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We are all given special talents and gifts from God. One of my special gifts is the ability to rest. I can sit down and fall asleep faster than anyone. At night, my head barely touches the pillow, and I am at rest. I see this as a sign of God’s love. Being able to rest allows us to receive God and receiving Him gives us true rest. As St. Augustine wrote, “You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.” We all need time to rest in our lives. Even God rested on the seventh day of creation. That is why Sunday sho...

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Christmas 2024 My friends, I am pleased to share with you this Christmas pastoral letter as the Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Norwich. Many of you are regular Mass goers.  Some of you come occasionally, once a month or so.  Some come once or twice a year on the major holidays of Christmas or Easter.  For others, this may be the first time you have been in a church for years or maybe even for the first time. To all of you, I say, “Welcome and merry Christmas.” Whatever your relationship with the Church may be, I invite you to c...

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The Jubilee Year is a sacred time of renewal, grace, and joy proclaimed by the Church every 25 years. For 2025, Pope Francis has announced the Jubilee Year under the theme “Spes Non Confundit” (Hope Does Not Disappoint), taken from St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans (Rom 5:5). In his papal bull of proclamation, the Holy Father invites all Catholics to embrace this year as a time of profound encounter with God’s mercy and hope, symbolized by the opening of Holy Doors in cathedrals and churches around the world. The Jubilee Year offers an invitation to...

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The Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God On January 1, Catholics honor Mary’s unique role in salvation history with the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, a Holy Day of Obligation. This feast underscores Mary’s title as Theotokos, or “God-bearer,” a doctrine officially declared at the Council of Ephesus in 431. At the close of the council, the faithful filled the streets, joyfully proclaiming, “Praised be the Theotokos!” Mary’s title as “Mother of God” is rooted in the Incarnation, where, as St. Paul teaches: “...

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The days leading up to Christmas are a blur of to-do lists scribbled on sticky notes, Amazon packages arriving at odd hours, and gifts yet to be wrapped. It's easy for December to feel more like a chaotic sprint than a peaceful journey to Bethlehem. As a mom, I know the pressure to create a “perfect Christmas.” But somewhere between decorating the tree and tackling the next laundry mountain, I feel that tug on my heart reminding me: Slow down. He’s coming. Advent is a gift, a quiet invitation amidst the noise. In these weeks, ...

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