Dec 17, 2025

Greetings,

It is the Fourth Sunday of Advent, but this is also our final bulletin before Christmas Day.  So let me begin with some Advent news.

ADORATION AND ORGAN RECITAL:  This Tuesday is our final Advent, Adoration and Organ Recital at noon in the church.  During Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Mr. Matthew Fordor will be providing music for the season to enhance your prayer and help you focus during these last, hectic days before Christmas.  Mr. Fordor the is organist at Our Lady of Peace in Cleveland.  ***Please note that due to publication dates, this information has changed. It will now be Mr. David Uschold, our Director of Music.

FINAL CONFESSIONS:  Our final confessions before Christmas will be on Tuesday night beginning at 7pm and ending at 7:30pm for Compline and Benediction.  For those of you who will not be able to make it in, Confessions will pick up again on Friday at 4pm.

PRAY FOR OUR STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS:  It takes an army of people to pull off Christmas at St. Sebastian.  AAer the Fourth Sunday of Advent, teams of fellow parishioners will be in the church transforming it from a penitential season to a celebratory one.  Everything needs to be cleaned and shined, changed, decorated, organized, rehearsed and practiced.  Please say a prayer for all of our diligent workers!

CHRISTMAS MASS SCHEDULE:  Please note that our schedule does not follow the typical Sunday schedule. See pg. 2 of this bulletin for details.  

CHRISTMAS EVE

• 4pm  --  Fr. Marcelli -- Children's Mass - Features our young musicians and Fr. Marcelli will be attempting to give the traditional rhyming homily!
• 7pm  -- Fr. Valencheck -- Quiet Mass - Organ and classical guitar
• MIDNIGHT - Fr. Valencheck -- Prelude of Carols at 11 pm - The parish choir will begin singing at 11pm with Mass beginning at Midnight.

CHRISTMAS DAY

• 9am -- Fr. Marcelli -- Organ and cantor with traditional Christmas Music
• 11am  Fr. Valencheck -- Contemporary Ensemble.

IN OTHER NEWS:

MERRY CHRISTMAS!  If you are visiting St. Sebastian for this Holy Day, WELCOME!  May your visit fill your hearts with the joy of Christ.  If you are looking for a spiritual home, you are most welcome to consider the St. Sebastian family.  However, if you are just visiting for the Holy Day, thank you for lending your heart and voice in prayer. Welcome home those who are in town for the holidays.  Especially we welcome our seminarians John Scantling, Christopher Villarreal and Gabriel Kasper and other seminarians who come to visit.  Greetings to our college students who are in town and all those touching base during this Christmas season. And to all of you who are here week in and week out, honoring Our Lord and supporting the work and mission of the parish to be a beacon of light for this part of the world, the choicest of Christmas blessings upon you.  It is not lost on Fr. Marcelli and me how fortunate we are to be part of such a great Christian community.  Thank you for keeping          St. Sebastian and her mission the cornerstone of our community.  It is an honor to be your priest.

OFFICES CLOSED FOR CHRISTMAS:  The Parish offices will be closed December 24 through December 26 for Christmas.  

God bless,

Fr. Valencheck