Happy New Year!

I would have posted this yesterday, but I (along with many others, it seems) was under the weather and content with watching football.

We had an alternative New Year Celebration at the Cathedral again this year. As in past years, we had Adoration from the last Mass of the day (6:00 this year) through to Benediction at Midnight. However, we added a new twist this year and celebrated Mass for the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God, with the specific intention of an increase in Vocations to the priesthood and religious life. As I told some friends, there were more people there than I feared might, but less than I hoped would make it.

In all, I think around 50 stayed to welcome the New Year in the greatest way possible, praying the prayer of Christ Himself. In a first for me, I had two deacons assisting me, with two other seminarians serving as minor ministers (acolyte and lector).

All in all, it was a nice celebration and we look forward to doing it again next year. One nice thing that happened, is as the permanent deacon here at the Cathedral and I were getting ready for dinner, he prayed for more people to show up, as there were only two or three others at that time. No more than five minutes later, a (I think) Mexican family came in totalling about 14. The knelt and prayed together and sang the Gloria together out loud. Deacon David says is was quite stunning, and I'm sorry I was on the pizza run!

God Bless during the New Year!