I hope you had a great Solemnity of the Annunciation! Did you know that the Annunciation liturgically is celebrated as a solemnity (meaning equal to a Sunday)? This means that on such solemnities, one is dispensed from Lenten disciplines such as no meat? That means Friday the 25th, you could have had bacon (and I hope you did, because I sure did!!!). The reason first for this solemnity is that it’s nine (9) months until Christmas. So, you now have a little less than 9 months to get your Christmas shopping done. Nine months before Christmas, that means that March 25th the Church celebrates that this is the day when the Archangel Gabriel came to visit Mary and Announce to her that she was to become the Mother of God!

Hello St. Mary Magdalene,

Happy feast of St. Joseph! What a beautiful time to celebrate and reflect on the universal patron of the Church, he who cared for, watched over, and protected St. Joseph. Because of his role in welcoming Jesus and Mary into his life, he’s the patron saint of the universal Catholic Church. He’s also a role model for us too as we strive to make room for Christ more and more in our daily life.

My dear parishioners,

How exciting that we’ll be starting renovations on our sanctuary tomorrow, March 14th! I know that this season of construction will include inconveniences for our community, and I thank you for your sacrifices while we beautify our sanctuary for the glory of the Risen Lord and the edification of our parish family. Over the next few months during this project, we will have weekend Masses in the hall (set up as a temporary sanctuary), with overflow seating outside. It’s a good idea to arrive early if you hope for indoor seating, and to bring your own chairs, sun protection, and water bottle if you’re sitting outside. Please be considerate of others in our temporary, pared-down space.

As we begin our Lenten journey this year, what a great opportunity to resume articles in our bulletin! It is with great joy that we’ll have regular articles in our bulletin with me being a regular contributor (that’s probably the only downside is hearing more from me, lol). This Lent we’re again invited to do some community penance as we now only have half a church! So, as our renovation project progresses, please keep its success in your prayers. Our construction is also a great time to practice patience and charity as there are a lot of moving parts to consider and our indoor seating is limited. One small, penitential act of charity could be made by offering your seat to someone and either standing or sitting outside. This is just one way, let the Holy Spirit guide you!