Dear Parishioners:
Monday is the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God. It is usually a Holy Day of Obligation. However, as it falls on a Monday this year, we are not obligated to attend Mass. So, on New Year's Day, there is only one Mass at 8:30 am. While not obligated to attend Mass this year on New Year's Day, we should try to attend anyway. I can think of no better way to begin a New Year than coming to Holy Mass and bringing our gratitude, hopes, and resolutions to Jesus, who is truly present in the Eucharist!
As we welcome a new year and say farewell to the old year, we thank God. A Catholic Tradition is to sing or pray the Te Deum hymn in thanksgiving to God for his blessings for the past year. It has been sung on special occasions by Christians for centuries. The name comes from the hymn's first words in the original Latin: Te Deum laudamus ("You are God, we praise you"). It can be chanted or prayed silently. Ring in 2024 Catholic style by singing and praying the Te Deum!
Midnight Mass at OLM
As we give thanks and praise to Almighty God for the blessings of 2023, we also offer our thanks to the many people who made Christmas so glorious and joyous at Our Lady of Mercy. Our celebration of the Nativity of the Lord was solemn, prayerful, and joyful. Our parish and school staff are to be thanked for all their work for Christmas and during the last year. Their service to our parish and school is exemplary, and we are blessed to have such good people. I thank them for their dedication.
Paul Anderson and our OLM Maintenance Crew worked hard preparing for Christmas. They set up trees and creches, hung wreaths, stringed lights, moved boxes, polished floors, and ensured the entire Church physical plant was ready for the birth of our Savior. Our Church, from the creche to the choir loft, was so stunningly beautiful for the birth of the Savior at Christmas! We thank the band of decorators who joyfully work so hard to bring the beauty of Christmas to life in our Church.
7:30am Mass Usher John Romano celebrates his 100th Christmas!
Our good Franciscan Sisters and Sacristans prepared all the sacred vessels, altar cloths, altar server garments, and vestments. They cleaned, polished, starched, ironed, and pressed with joy. We thank them for their dedication to our parish and devotion to the Lord.
We thank our Music Director, Henri St. Louis, the OLM Choir, and the guest musicians who provided majestic music for Christmas, especially at the Midnight Mass. Also, we thank Shirley Medici and the OLM Children's Choir, who provided such joyous music for the Christmas Vigil Mass. Our Altar Servers served reverently at all the Masses on Christmas. Some stayed up beyond their bedtime to serve the beautiful Midnight Mass. Others awakened very early to serve at 7:30 am Mass on Christmas Day. We also had a team of veteran Altar Servers home from college who expertly served! In your name, I thank them, especially our OLM Master of Ceremonies, Erik Carlson, and our OLM Seminarian, David DelBonis, who make everything run smoothly, reverently, and solemnly.
We thank our many Lectors, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, and Ushers who provide such devoted service to our parish at Christmas and throughout the year. They helped our Christmas worship of the Christ Child and deserve our thanks and praise.
Finally, I thank you, OLM's good and faithful parishioners, for your abundant charity, support, kindness, and generosity. Your faith in the Lord is an inspirational witness and a sign of our parish's vibrant life and living faith. I offer my deep gratitude to you. And offer my praise and gratitude to Almighty God for the unique privilege and abundant joy of serving as your parish priest. In the name of my brother priests, Father Mahoney and Father Connors, I thank the many parishioners who were so generous to us, the parish, and especially the poor and needy this Christmas.
We also offer our thanks for the many beautiful cards and sincere greetings, delicious food and tasty treats, and the most generous and thoughtful personal gifts given at Christmas. Be assured of our gratitude and continued prayers. We wish you a Happy, Healthy, and Holy New Year in 2024! May Almighty God bless you and your family in the New Year with his choicest Blessings! Be well. Do good. God Bless! Te Deum laudamus !