Dear Families,

As we begin a new year, we should give thanks to the Lord above for all that He has provided for us, though we are most unworthy. First on the list is that we now have a full-fledged parish for the ‘Extraordinary Form’ of the Roman Rite, served by the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter; this same parish now has two Priests to serve the needs of the faithful; and as we celebrated the 60 years since establishment by the founding German community last November, we look to the future with hopeful eyes that our current growth will continue well into the future! God has been very good to us and for this we should all be most grateful.

However, to show our gratitude to God, we should assess how we have lived in relation to God’s will in our personal lives. As we make resolutions for the new year, we should remind ourselves that the spiritual life is the very purpose of a parish. Without our personal sanctification in mind, we would lose the view of our final end. A parish exists to sanctify the faithful and nourish them through the Mass and Sacraments, to provide a centre for a full Catholic life in all its aspects. We must ever keep before us this central purpose, to ensure that any successes can only be assessed, in the end, in relation to our spiritual successes. Without the spiritual life in view, we would have a short-sighted, even dangerous outlook both for ourselves and for those under our care.

The Priests of Holy Family thank-you all for your generous support and dedication. We look forward to serving the needs of the parish and for this we would beg for your daily prayers. May Our Blessed Mother Mary, Queen of All Saints, and Saint Joseph, protector of Holy Mother Church, intercede for you all before the throne of God. May God bless you.

In Christo,
Father Erik Deprey, FSSP