A Busy and Wonderful Winter 2016-17

Even though we've been busy since September, things got really exciting as winter started to descend on us. It began with our Christmas Fair and we are still going strong. 
Our Christmas Fair was November 17th - 19th and it was a huge success. there were plenty of baked good, excellent crafts of all sorts, and raffled baskets of awesomeness! Our volunteers worked hard setting up and manning the tables.  We served great lunches too - homemade chili, soups and breads.  We had a good turn out as well and the funds raised help us to provide for charities that we work with.

After that we moved into Advent. Our church follows the cycles of the Church year and the season of Advent turn our attention towards the coming of Jesus - both in the Nativity and the Parousia (His return at the end of the age). This is also a time to gear up for Christmas. 

We held two services at Christmas which were well attended. Fr. Mirabile preached a wonderful and thought provoking sermon about how God has been "taken" with mankind and loved us at our creation such that He betrothed Himself to humanity in Christ through Mary (that sermon can be found here).  Our own Alice Snow sang a solo and the Choir sang the great Christmas hymns. Both were candlelight services, so after Communion the lights were dimmed as each person had their candle lit from the Christmas Candle to the singing of Silent Night.  It was the sort of experience that left you saying to yourself, "Yes!  This is what Christmas is supposed to be like". 

Of course after that comes Epiphany and the celebration of Three Kings Day with our Epiphany pageant. The kid's (and adults) were adorable! Special thanks to Julie W. and Debbie for their work with the kids to make this happen.

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And what is Christmas without finishing it up with a tree-burning party afterwards?  We gathered at the senior wardin's home and had a great time as a church family.  We had a huge turn out from the church.  It was really great to see all the kid's playing outside in the snow. And the adults got to enjoy more food than they could have ever eaten. There was lasagna, a turkey, chili, salad, wine, dips, everything! it's one thing to merely "go to church" at the same time as other people.  It is another thing to share our lives together and be friends and support one another. This is what our life is like. 

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Think we're done?!  Nope.  One January 14th several of us attended Concord for the March for Life.  

​On January 25th our priest, Fr. Mirabile, led an all-day long seminar called "Renewing the Foundations". This excellent presentation, complete with a compelling PowerPoint presentation, explained how church unity and mission is built on a solid foundation of a common life.  That common life is built upon a similar type of personal piety and prayer, a similar understanding of the Faith, adherence to a common tradition, and a mission driven by a common vision.

Of course, winter is not over yet and there is still more to do. The next Re4m seminar is coming up an two weeks, "Take up and Read: Reading the Bible with Confidence".

We are doing all of this and it fails to mention the ongoing mission of our Thrift Shop, which provides clothing and money to many good causes in the area and around the world. Why are we so active?  Because we are here to make a difference.  There are no sleeping saints here!

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