Dear Friends in Christ,

THANK YOU!
As we settle into the new year, I want to take a moment to express my gratitude to so many of you who helped make this Christmas season so beautiful and meaningful, especially as we celebrated in Danner Hall during our church renovation.

First, a huge thank you to our parish staff for all the hard work and coordination that went into preparing our space for the Christmas liturgies. Being out of our main church brought extra challenges, and the staff rose to the occasion to ensure everything went smoothly.

I also want to thank our Environment Committee for their tireless efforts to make our worship space look beautiful. From fabrics to flowers—and even all the ironing that goes into making things look crisp and clean—you helped transform Danner Hall into a space fitting to celebrate Christmas liturgies. A special thank you goes out to all of our liturgical ministers—lectors, servers, extraordinary ministers, ushers, greeters, musicians, and sacristans—who went
above and beyond this Christmas season; especially with the added Mass this year. I am particularly grateful to the Knights of Columbus for their emergency set-up and snow removal support. Even though we did not need help with snow removal this year for the Christmas liturgies…it’s a weight off of Kim’s shoulders to know that there is help in case snowmaggedon occurs during the Christmas liturgies. I think that all of you would agree that Meghan does an amazing job with our choir and they sounded absolutely amazing. Thank you for all the time you put into rehearsing to make our Christmas Masses so beautiful.

Finally, I owe a very sincere thank you to all those who have graciously made meals for me this fall. I have a bit of a confession—I’ve lost track of who I have written thank-you notes to and who I haven’t. Please know how much I truly appreciate every single one of those home-cooked meals! Between evening appointments and other commitments, I often struggle to find the time to cook, and I’ll admit, I’m not exactly a five-star chef. The meals you’ve dropped off at the rectory are not only delicious, but also a real gift of generosity and care. You all rock, and I am so grateful for your kindness and culinary talents!

MASS IN DANNER HALL
As we continue to celebrate Mass in Danner Hall during our sanctuary renovation, I want to take a moment to lovingly remind everyone of the importance of maintaining a spirit of reverence in this space. Though Danner Hall is our temporary worship area, it is still a sacred place where we gather to celebrate the Eucharist. Out of respect for the Eucharist and one another, I ask that we refrain from bringing drinks or chewing gum into Danner Hall during Mass. Additionally, let’s strive to limit conversations before and after Mass to preserve an atmosphere of prayer. This is our makeshift church for now, and just as we would in our main church, we want to honor this space as a place of worship and prayer with God. Thank you for your understanding as we work together to keep our time in Danner Hall as reverent as possible.

In Christ’s Love and Friendship