 Fr.
Tom's Tomes December 3, 2006
The Season of Advent starts this weekend. We celebrate 4 Sundays in Advent before Christmas. The Season of Advent is a time of preparation. We prepare not only to remember the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, but more importantly we remember one day we too shall be with Jesus Christ in heaven. The Season of Advent is a time of preparing our souls. It is a time to reflect where we have been over this last year and how we need to come closer to Jesus Christ. This Advent we are going to have an Advent Penance Service. The Advent Penance Service will be on Monday evening, December 18, 2006 at 7:00 pm. During the Advent Penance Service we will gather as the people of St. Columban to listen to the words of Scripture, to have a general examination of conscience and then there will be time for private confession and individual confessions. To receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation is a peaceful moment to prepare for Christmas. No one should avoid receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation before Christmas. If you are not able to attend the Advent Penance Service individual reconciliation times are on Saturday from 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm and Sunday morning from 9:15 am until 9:30 am. Very few people take advantage of these times. I would encourage every parishioner to celebrate the forgiveness and healing power of God through the Sacrament of Reconciliation before Christmas. Friday, December 8, 2006, is a Holy Day of Obligation. This is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Mass times for this Holy Day will be 7:00 pm on Thursday, December 7, 2006 and 8:00 am on Friday, December 8, 2006. There will be no school at Bishop Hogan on Friday, December 8, 2006, so parents are to make sure their children attend Mass for the Holy Day. Every Catholic is to attend Mass for the Holy Day. There is no evening Mass for the Holy Day since the end of the Golden Anniversary of our Diocese is going to be celebrated at 7:00 pm that evening at the Cathedral in Kansas City. If you were planning on attending the Friday evening Mass at 7:00 pm join us at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. Some Bishop Hogan school events which are coming up are the Bishop Hogan Christmas Program on the evening of December 14 and a live Nativity Scene on December 21on the south lawn of the rectory grounds. The generosity of parishioners for this ministry of the parish is great. These two events are not only school events but events for all parishioners of the parish to attend. The Christmas Program will begin at 7:00 pm on December 14 and is our Christmas card from the school to the parish. All parishioners are invited to come and join us that night. It should be a very pleasant evening filled with song and message. A reminder to all Junior High Students, Grades 7 and 8, and all High School Students, grades 9 through 12, we will be going to the movie “the Nativity story”. All students must call in to reserve a space by Wednesday, December 6, 2006. That is this Wednesday. Students will meet at 3:15 pm at the Bishop Hogan School Parking lot to go to the movie theater here in Chillicothe. The movie begins at 4:00 pm, there will be pop and pizza served after the movie here at the gym. The confirmation class will meet after pop and pizza. All who are in the confirmation class need to attend the movie. The cost of the movie for this showing will be $5.75. If you have any questions please call John/Mary Taylor at 646-6165 or Fr. Tom at 646-0190. In preparing for Christmas all parishioners should be aware there is an obligation to attend Mass for the 4th Sunday of Advent. The Sunday schedule will remain the normal Sunday schedule. The Mass schedule for Christmas Masses is 5:00 pm Christmas Eve, Midnight Mass and 9:00 am on Christmas Day. As you plan for your Christmas celebration please remember these times. May God’s blessings be abundant for you during this first week of Advent. |