Letter from the Pastor: January 2022

Dear Faithful,

The beautiful feasts throughout Christmastide, especially at the beginning of the calendar year, almost feel like a compass settling itself and pointing us to our lifelong aim: an ever-pressing search for Jesus Christ. A yearning to discover Him, to know Him, to contemplate Him, to love Him, to dedicate all our energies to Him. No doubt, the Magi are the historical and emblematic embodiment of exactly that.

During 2022, I would like to suggest cradling that spirit and renewing it throughout the year by beginning each month with the practice of the First Friday and First Saturday devotions. The promises with which these devotions are enriched, needless to say, are immense.

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In the vestibule, we have Epiphany water and Epiphany chalk for you to take home. You can find the ceremonial here for the head of the household to perform.  (Afterwards, please return the blessed chalk to the church.)

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Forms for “The St. Peregrine Mass” are now available here and in the vestibule. (If you would like to contribute by credit card or ACH, this form is available.) We will soon have specially-labeled envelopes for “The St. Peregrine Mass,” but for now, the regular intention envelopes may be deposited in my box or in the collection basket along with those forms. All information and explanations are on the above document.

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With snow and cold weather finally arriving, I’d like to recommend Pastor Out in the Cold, an excellent account of one priest’s fight in the 1970s to keep the Mass of All Time. The autobiographical history of Fr. Yves Normandin, it shows in a short and easy read that neither the fight nor the arguments have changed in the 50 years since. You can buy directly at the link above from Angelus Press, who just reprinted the book, but we will also have copies available for sale soon at church — the presentation of our arguments and the situation at large is done so well yet so succinctly that I would like to get a copy in everyone’s hands.

Lastly, you can find our pictures from Midnight Mass here! We give thanks once more to God for allowing us to celebrate the birth of Christ in our new church!

God bless,Fr. Deister