“Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”
St. Francis is said to have initiated the tradition of erecting nativity scenes for Christ’s mass (“Christmas”). In 1223 in Greccio, Italy, he created a living nativity staged with live animals and people. Pope Honorius III thus gave approval of the exhibit on behalf of the Vatican, and within the century every Catholic church in Italy followed Francis by displaying a nativity scene for Christ’s mass.
Feast of the Immaculate Conception — Thursday, December 8, 8:oo am, 12:05 pm, 7:00 pm
Communal Reconciliation Service — Wednesday, December 21, 7:00 pm
Christmas Day — Sunday, December 25, 11:00 am
Mary, Mother of God — Sunday, January 1, 11:00 am
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