi band, of course! The procession on the final day started at 9 PM, going across the city, and returning to church at 3 AM. You can see a few pictures in the bulletin. I am very much looking forward to re- turning to Mexico and seeing Fr. Siordia after so many years. Statue of Our Lord of the Expiration in procession
Our First Thursday Holy Hour for Priests was very well attended this time as many of our servers and the Knights of the Sacred Heart came as well. A pizza party and game night followed—the well-earned party for Isaac Smith, who recently served his 100th Mass. I had a nice conversation with young Casimir Smith who anxiously awaited his dinner (a Holy Hour is hard work for a youngin’ and does build up an appetite!). In all actuality, it was nice to see so many young families that evening.
Well, I am sure everyone wants to hear about the snails now. After all, this is St. Gertrude’s, and the bulletin is never complete without a critter story or two, much to the chagrin of some. No sooner did we print the picture of two snails (Francis and Anthony) in last week’s bulletin, than several more were discovered, and then even more a couple of days after that…7 snails in all, 8 if you count the empty shell which we named Nemo (our Latin scholars might get the hidden meaning. Bonus points to anyone who does!). Let’s see, there is Francis, Anthony, Little Hugh, John, Becket, Innocent, and Stephen. A story about Anthony…he was hiding is his shell for the longest time and we feared he might be dead, but it turns out he was only hiding. So we said a prayer to St. Anthony that the snail would come out and, wouldn’t you know it, he came right out, thus showing the power of prayer to St. Anthony even in the smallest things of life. Okay, enough about the snails…
We do like the little things in life which our Lord has given us, such as snails and cats, and we certainly like a good parish celebration. Don’t let that fool you, though. The most important thing is the worship of Almighty God, which we must render to Him by means of the public prayer of the Church and by our own lives, which we strive to live in accordance with God’s Commandments. So, our priests travel all over the country and even throughout the world to bring the Mass, the Sacraments, and Catholic doctrine to souls.
I wish you all a very blessed Epiphany. May the thought of the three Kings lead you to the feet of the newborn King of Kings!
– Bishop McGuire