Bob Jensen

“David Cromer, who replaced Kathy last May,
has discerned that this is the right time for
retirement. At the same time, Kathy’s new job at
St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral was not
turning out as she had thought.”
– Fr. Bill

Good-bye And Thank You David,
Welcome Kathy

Did you hear that the former CEO of Disney, Bob Iger, returned to lead the company? Well, not to be outdone, Kathy Wickward has returned as Pastoral Assistant of Administration for our parish!
David Cromer, who replaced Kathy last May, has discerned that this is the right time for retirement. At the same time, Kathy’s new job at St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral was not turning out as she had thought.
This will be a great benefit for the parish. We will have Kathy’s experience, as the parish continues to move forward with our new operating software. Kathy was on the archdiocesan committee that helped choose this software and is already somewhat familiar with it.
David’s last day will be December 31. Kathy will begin full time on January 3. You will see her around a bit during December, as she gets caught up with training for the new software and with where the parish has been these past eight months under the very capable leadership of David. Thank you David!
Disney’s stock went up with Bob Iger’s return. Will our parish stewardship go up with Kathy’s? It’s a small world after all.

“Amid the challenges and struggles of
life, Christmas always happens. Let
Christmas happen for you. God
desires to be close to you, especially
in your hardships and suffering.”
– Fr. Bill

Christmas Always Happens

In times of war and in times of peace; in times of prosperity and during economic hardship and crisis; when families can gather and when families are separated – Christmas always happens. The experience of Christmas or the feeling of Christmas may vary due to the circumstances of life. Maybe, the greater the hardship, the greater the hope of Christmas shining through.

Remember that first Christmas came amidst political upheaval, in a country occupied by a foreign army. Society was deeply divided between those who collaborated with the Romans and those who wanted to fight them. Roman taxation reduced most to poverty. Because of a government edict, a young couple, the mother pregnant with her first child, had to close-up the carpenter shop and leave home and relatives at a time they needed them most and travel to register for a census. There, alone in a stable, Christmas happened. Hope arrived with the sound of a newborn baby crying.

God had become one of us. God had entered into human suffering. And God continues to enter into our suffering. It is there that God often invites us to a deeper relationship. The hope of Christmas is realizing how near God is to us, how close God wants to be with us.

Amid the challenges and struggles of life, Christmas always happens. Let Christmas happen for you. God desires to be close to you, especially in your hardships and suffering. God proved that when he entered human suffering in the manger that first Christmas and again when he accepted that cross to suffer for us till he could suffer nor more. But the story does not end with suffering; it ends with resurrection, with hope. Above all, may your Christmas be filled with hope.

I would like to share with you this article
by Fr. Paul Turner on the Immaculate Conception,
whose feast day is Thursday, December 8.
– Fr. Bill

The Immaculate Conception

“The Immaculate Conception” is a title for Mary, the mother of Jesus. The expression means that Mary was conceived without sin. The conviction that Jesus was born of a virgin is a distinct belief, even though many Catholics erroneously think that the Immaculate Conception refers to Jesus.
Contributing to the confusion is the celebration of the Immaculate Conception during the season of Advent. While the faithful are preparing to honor the birth of Jesus, we commemorate the conception of Mary. The choice of Dec. 8 for the Immaculate Conception does not directly relate to Advent; it corresponds more to the traditional date for the feast of the birth of Mary, Sept. 8, which coincides with the dedication of a Jerusalem church in honor of the mother of Mary. The feast for the conception of Mary is backed up from that day nine months. In a similar way we celebrate the Annunciation on March 25, nine months before the birth of Jesus.
Belief in the Immaculate Conception asserts that God preserved Mary from all sin from the moment of her conception, thus preparing a pure vessel for the incarnation of the Son. This belief is not expressly contained in the Scriptures, but it enjoys a widespread following in the church’s tradition. Although the Immaculate Conception of Mary has been affirmed since the earliest centuries of Christianity, it was not formally proclaimed a dogma of the church until 1854. December 8 is now a holy day of obligation in the United States, which is placed under Mary’s patronage with this title.
When Mary is depicted as the Immaculate Conception, she is often shown wearing a crown of stars as the woman in Revelation 12 and standing on a snake, reversing the temptation of Eve. Mary, the Immaculate Conception, is the exalted queen of heaven who manifests God’s power over sin.