In just a few days we will come together and remember the gift given in the first Christmas, when Mary gave birth to the Son of God, the Lord Jesus, in the stillness of a winter's night. Our Advent expectation, about the coming of the Lord will be replaced with the spirituality of the Christmas season. Beginning on the 24th, with the Vigil masses of the Nativity of the Lord, the Christmas season is a time of singing joy to the world, a Savior is born.
As most know, Christmas Eve and Christmas day attract lots of folks that do not join us on a regular basis; and, we welcome their attendance. Please welcome all you see on the 24th and the 25th with a hearty Merry Christmas. To make sure these "occasional" visitors have a place to park, I am asking every member of SJN reading this column (except our elderly and disabled) to use our shuttle-bus system.
We will have seven buses parked at our neighborhood Publix (the corner of Five Forks and Tom Smith Road.) I ask every member and family of SJN to park in the Publix lot, on the 24th of December, and allow the buses to bring you to the 5:30 PM and 7:30 PM Vigil Masses. In this way, the upper parking lot can be accessed by our elderly and disabled, and we will keep driveways clear for emergencies.
The shuttle-bus system will begin working at 4 PM on the 24th and will finish up with the work at about 9 PM that same night. The seven buses are loaned to us by St. Pius X High School. Please remember to say thank you to SPC' principal, Mr. Spellman, and to the folks at Publix. SJN will park in that area of the parking lot closest to Five FOrks, in the middle of the shopping center's parking.
If EVERYONE uses the shuttle bus system as I am asking of you, our upper lot will be saved for the elderly and for those with some disability; and the back lot will be saved for those "occasional Catholics" that might be visiting us that evening.
I want to thank our Liturgy Planning Committee for the foresight to recommend these accommodations, and the Knights of Columbus and members of our Life Teen core group for the work they've done in making this shuttle bus system a reality. Thanks too, to staff members Mary Lou Schwaner and Deacon Bill Marten, for their work in organizing all.
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On behalf of our staff and on behalf of the clergy of SJN, please allow me to wish each and every member of the SJN family a happy and holy Christmas!
Msgr. David Talley
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Children's Liturgy of the Word is at the 9:00 am Mass each Sunday. Children ages 3– 7 years old are invited to listen to the Word of God on their own level and hear it explained on their level. They also sing the psalm and the Alleluia, and pray the Prayers of the Faithful in a way meaningful to children.