Message from the Pastor Msgr. Schwanger
My Dear Family of Our Lady of Lourdes,
Happy Advent. Advent is a season of preparation and of hope. For the first Sunday of Advent, we are again inviting everyone to bring their Advent Wreath from home to Mass and we will bless it together with the Advent Wreath for the parish. If you do not have an Advent Wreath for home you can get one at our Holy Boutique. Our Angel Tree returns and will be set up in the outside vestibule. The Angel Tree has ornaments on it with suggestions for gifts for those in need. Our St. Vincent de Paul Society will be collecting and distributing our gifts.
This year we have the blessing of Fr. Yara who will offer the Advent Mission in both English and Spanish. December 4th the mission is in Spanish and December 5th the mission is in English. As we are entering the Jubilee Year of Hope, the title of the mission is Mary, Mother of Hope. This bulletin and the website have more information.
Saturday, December 7th is our OLOL Advent Church Cleanup for Christmas. We will gather at 9:00 am in the Chapel to begin. Just in time for us to open our celebration of the Immaculate Conception. We will celebrate the Gritería December 7th at 8:00 p.m. at the outdoor altar. The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception is a Holy Day of Obligation and has been moved to December 9th this year. Our annual Mass of Consecration to Jesus through Mary is on the 9th at 7:00 p.m.
The third Sunday of Advent we bless our expectant mothers, their children in the womb, and their families. Advent is a beautiful time to celebrate God’s gift of life and to say to yes with Mary to our place in His divine plan. The fourth Sunday of Advent we bless the image of the infant Jesus from the parish creche and from our home creches.
Our Christmas Concert, and now also Sing Along, is Friday, December 20th at the Outdoor Altar. It is a wonderful event and a wonderful way to make the final turn toward Christmas. Don’t miss it!
You can see then that we planned a beautiful season so that we might enter wholly into the joy of Christmas when we gather to celebrate our Savior’s birth. Come and join us!
Msgr. Schwanger
Pastor