Merry Christmas—still! The Christmas Octave culminates with the celebration of Mary, Mother of God, on January 1—her premier and foundational feast. So Happy New Year! One possible New Year’s Resolution is to make First Saturdays a normative part of your Catholic lifestyle. First Saturdays help one to live the Fatima Message in its fullness in these disturbing times. Confession, attending Mass to offer Jesus your Communion of Reparation, praying the Holy Rosary, and meditating 15 minutes on the Mysteries of the Rosary (as Our Lady of Fatima requested) will renew you as a Catholic disciple, unleash graces of conversion for sinners, and protect you from “the errors of Russia.”
We RE-OPEN on Wednesday, December 31. St. Joseph Chapel (400 South Blvd. West, Pontiac, MI 48341) will open at 3:00 pm with Eucharistic Exposition to enable a contemplative entering into the New Year. Holy Mass will be at 4:00 pm—a Vigil Mass for Mary, Mother of God. It is a Solemnity and Holy Day of Obligation. We will pray the Rosary and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy after Mass.
On New Year’s Day, Thursday, January 1, 2026, we will be open for the same feast with the normal schedule:
- (10:30 am) Doors Open & Eucharistic Exposition
- (11:00 am) Confessions
- (Noon) Mass
- (After Mass) Rosary & Chaplet
- CLOSE after the Chaplet of Divine Mercy
Friday, January 2, is First Friday and Saturday, January 3, is First Saturday when we honor devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Devotion to Our Lady’s the Immaculate Heart of Mary will conquer Satan because Jesus wishes it, and as it ushers in the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary it will help hasten the coming Kingdom of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It’s the best way to start the New Year! Immaculata, PRAY FOR US!
We hope to have Epiphany Water available in the second week of January. It is the most powerful Holy Water the Church offers. The water will be already bottled and available for a donation. It can only be blessed on the traditional Epiphany date (Jan. 6) and in Latin since the blessing is from the Roman Ritual. It is highly recommended for situations of demonic disturbance (hence, it is for blessing not drinking) and for protection from such.
To communicate with me, please email me directly at abunaalex@yahoo.com or call/text me at (313) 727-9784. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us!
In Jesus, Mary & Joseph,
Fr. Alex Kratz, OFM
Spiritual Director of Terra Sancta Ministries