Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Rejoice! The weeks of Advent waiting are over, and Christ is born!
We rejoice in our Savior’s birth—remembering the great gift of faith He has given us through the mystery of His incarnation and the saving power of His death and resurrection.
If you are like me, you have a lot of uncertainty about the coming weeks and months. Because of the pandemic, there are many challenges ahead. But I am sure of one thing, Christ will be with us in the midst of our difficulties. Now is the time for Catholics to step forward, giving generously to help those in need. Each year, the people of the archdiocese are asked to make a special gift on Christmas Day to support our seminarians at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary. These men are responding to Christ's call to follow Him as they discern a vocation to the holy priesthood and have dedicated themselves to living, growing, and serving in His love as they prepare for a life of parish ministry. God-willing, these men will bring the faith given to us by Christ 2,000 years ago to future generations.
This Christmas, I ask you to pray for vocations and for all our priests and seminarians. I also ask you to be generous in your donation to the Christmas collection at your parish, which helps ensure that our seminarians receive the education and formation they need to grow closer to Christ each day. Your support is a source of inspiration for the seminarians and helps to build up the Church in St. Louis. Together, we can encourage our future priests to walk the path of holiness as they seek to configure their hearts to the Heart of Jesus Christ.
I am blessed to be celebrating my first Christmas with the people of the Archdiocese of St. Louis! I am grateful for the warm welcome I have already received. What a gift it is to be part of this community! Please be assured of my prayers for you during the season of Christmas. May the Lord of life come into your hearts and homes in a special way during this holy time of year.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Most Reverend Mitchell T. Rozanski
Archbishop of St. Louis