Dear Parishioners,
Blessings Happy Epiphany and Happy New Year
Take a look below of the Tradition of Epiphany door blessing with chalk which is a symbol of hope in 2021
I would like to extend my thanks to all who helped make our Christmas celebrations so beautiful. Thank you to Bert Pozio for decorating our beautiful outdoor Christmas Tree. Thank you to Jerry Romano who built the table for the crèche, Jim DeVito and his crew for putting it up, Joe Carpenteri and Brian McHugh for their help setting up. They will also help break down all the decorations at the end of the Christmas Season which concludes with the Baptism of the Lord.
Thank you to Joe and Mary Remlin for their continued dedication in helping set up the church and gym for Christmas Masses. Thank you to Dolly Perce, Josie Nazzaro, Madeline Fitzgerald, Brenda Todd, Cathy Romano, Nancy Engel, Marilyn Moran, Carol Gabriel for decorating the church and McGrath Hall. Thank you to our Knights of Columbus for monitoring the doors for all the Christmas Masses, Thank you to our musicians Frank Matto and Aidan Andrews, for planning and giving us such beautiful music Thank you to Jose Feliciano and family for providing his traditional Feliz Navidad at the end of the 6:00pm Christmas Mass. Thank you to Dennis and Matt our custodians for all their behind the scenes help. Thank you to all who financially contributed through the Christmas flower and Christmas gift collections. Your time, talent and treasure is a blessed gift to the parish.
The ancient Christian tradition of marking doorways with chalk on the feast of the Epiphany will carry new meaning for many Catholics in 2021.Following a year that saw families shaken by the coronavirus pandemic, the traditional home blessing will serve as a special symbol of hope and a visible reminder of faith.
During he Christmas Season Holy Mother Church celebrates the great Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord.
The door lentil is “chalked”— marked in chalk with a sign of the Epiphany: the year along with the letters C, M, and B. and the year. The acronym CMB stands for both a Latin prayer, Christus Mansionem Benedicat (May Christ Bless this House) as well as the traditional names of the Magi—Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar.
This outward sign of our celebration of Epiphany is a visible sign to all who enter our homes
God Bless,
Fr. Cyrus
