Last Monday, November 28th, the Archdiocese of New York launched a new initiative to share the news of the Archdiocese through a digital newsroom. It’s called The GoodNewsroom. The Good Newsroom will publish videos, articles, editorials, and photography on a daily basis.
This new website takes the place of Catholic New York, which stopped publishing on November 27th. If you want the news of the Archdiocese and other news you need to go to the good newsroom on your computer, laptop, or phone! Good Luck.
Thank You
Economists told us that there was a 26% increase of prices for this year’s Thanksgiving dinner due to inflation. This caused a great concern for food pantries with the fear of running out of food, or not collecting enough to help the poor or homeless this year.
Due to your most generous donations, our parish collected 100 turkeys (a record) and 80 bags of food in our annual Thanksgiving Drive! Thank you for all who contributed in the name of mercy and Christian charity. The Elks also donated 46 turkeys; thank you to their members.
It couldn’t be done without Peggy and Pat Mulligan, and all the adult helpers and especially I would like to thank our 7th graders who volunteered to help pack and collect the donations. It is so important to have our young people perform the corporal works of mercy.
The food collected was given to the Catholic Charities in Rockland County. The number of meals served by Catholic Charities Rockland has greatly increased over these past few months. I also would like to thank you for all the food that is donated each month. The food collected is spread out to different food pantries here in Rockland as well as Pearl River.
Because of your goodness and generous spirit, you helped make many people a bit more thankful to God and for you.
Lessons and Carols
Next Sunday, December 11th at 3:00PM, our Parish will have a prayer service called Lessons and Carols. It is a prayer service that consists of nine readings from Sacred Scripture, and the singing of Christmas music and carols. The tradition of the “Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols” was established in England on Christmas Eve, 1918, in the chapel of Kings College, Cambridge University. This wonderful tradition has been duplicated in cathedrals and churches throughout America.
Wherever the service is heard the strength and beauty of the service is derived from the reading of Sacred Scripture. The main theme is the development of the loving plan of God seen 'through the windows and words of the Bible. It starts with the original sin of Adam and Eve and culminates in the wonderful moment when God took on human flesh and was born of the Virgin Mary. It is the story of God’s love for humanity through word and music; we will hear the world’s most beautiful music, we will sing familiar carols.
Please make an effort to attend and hear our Church’s choir and our parish lectors tell the story of God’s loving plan of our salvation. It will help us spiritually to prepare for Christmas.
After the Lessons and Carols, our Parish Rosary Altar Society will host a Wine and Hors d’oeuvre Reception in Toner Hall.
On this Second Sunday of Advent, we are introduced to the Saint of Advent: John the Baptist. He is the last of the Old Testament Prophets, he concludes the 4,000- year wait as he announces: “Prepare the Way of the Lord, make straight His paths.”
Advent is a time of truly powerful graces for the purification of our hearts so that we can welcome the Lord Jesus more fully into our life. Continue to have a blessed Advent, come to Daily Mass, or offer another Rosary and prepare for Confession. Don’t waste these precious days of Advent.