On Monday evening, 4 December, we will have a special Advent Evening of Reflection. Confessions will be heard from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., followed by a time of mediation and silent prayer from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Please join us and get Advent off on the right foot. (Please see the parish bulletin advertisement – for the 1st Week of Advent – for a fuller description of the event).
Friday December 8th is the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, the celebration of the Virgin Mary immaculately conceived without original sin in the womb of her mother St. Anne. This celebrates Mary as a foretaste of our redemption as Our Lord Jesus gave her the special gift of redemption even prior to his expiation of all human sin on the Holy Cross. She was thus created the Blessed Ark of the New Covenant, the perfect vessel of the Son of God who became man. This feast is a Holy Day of Obligation which means that all Catholics must attend Mass as if it were a Sunday and, of course, with joy and fervor! We offer three Masses for this solemnity: 7 Dec 5:30pm (Vigil) and 8 Dec 9am & 7pm. The collection for this Mass is taken up for the local work our parish St. Vincent de Paul Society.
We will celebrate two Masses in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe: our regular 9 a.m. Mass on the feast itself (12 Dec.), as well as a special evening Mass at 7 p.m. on 11 Dec. with the Women of Grace. After the 7pm vigil there will be a one person Marian performance in the parish center. As citizens of the Americas, this is a wonderful opportunity to honor our queen and our empress!
Thanks to all who gave blood at our most recent drive on October 22nd. We had 29 donors come forward and a total of 21 units collected. Your generosity in giving of yourself is greatly appreciated.
In this month of October we will be providing help to a few organizations that help sustain life. First, we will be filling baby bottles with spare change beginning on 8 October for A Women’s Concern, a local pregnancy resource center that helps mothers in need bring their children to term and find the resources they need to flourish. On 15 October we will begin our annual food drive for Thanksgiving to support the work of our parish St. Vincent de Paul Society. Please drop off your food donations (Thanksgiving meal non-perishable items) at the parish center during the week or bring these with you to church at the weekend Masses. Grocery gift cards are also accepted as donations for distribution for our local poor, homeless, and unemployed. Thank You!
Our commitment to “Life” is all encompassing at SFX Parish. We uphold the right to life from conception until natural death and everywhere in between. In keeping with this commitment we are holding our 4th scheduled blood drive of the year on Sunday, October 22nd. This drive will be held on-site in our east parking lot in a practically brand new mobile clinic. Call the parish office to reserve a time or just show up on the day between 7:30am and Noon. I.D. required.