Father Mike's Message - 11/27/2022

Dear Parishioners,

I hope you were able to enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday with family and loved ones.  What a wonderful opportunity we get every year to set aside these days to remember the blessings God has bestowed upon us and upon our nation as we ask him to continue to bless us and guide us. 

This weekend begins our Advent Season.  Over the next four weeks or so we will have the opportunity to prepare our hearts and minds for our celebration of the Birth of our Lord Jesus.  As we prepare, let us take advantage of opportunities for prayer, Sunday worship, and the Sacrament of Reconciliation to help us make more room for the Lord.  We will have confessions available on Tuesday mornings after 7:00 a.m. Mass; on Tuesday evenings following the 6:30 p.m. Mass; on Saturday mornings after 8:00 a.m. Mass and then on Saturday afternoons from 3:30 - 4:15 p.m.  Our combined Parish (OLL and SFB) Penance Service will be held on Tuesday, December 20th after the 6:30 p.m. Mass here at SFB.  Parishes around us will also have times set aside for confessions.

Many thanks to Cardinal Dolan for being with us this past week for the Sacrament of Confirmation.  While in town he was able to spend time with his family and friends.  He enjoys coming out this way and spending time here, and we enjoy the time he can spend with us.  Let us continue to pray for him and the important ministry he carries on as Archbishop of New York.

We are bringing back the option for people to receive the Precious Blood from the chalice at Mass.  If you would like to receive from the chalice, come forward to the ministers who will be distributing the Precious Blood.  They will be located on either side of the sanctuary. This has been requested by many folks and supported by our Liturgy Commission. We will evaluate how this goes and what the needs dictate as we move forward.

We once again will have the opportunity to help those who are less fortunate through our Advent Giving Tree.  The tree will be located in the main entry of Jesuit Hall.  Please take an ornament, purchase the gift, and return it to Jesuit Hall by December 11 unwrapped. What a beautiful way to help make someone’s Christmas a little brighter this year!

All are welcome to join Archbishop Rozanski on Saturday, December 3, at 10:00 a.m. at the Cathedral Basilica (on Lindell Blvd.) for the All Things New Mass of Unity. This is an opportunity for Catholics from across the Archdiocese to come together as a community to pray for the future of the Archdiocese of St. Louis.

Have a blessed week and a good beginning to the Advent season.

Fr. Mike Boehm