Letter From Fr. Dale about Christmas Masses

Dear Parishioners,

Please consider carefully the Mass you will attend this year in celebration of the Nativity of the Lord. While the Christmas Eve Masses are notoriously crowded, I must ask you to decide whether going to Mass on Christmas Eve at the 4:00 o'clock hour is the wisest choice. I really do not want to see anyone turned-away, but we must respect the COVID-19 restrictions.

There are 13 Masses scheduled this year in the churches of the Lower Allegheny Valley for the Christmas holy day. I am hopeful that those who choose to attend Mass for Christmas will consider a Mass other than the one “they always go to.” We cannot risk the contagion of the coronavirus nor jeopardize the health of anyone in our multiple faith communities. Do keep this in mind: the Christmas Mass will be streamed from Saint Joseph Church at LAVCatholic.org and families may choose to stay home and view the Mass in greater safety and privacy.

The other option is to plan on going to Mass on Christmas morning. That's what I remember as a youth. After opening Christmas gifts from Santa my parents took me and my two brothers to our parish church of Corpus Christi on Lincoln Avenue in the East End for the Christmas Mass. Maybe that's the option you would consider. FYI: there are six Masses to choose from on Christmas morning in the LAV.

Please do get this message out to family, friends, neighbors and other parishioners. For those who do not regularly pray with us nor see what message is written for the bulletin I need to rely on everyone who reads my letter and hears the announcements from the altar to share its contents. In addition to email, texting, flocknotes, etc., I'm relying on you to use the old-fashioned way of spreading the news - word-of-mouth. That is exactly what Jesus counted on when he sent his disciples out to all the world to tell the Good News. Effective in his day. Effective, still, in our own.

Writing to the Thessalonians, Saint Paul said: “Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you.” Brothers and sisters, I urge you to take these words to heart and make them your own.

Father Dale DeNinno