St. Benedict’s Shrine Smithfield

Children’s Carols	5:00pm
Christmas Vigil Mass/Children’s Mass	6:00pm
Carols	11:00pm
Midnight Mass	12:00pm
Italian Mass	8:00am
Christmas Day Mass	10:30am
Octave of Christmas and Public Holidays	10:30am
New Years Day	10:30am

 

Please Note: There is no evening Mass with Novena on Wednesday during the Christmas Octave.  Daily mass will be at 10:30am as noted above.

St. Theresa’s Church Fairfield

Christmas Day Mass	7:30am, 9:00am
Octave of Christmas and Public Holidays	8:00am
New Years Day	8:00am

Sunday the 24th of December and Monday the 25th of December are both holy days of obligation and Catholics are required to attend Mass on both days. The vigil Mass on the 24th of December is not a Sunday Mass, but the Christmas Vigil Mass.

God’s sign is simplicity. God’s sign is the Baby. God’s sign is that He makes himself small for us. 
This is how He reigns.  He does not come with power and outward splendor.
He comes as a Baby – defenseless and in need of our help.  He does not want to overwhelm us with His strength.
He takes away our fear of His greatness.  He asks for our love: so He makes himself a child.
Let us enjoy in Jesus as Pope Francis said:
“The flavour of the true spirit of Christmas: The beauty of being loved by God.”
May we look to the crib this Christmas and pray, asking the Blessed Mother:
“O Mary Ever Virgin, show us Jesus.”

Have a Blessed Christmas and New Year!

Fr. Jarek, Fr. Wojtek, Br. Dn. Joseph Maria, Br. Zachary, The Parish Staff and members of the Pastoral Council of St. Gertrude’s Parish.