A Note From Father Eickhoff

December 29, 2024

Merry Christmas!

I thought about just repeating the phrase “Merry Christmas” about 200 times in order to get to a respectful word count for today’s buletin article. The Christmas Holy Days are wonderful, but the downside of them is that the buletin articles are due early in order to accommodate the publisher’s work schedule and this is the second bulletin article that I am writing this week. Hence, the thought of just repeating the phrase “Merry Christmas” repeatedly rather than trying to come up with something original to write.

Still, it is right for us as disciples of Jesus Christ to repeatedly wish one another “Merry Christmas” during this season. This is a time of rejoicing in the salvation that God has wrought for us through His Son Jesus Christ. We should rejoice not only by ourselves, but with those persons around us. It is fitting therefore that the Feast of the Holy Family – which falls during the Christmas Season– is this Sunday. Who better to share the joy of Christmas with then our own families? For this reason we should keep wishing one another “Merry Christmas, “and we should strive to do something during this Christmas Season – which runs for another week – that reminds us of Christmas. Don’t let Christmas be only one or two short days! Let it run for its full, joyous course.

In other news:

The Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God is on Wednesday, January 1st. This is a Holy Day of Obligation. Masses will be held here at St. Anne at:

Tuesday, December 31st at 5pm

Wednesday, January 1st at 10am

The Parish and Religious Education Offices remain closed for the holydays. They will reopen on Thursday, January 2nd.

Finally, I haven’t had a chance yet to thank in public the many volunteers and parish staff members who helped make the Sarah Kroger Concert a success earlier this month. Thank you for all the hard work you put into preparing for and running the concert. I think that everyone who attended the concert would agree that a wonderful time was had by all.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. Stephen Eickhoff
Pastor