Another Christmas has come and gone and another year is about to end. Time sure has a way of creeping up on us.
   I just want to thank all those who helped make Christmas such a wonderful celebration this year. So much takes place behind the scenes and so much of that is very important to our celebrations.
    For all those who prepared the church decorations and spent hours putting them: tTo the men’s club for ‘manning’ the Christmas wreath sale; to Dave and Jan Fournier for coordinating the Giving Tree project – preparing all the ornaments and then transporting the hundreds of gifts that arrive all wrapped to go; of course to all of you who took those ornaments and shopped and delivered the gifts to church. For all of you who delivered the Poinsettia plants to our shut ins as you do each year. To our faithful staff members who prepared those plants. To all our religious education children who made Christmas cards to go along with those plants and to the woman who hand makes  almost two hundred Christmas ornaments each year to go along with them also; to them I am grateful.
   We are grateful to Fr. Joe Rodriguez who visits his parents each Christmas and graces us with his talented presence at two of our Christmas Masses. Of course we are grateful to all of our music ministers who spend hours practicing and who enhance our Christmas Liturgies so beautifully.
   As we look over the past year and ahead to 2016, we have much to be thankful for. May God walk with us into the months ahead and bless us with His presence and His many Graces.