Dear Friend of Carmel Mission,
This weekend we celebrate the feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. I hope you had an opportunity to connect with your family in the past few days, whether in person, on the phone, or on the omnipresent Zoom. Family is one of God’s greatest gifts. One of the lessons we can learn from the Holy Family is all that is truly required is great and unconditional love, commitment, patience and faith. Family comes in many forms. We may have our friends who are as close as family, our work family, and here at Carmel Mission we certainly have our parish family. In addition, we are all members of the most important family of all, God’s family, the Holy Trinity.
In the past two weeks I have reached out to our ministry leaders, in anticipation of the Christmas holidays, to hear how they and all our ministry volunteers have been faring, as well as to share news from the Mission. That news is encapsulated in a special newsletter in our bulletin and e-message this week. I hope you have a chance to read it. During the holiday season we would ordinarily have an opportunity to celebrate the many wonderful ministries we have here at Carmel Mission, and express our appreciation for all that our volunteers do in support of our mission. Unfortunately, parties and gatherings are not possible at this time, so I want to take this opportunity to thank all our volunteers who have stayed with us through this turbulent year. We are so grateful for your ongoing support.
In the past year we have found new definitions and expressions of what it means to be a member of God’s family. What remains unchanged is the warm welcome we find in God’s embrace, and the community we share as brothers and sisters. As we continue to celebrate the holiday season, with its focus on our families, large and small, l invite you to join me in reflecting on the value of the family we call “Church.” My wish for our family in this New Year is that we continue to grow together in faith, in hope, and in love.
I wish you and your loved ones blessings of good health and great happiness in the New Year,
Fr. Paul
Please take a moment to read our Carmel Mission weekly bulletin.