My Dear Parish Family:

Although I do not play any musical instruments and do not sing that well, I love music! I am a fan of many and varied styles of music. I enjoy the Christmas Carols being sung now and certainly the beautiful hymns sung at Church. I hope you will be joining me for our parish Christmas Concert on Saturday, December 15th. Please remember that the doors of the Church will be closed and locked after the 4 PM Mass and will not open again until 6 PM. Music, in particular classical music, fills my heart with great joy
and brings me into a special peaceful place in my heart
and mind.

Another great source of peace for me is going to Confession. I do not like having to say my sins out loud to a priest, but the peace and joy from God that I receive each time I go to Confession is my sustaining strength. Advent is a great time to listen to great music and a great time to go to Confession.

Each year the Archdiocese of New York, along with the Diocese of Brooklyn, holds Reconciliation Monday before the great day of Christmas. This year please consider going to Confession here or any Church on Monday, December 17th. I recently went to Confession and will be trying to go again before Christmas. In the meantime, I invite all the members of the parish to give yourself the best Christmas present ever – Confession! I will pray for everyone to get to Confession soon and I look forward to seeing all of you at our Christmas Concert!

Until next week, Happy Advent! St. Benedict, pray for us. Servant of God, Terence Cardinal Cooke, pray for us.

Fr. Stephen P. Norton