Dear Parishioners, This weekend we have another liturgical double header: last weekend we celebrated Christmas and the Holy Family on Saturday and Sunday and this weekend we celebrate Mary, Mother of God and Epiphany. These Christmas celebrations are beautiful occasions when Jesus draws us together as a community to celebrate our faith and pray for one another and our world. With all these feast days close together this year, it’s a little more demanding on everyone and I’m very grateful for the long hours that so many have put in this year: clergy, musicians, sacristans, servers, readers, and parish staff. The only people who benefitted from the calendar this year were the decorators, since they had a little more time to prepare – and you can tell. The churches look beautiful! We were a little lighter on Mass attendance this year than normal, but we had many more people in the pews than last year, when we were limited to 50 people at indoor gatherings. This winter’s uptick in Covid is a concern, and there have also been a lot of non-Covid bugs going around lately. It sounds like there may be some good news about the Omicron variant being less severe, which some are saying could indicate that this pandemic is finally winding down. We’ve been through so many ups and downs that I think we’re all a bit hesitant to get our hopes up, but I’m certainly praying that we will find some relief from this in 2022. We have been contending with all the turmoil and anxiety surrounding Covid-19 for almost two years, which is an especially long time for children and young people. I hope you are looking forward to 2022 like I am. Of course we have no idea what lies in store for us, but with Christ leading us and support we receive in one another, we have every reason to be a people of hope. Happy New Year to you and your families! Fr. Seamus