Wishing you a Happy, Healthy, and Holy New Year

We Wish You A Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving

A Prayer of Thanks for Blessings Past and Present

Lord God, we gather around this table to humbly thank You for all that You have given us this past year – not just what is on this table, but who is sitting around this table. Thank you for life and laughter, for health and happiness, for relationships and memories. Thank you, too, for the lessons learned and the tears we’ve cried because of Your ability to grow us through them. Thank You for Your comfort and Your presence, in light of good days and bad. Thank You for what we have now, for what we had yesterday, and for what You will continue to give tomorrow. Let us never take that for granted, but to always be grateful for every good and perfect gift that comes from You. May we have hearts full of thanksgiving not only today but every day of our lives. We pray these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Your Son, Amen. 

- Cindy McMenamin

4th Week of Advent - Family Activities

Thanksgiving Table Prayer

O Gracious God, we give you thanks for your overflowing generosity to us. Thank you for the blessings of the food we eat and especially for this feast today. Thank you for our home and family and friends, especially for the presence of those gathered here. Thank you for our health, our work and our play. Please send help to those who are hungry, alone, sick and suffering war and violence. Open our hearts to your love. We ask your blessing through Christ your son. Amen.

Week 1 of Advent - Family Activities

Advent is Here --- A Time to Get Ready

This is a very exciting time of year... Tree Lightings, Christmas Specials on TV, driving around and looking at the lights on display, wonderful smells and flavors coming from the kitchen.  With so many fun things going on, it certainly can be looked at as "the most wonderful time of the year!"  

The 4 weeks of Advent always seem to pass too quickly as we prepare our homes and families for Christmas.  One thing that we should not overlook preparing is our hearts.  On the Faith Formation website, we will be posting some simple ways for you and your family to grow closer to Christ as he looks to come ever closer to each of us.  We hope that each day of Advent can be another opportunity for you and your family to receive Christ's hope, peace, joy, and love.

Save the Date: Sunday, December 17 for Bambinelli Sunday/ Blessing of the Manger/ Breakfast with Santa

On Sunday, December 17 following the 10:30am Mass, we invite all of our families to take part in our Bambinelli Sunday.  Each year, on the Third Sunday of Advent, children gather with their families in St. Peter's Square for "Bambinelli Sunday."  The children bring with them figures of the Baby Jesus - the Bambinelli - from their family's Nativity scene. During the noontime prayer, the pope blesses the children and the figurines they have brought.  

While, we might not have the pope here to bless our Bambinelli, we will have Fr. Tom, who will bless the figurines of the Baby Jesus and our outdoor Nativity scene.  So don't forget to bring your Bambinello with you!

After the blessing, we invite all of our Religious Ed. Families downstairs for Breakfast with Santa! 

Happy Thanksgiving

4th Sunday of Advent

Gaudete Sunday

Christmas Tree Blessing

Prayer for a New School Year

Bless what we are about to begin, O God. 
Open our eyes to discover.
Open our ears to listen.
Open our hearts to care.
Guide us to make our best efforts.  Encourage us.

Bless all who will help us.
Bless those who will teach us.
Bless those who will serve us.
Bless those who will guide us.
Bless those who will encourage us.
Bless especially our parents, grandparents, families, and friends. 
Amen.

Prayer Service is A Service of Pflaum Publishing Group