Dec 05, 2025

Greetings,

Congratulations to our 2nd graders who received their First Reconciliation this weekend!  

This coming Monday (December 8) is a Holy Day of Obligation.  It is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception and even though it falls on a Monday, we are still observing it as a holy day of obligation because it is under this title that Mary is patroness of the United States and we, as Catholic citizens of this nation, have a special calling and responsibility to pray for our nation through Mary’s intercession at this Mass for our good and for the good of our fellow Americans and all those who with whom our nation is associated.  

Unfortunately, we are not permitted to have a vigil Mass on Sunday evening.  This is because many parishes have Sunday night Masses that fulfill the Sunday obligation, and it would become confusing to allow both to occur at the same time.   

Holy Day Schedule is Monday, December 8: 

• 9 am (School Mass)
• 7 pm

IN OTHER NEWS:

ORGAN RECITAL THIS TUESDAY:  Our Annual Advent, Noon, Adoration and Organ Recital Series continues this Tuesday with our very own Andrew Bebesi!  These organ recitals take place during adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and therefore there is no applause nor announcements.  In this busy season when the quiet and reflective nature of Advent can be trampled under the proverbial Christmas foot, here is an opportunity to slow down for about twenty minutes before Our Lord present as the Blessed Sacrament which will be accompanied by music by one of our talented organists on our wonderful organ. 

CONCERT NEXT SUNDAY:  St. Mary Parish Choir of Hudson and the St. Sebastian Choir will join forces next Sunday, December 14 along with a small orchestra for a fantastic holy season concert!  This free concert begins at 4pm in the church and will last about an hour.  Bring your friends, neighbors and the stranger down the street that you have been meaning to get to know.  See you there!

SEMINARIAN REPORT:  You may have noticed our seminarians in our sanctuary over the Thanksgiving holiday.  They have reported back to the seminary but will be returning home again in about two weeks for Christmas break.  

Next Saturday, December 13, I will not be here for confessions as I have an Admissions Board Meeting for the seminary that morning.  It typically does not interfere with confessions but there is an unusually large group of young men applying and the seminary needed more time for interviews.  Please keep all of them in your prayers. 

WHILE THE CAT’S AWAY:  One of the things that happens when the campus largely shuts down is that a lot of work that would otherwise be difficult to do when our buildings are full of people is accomplished.  Some of the bigger projects that happened over Thanksgiving break were the refinishing of the gym floor in Byrider Hall and the light panel in the church was replaced in order to prepare for the installation of new lights.  More news about this was in this past week’s Angelus Letter.

God bless,

Fr. Valencheck