Nollaig Shona Duit! (Merry Christmas to you)

I had a rather busy Christmas this year; liturgically speaking. that is. It was, however, one of the most beautiful of my life (no snow...but the masses I attended made up for that!). I began Christmas by serving Midnight Mass at the Cathedral of St. Andrew's in Grand Rapids with Bishop Hurley. The Cathedral was gorgeous and the music was heavenly. It was also very nice to be serving mass alongside my bishop with my fellow seminarians in the heart of the local church in Grand Rapids.

Christmas morning I again went to mass. This time I went to my parish where the Choir Director (new this year) had put together a polyphony ensemble for the 10:30 mass. It was truly heavenly and awesome because they sang all sorts of traditional Latin melodies...and on top of that we chanted the Gloria in Latin!!! This is a normal parish, English is the norm with Gather hymnals in all the pews...but the Springtime of the Church is coming and being able to chant the Gloria at my home parish for the first time was truly moving. What a gift!

I hope you all had a Merry Christmas, and I cannot wait to see you when I come to Ann Arbor soon!