2025 is the Jubilee Holy Year, the 2,025th anniversary of the Incarnation of our Lord, an "event of great spiritual, ecclesial, and social significance in the life of the Church." The concept of "Jubilee" has its origins in the Book of Leviticus (chapter 25) as a special year of reconciliation, pilgrimage, and coming home. Pope Francis has designated the 2025 Holy Year as a time to renew ourselves as "Pilgrims of Hope." (Jubilee 2025. (n.d.). USCCB. https://www.usccb.org/jubilee2025)

Don’t stop now, after four weeks of preparing, the celebrating has just begun! Celebrate Christmas Catholic-style from December 24th to January 12th. Get fun ideas to keep the Christmas-spirit going all season long!

We fly to your protection, O Holy Mother of God; Do not despise our petitions in our necessities, but deliver us always from every danger, O Glorious and Blessed Virgin. (Ancient Marian Prayer) Click for a listing of our mass times.

Masses for the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph will be at normal weekend times. "This feast day honors Jesus, the Blessed Mother, and St. Joseph as the holiest of families, and therefore a model for all Christians families. They were holy because they placed God at the center of their family life, they loved and sacrificed for one another, and they radiated that love to others in the redemptive mission of the Word Incarnate. Pope St. John Paul II said, “The Redeemer of the world chose the family as the place for his birth and growth, thereby sanctifying this fundamental institution of every society” (Angelus message, 30 December 2001)." (EWTN)

Add to your Advent season by reciting the O Antiphons during the Octave before Christmas, December 17th - 23rd. For those familiar with the Liturgy of the Hours, these are the antiphons used with the daily Magnificat. The antiphons are based on Isaiah’s prophecies and reveal the different titles given to the Messiah. Today's is "O Wisdom of our God Most High, guiding creation with power and love: come to teach us the path of knowledge!"

Please join us as we celebrate the birth of our Lord and begin our Christmas season.

Due to the forecast for hazardous weather, we will not have 40 Hours Devotion overnight. We will have 7:00 pm mass and 9:00 pm night prayer tonight and then will close and lock the church. There will be no overnight adoration as planned. The church will reopen at 8:00 am Saturday. Please use caution and prudence when traveling this evening!

Please join us for our Youth Christmas Program Wednesday, December 18th in the Parish Center Hall at 6:30 PM. All are welcome to join for a soup supper after the program!

Masses tomorrow will be at 7:15 AM (SSPP) and 9:00 AM (St. Timothy's) for the feast day of St. Lucy. Join us as we celebrate and click for additional ideas on how to honor our patron saint of the blind.

As we celebrate our Blessed Mother appearing to Juan Diego more than 493 years ago, please join us for 9:00 am mass at St. Mary's. Click for additional ways to celebrate Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Bishop William Joensen will lead a Blue Christmas Prayer Service Tuesday, December 10th at 6:00 pm in St. Ambrose Cathedral. Blue Christmas is a contemplative church service of peace, healing and hope for anyone who is mourning a lost loved one or experiencing hurt of any kind. A social reception will be held afterward in the parish hall next to the church. All are welcome!

As we celebrate Saint Nicholas Day, select an ornament from the Christmas Blessing Tree and continue the theme of generosity by purchasing the item listed for an elderly or homebound member of our parish. "The giver of every good and perfect gift has called upon us to mimic His giving, by grace, through faith, and this is not of ourselves." - Saint Nicholas Click for additional ideas to celebrate this Friday!