As I mentioned to you in last week's bulletin, the second year of the parish pastoral plan will be dedicated to: the call to holiness. Our archbishop invited us to a year of prayer for the New Pentecost as a preparation for the upcoming diocesan synod. He suggested to us: Set small, attainable goals. Pray with someone. Practice your devotions: Our Lady, Saints, Rosary, Divine Mercy Chaplet, Lectio Divina, Stations of the Cross, etc. Focus on God. Prayer is not just meditation; it can be an important way of bringing us peace amid our busy lives. When you pray, you focus on God and God's will, focusing your mind outside of yourself, to something greater. It's helpful spiritually and psychologically, as well. Remember, all prayers are answered. We may not always get precisely what we ask for in prayer, but God knows what we need and, in a way we don't always understand, He will answer us. We can take great comfort in, and marvel at, the fact that God desires our happiness more so than even we do. In conjunction with Archbishop Vigneron's invitation and our own parish vision, we have put into motion several initiatives: Special Novena prayers for the women of our parish before the feast of the Immaculate Conception on Dec. 8th, an Advent parish vigil with Our Lady on Dec. 12 and 13, a Lenten parish Retreat on March 6-11, Special Novena prayers for the men of our parish before Father's Day on June 21, making preparations for a perpetual Adoration Chapel, improving the sound system, and much more. All of these and other initiatives will be featured in our parish bulletin. Of course we can't forget our ChristLIfe journey that is being wonderfully accepted within our parish. I do encourage you to come and join us on Thursday evenings. As the first part is coming slowly to its conclusion, the next will begin shortly after Christmas on January 8th.