Pastor’s Corner — December 21st, 2025
Helpful Reminders To Foster Prayer at Mass
Inserted in the bulletin this weekend and in all of the pews at Mass, you will find a card with some helpful reminders for how to worthily receive communion and foster an atmosphere of prayer at Mass. My hope is this card, which articulates responses to many questions/concerns that we’ve preached about the last few years, will help us worship God more fruitfully at Mass.
At all Masses this weekend, I will also be sharing some additional context for this card. Please see the homilies and a copy of the pew card here for more information. I hope these reminders will help us to pray better at Mass.
Fr. Joe Campbell: Accepted into the United States Navy
You may have heard this by now, but it was announced on December 8th that Fr. Joe Campbell, our former parochial vicar, has been accepted into the United States Navy as a full-time chaplain. I am very proud of him and his willingness to serve the soldiers of our country in this way. While we will miss him in our priest fraternity, we also know that his gifts are a great fit for this new assignment and the men and women of the Navy will be blessed by his ministry. After completing his assignment at Lansing Catholic High School, Fr Joe will be shipped out (pun intended) to training this summer. We hope that he will be back in about five years. Please pray for him.
Christmas Masses, Saving Seats and the Fire Code
It’s always wonderful to see the Church packed for Christmas. But we know a full church on Christmas also has its challenges, as you know if you have ever been to a Christmas Eve Mass here. I’d like to ask that we be attentive to a couple of areas so that this Christmas will be a more pleasant experience for everyone.
1. Please consider attending a Mass other than the 4pm Vigil. Last year, we estimated that there were about 1,300 people here for the 4pm Vigil. (For reference, an average 9:30 or 11:30am Mass on a Sunday has 700 people at it) This causes serious difficulties with seating, parking, and compliance with the Fire Code, even with the overflow seating downstairs. We can’t build a bigger church for one Mass, but we do intentionally offer five other Christmas Masses: 4:15pm (school gym across town), 6:30pm, Midnight, and 9am and 11am. At the Midnight Mass, before which we have Christmas carols, the lights are dimmed and it is a uniquely beautiful experience. The Masses on Christmas Day are also beautiful, and perhaps a great way to take a break between opening presents and settling in for a hearty Christmas lunch. These morning Masses are not as packed, and make for a less stressful Christmas experience for everyone.
2. Please do not save seats. Whatever Mass you choose to attend, we ask that you please do not save blocks of seats before Mass begins. Of course, it’s okay to save one seat temporarily for a person who dropped you off in the parking lot. But please do not save seats for multiple people. Unfortunately, this practice, which is understandable, can be received as quite rude and inhospitable to guests and other parishioners who cannot find seats. In fact, it can even cause some people to be angry with each other in what is supposed to be a joyful time of celebrating our Lord’s birth. If your entire family cannot come early enough to get seats together, please consider coming to a different Mass where your entire party can get a seat. Otherwise, the ushers [and maybe the priests] will be put in the unenviable position of inviting people to sit in your “saved” seats before Mass. If people are willing to do something like this for seating at restaurants—not sitting down until your entire party is present—then I think we can try this for Masses.
Yes, I know sitting in a church for a long time before Mass is inconvenient. But so is God being born in a manger to save us from our sins. :) My hope is that our Christmas Masses will be a warm, welcoming, and prayerful experience for everyone. I believe attentiveness to this little request, even if it requires a little sacrifice, will ultimately help lead us to achieve this.
Merry Christmas!
Christmas is in just a few days. The baby Jesus in the manger reminds us how humble our God is and how desirous he is of a relationship with us. He didn’t come for himself. He came for us. He came so that you and I might know who we are and who he is so that we might live with him forever. In a world of suffering, it’s important for us to remember that nothing on earth is stronger than his love! No matter what has happened this past year in your life, no matter how dark it may have been, the Light of the World revealed through this little child has the power to scatter the darkness now and for eternity. May we allow him to love us more deeply and call us to a greater humility that not only recognizes that he is our Savior King, but also the fulfillment of our deepest desires.
Fr Joshua and I are very grateful for the cards and gifts so many of you have given to us. Thank you so much! We are so blessed to be a part of this parish family and please know the love is mutual. Merry Christmas!
Your servant in the Lord,
Fr. Mathias
Parish Council members celebrate Christmas with games at the rectory