On December 25, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord. Christmas is one of the most important days of the Church year, second only to Easter itself. During the Christmas season, we celebrate the birth of Christ. It is the feast of the Incarnation, the feast of God becoming flesh. The Christmas season is a time to reflect on the gift of salvation that is born with him, including the fact that Christ was born to die for us.

St. Anthony of Padua Parish invites all students to bring their backpacks to Mass for a special blessing on September 8 following the 9:30 a.m. Mass at St. Hyacinth Church, 268 Brown Street in Westbrook; the 10:15 Mass at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, 919 Roosevelt Trail in Windham; or the 11 a.m. Mass at St. Anne Church, 299 Main Street in Gorham.

The Moosehead Lake Knights of Columbus will hosts a movie night, featuring the film Mother Teresa, No Greater Love, on Thursday, September 19, at 5:30 p.m. in the hall of Holy Family Church, 145 Pritham Avenue in Greenville.

The St. John’s Catholic School Annual Scholarship Memorial Mass will be celebrated Tuesday, November 19, at 8 a.m. at St. John the Baptist Church, 39 Pleasant Street in Brunswick.

What does “one-ing” mean as regards to all of creation? That question will be explored during a guided fall retreat led by Sister Janet Gagnon, CSJ, at the St. Joseph Center, 80 Garland Road in Winslow.

A 40 Days for Life Midpoint Rally will be held at St. John Church, 217 York Street in Bangor, on Tuesday, October 15.  The rally brings together fellow prayer warriors for inspiration in  the shared mission of bringing an end to the heartbreak of abortion. 

In celebration of the Feast Day of Saint Francis of Assisi, Our Lady of Hope Parish will hold a Blessing of the Animals prayer service on October 5, 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., outside St. Pius X Church, 492 Ocean Avenue in Portland.

Catechetical Sunday, which is celebrated on the third Sunday in September, (September 15, 2024) was established to recognize and celebrate the gift that catechists bring to a parish community. It also provides us an opportunity to reflect on the role that each person plays, by virtue of baptism, in handing on the faith and being a witness to the Gospel.

What are our creeds? Where do they come from? Why do we use them? What is their place in the liturgy? What do their words mean?