Please accept my wishes for a very Blessed, Happy and Healthy New Year for you and your family. Time always flies and it seems like, before you know it, another year passes.

The ancient Romans had a god called Janus. This idol had 2 faces; one faced forward and one faced backward. This idol became the month of January, the first month of the year, where one was to look back on the prior year and, at the same time, look forward to the future. In the past, churches would often hold Old Year/New Year Devotions with Benediction to thank God for his blessings in the past year and to ask his blessings on the New Year. In spirit, it would be a good spiritual practice for us to do the same.

Here at Assumption, we have much to thank God for in the past year. People have come back to Mass for the most part, the parish campus is ablaze with activity on any given day, and we have generous souls who meet the needs of the poor as well as keep the parish in good repair. We also ask almighty God for his continued blessings on our parish: for health, happiness and peace in the homes of our parishioners, continued vitality for our academy, and most of all, that all of us become closer to Jesus this New Year.

We begin the New Year under the Patronage of Mary, the Mother of God. May our heavenly Mother lead us to Jesus, her Son so that we remain open to receive God’s gifts to us in fullest measure. “Happy New Year!”