Current Announcements

Merry Christmas! This day is a cause for great rejoicing and giving thanks for the birth of our Savior. We thank the Father who sent His only begotten Son to the world that whoever would believe in Him might not perish but might have eternal life (Jn 3:16). We thank Christ who, being infinitely rich, became a little poor baby in order to one day die on the cross for us. We thank the Holy Spirit for by His power the Christ child was conceived in the womb of our Blessed Mother. We thank the Virgin Mary who said yes to the divine plan and gave the world its Savior.  

 We are celebrating our second Christmas in our new Chapel and many blessings received in this past year. Fr Magiera, FSSP has joined Corpus Christi Chapel and has generously celebrated Masses, helped with confessions, and offered his help in his many areas of expertise and all this while being “retired.”  

We have grown in terms of parishioners. We are up to about 800 or so. There were also more baptisms, weddings, First Communions and people entering the Church this year than in previous years. We have two new confessionals and a cry room. We were recently approved to install new custom pews with kneelers. I will let you know more details on when those will be installed and donating opportunities. 

We have many things to be thankful for that happen on a daily basis. Let us not forget the daily miracle of Holy Mass and our Lord’s presence in the Blessed Sacrament. Let us not forget His mercy poured out so abundantly in confession. We give thanks to Christ the Lord on His birthday for being so good to us each and every day in so many ways that they are impossible to count. 

God bless you all! Merry Christmas!

Father van Zee, FSSP

Father Duffy, FSSP

Father Magiera, FSSP

On Saturday, December 27th, the Feast of St. John the Evangelist, there will be a special blessing of wine and spirits at Corpus Christi Chapel in Naples. Please bring your bottles and place them on the blessing table before Mass. Be sure to collect your items after the benediction.

Wine is blessed on this day because, according to tradition, St. John was served poisoned wine but survived because he blessed the wine before he put it to his lips; the poison rose from the chalice in the shape of a serpent. In his happy memory, Catholics bring wine to church, which the priest blesses, turning it into a sacramental called the “Love of St. John.” Catholics use this sacramental wine for special occasions throughout the year and to give to the sick.

The wine is also a symbol of the great love of Christ that filled St. John’s heart with loyalty, courage, and enthusiasm for his Master. He alone of all the apostles was not afraid to stay close to Jesus during the Passion and Crucifixion, and he was the only Apostle not martyred. At least some of the wine blessed on the feast should be enjoyed on the day of the feast itself. When it is drunk on his Feast Day, we drink it before dinner as a toast to St. John. The Father of the house lifts his glass toward Mother and says, “I drink you the love of St. John.” The Mother replies, “I thank you for the Love of St. John,” and then turns to the oldest child, lifts his glass, and says, “I drink you the love of St. John…” –and on it goes down the line until each has been toasted. The wine may be drunk as is, out of the bottle, or may be prepared as in this recipe:

St. John’s Love (serves 8)1 quart red wine

3 whole cloves

1/16 teaspoon ground cardamom

2 two-inch cinnamon sticks

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 cup sugar

Pour the wine into a large saucepan. Add the remaining ingredients. Boil for 5 minutes (this pretty much evaporates all of the alcohol). Serve hot.

Here’s an English translation of the ritual for blessing the wine, translated from the 1962 Rituale Romanum:

BLESSING OF WINE on the Feast of St. John, Apostle and Evangelist

At the end of the principal Mass on the feast of St. John, Apostle and Evangelist, after the last Gospel, the priest, retaining all vestments except the maniple, blesses wine brought by the people. This is done in memory and in honor of St. John, who drank without any ill effects the poisoned wine offered to him by his enemies.

P: Our help is in the name of the Lord.

All: Who made heaven and earth.

P: The Lord be with you.

All: May He also be with you.

Let us pray.

If it please you, Lord God, bless and consecrate this vessel of wine (or any other beverage) by the power of your right hand; and grant that, through the merits of St. John, apostle and evangelist, all your faithful who drink of it may find it a help and a protection. As the blessed John drank the poisoned potion without any ill effects, so may all who today drink the blessed wine in his honor be delivered from poisoning and similar harmful things. And as they offer themselves body and soul to you, may they obtain pardon of all their sins; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

Lord, bless this creature drink, so that it may be a health- giving medicine to all who use it; and grant by your grace that all who taste of it may enjoy bodily and spiritual health in calling on your holy name; through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

May the blessing of almighty God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, come on this wine (or any other beverage) and remain always.

All: Amen.

It is sprinkled with holy water. If the blessing is given privately outside of Mass, the priest is vested in surplice and stole and performs the ceremony as given above.

Father Romanoski will be visiting during the fourth week of December. We will hold our monthly potluck on December 28th, after the 9:30 a.m. mass. Everyone is encouraged to bring food to share. Don’t miss out on the fun and the opportunity to get to know your fellow parishioners better!

La posada es una celebración en honor del peregrinaje de San José y la Santísima Virgen María a Belén. Rezaremos el santo rosario, las letanías, cantaremos, y después comeremos, también tendremos piñata. Únase a esta celebración anual que se llevará a cabo en la casa de Adelita (45 25th Ave NE Naples FL, 34120)el 20 de diciembre de 6-8pm. 

"La posada" is a very traditional celebration in honor of the pilgrimage of Saint Joseph and our Lady to Bethlehem. We will pray the holy rosary and the litany, we will sing songs and afterward we will eat, we will also have a piñata. It will take place in Adelita's House (45 25th Ave NE Naples FL, 34120) on December 20th from 6-8 pm. 

Please be aware that there will be no group classes in December, including the Grief Support Group, Women's Group, Men's Group, Young Adult Group.

The blessing of religious articles is available on Saturdays and Sundays at Corpus Christi Chapel in Naples. 

Saturdays: Please drop off your belongings at the new counter located at the entrance of the church before 8:15 a.m. You can collect your items after the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, which concludes at 9:15 a.m. 

Sundays: Please drop off your belongings at the new counter located at the entrance of the church before either 7:30 a.m. or 9:30 a.m. You can collect your items after the Mass.

Due to space constraints, please ensure that you collect your personal items on the same day, as we are unable to store items for you. 

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Please consider the following guidelines before placing items at the blessing counter on Saturdays:

1) Please place only devotional items on the blessing counter. These include:

• Crucifixes, images, medals, or statues of angels and saints (e.g., Miraculous Medals, Saint Benedict Medals, etc.)
• Water
• Salt
• Oil
• Rosaries
• Scapulars
• Candles

Anything that is not included in this list, please ask permission from Father before placing it on the blessing counter. 

2) Be sure to label items with your name, if possible, so you can easily identify them after they have been blessed.

3) If bringing multiple items in a bag, please provide a list of the items contained.  Each item receives its own blessing, so it helps to save time if we already know what’s in the bag, rather than having to search through it and open up boxes to see what we are blessing.

4) Please collect your items after Mass. We will not be storing any items.

Please take note of the upcoming events at Corpus Christi Chapel in Naples:

-Friday, December 12th, first-class feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of America and the Diocese of Venice. Mass times for Corpus Christi will be:

• 7:30am, Low Mass at Corpus Christi Chapel in Naples
• 5:30pm, High Mass at Corpus Christi Chapel in Naples

-Saturday, December 13th, at 9:30 am RCIA Class will be taught by Fr. van Zee.

-Saturday, December 20th, "La posada" is a traditional celebration in honor of the pilgrimage of Saint Joseph and Our Lady to Bethlehem. We will pray the holy rosary and the litany, we will sing songs and afterward, we will eat, and we will also have a piñata. It will take place at Adelita and Vidal's House (45 25th Ave NE Naples FL, 34120), from 6:30 to 9 pm. 

La posada es una celebración en honor del peregrinaje de San José y la Santísima Virgen María a Belén. Rezaremos el santo rosario, las letanías, cantaremos, y después comeremos, también tendremos piñata. Únase a esta celebración anual que se llevará a cabo en la casa de Adelita y Vidal(45 25th Ave NE Naples FL, 34120) el 20 de diciembre de 6:30 to 9 pm. 

Parishioner and author Viviana Falleti extends a big “Thank You!” to everyone who participated in the book sale / signing event last Sunday. $1,000 was raised, which is being donated to the CCC building fund. She wishes everyone a blessed Advent and a holy Christmas.

If anyone is interested in purchasing more books,  you can do so on Viviana’s website LittleFeatherPress.com. The December special: buy 3 books and get 1 free PLUS free gift wrapping and messaging is available on her website.

Just in time for Christmas, a new book is out—“The Circus of CATS in Venice”—delightful, critically acclaimed, and beautiful! It is being carried by the exclusive Rizzoli Bookstore in NYC, but you can get your copy right here, at LittleFeatherPress.com 

Happy reading!

If you wish to buy one or more calendars from the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter for 2026, the price is $17. Please submit your request here.

Si está interesado en adquirir uno varios calendarios de la Fraternidad Sacerdotal de San Pedro en Español para 2026, el costo es de 17 dólares. ingrese su solicitud aquí.

Members of The Mom’s Group or any parishioner interested, 

Saint Andrew Catholic Church is currently caring for 60 school-aged children and 40 families affected by last year’s hurricanes and flooding. They are particularly in need of knitted or crocheted warm hats for children, but they will accept donations for individuals of all ages. The immediate priority is for hats specifically for school-aged children. 

 If you would like to participate, please mail your hat donations to the following address:

 St. Andrew Catholic Church 
 149 Brook Street
 Mars Hill, NC 28754

 Thank you for your support!