The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Friday, December 8, 2023
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December 6, 2023
On the eve of this Solemnity, exactly eighty-two years ago, the Empire of Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. The next day, President Roosevelt announced that we were at war. He spoke of “the day that will live in infamy.” Thus began our participation in the sad events of World War II, which had already begun in Europe in 1939. We would be at war until the defeat of Japan in August 1945. A whole generation, and indirectly those after, would be formed by these tragic years of war. One commentator rightly described this age group as “the greatest generation”, because of the many sacrifices they were asked to make before, during, and after the war. Through it all we Catholics believed that Our Lady in her Immaculate Conception, patroness of the United States, intervened on our behalf to bring us victory over the powers of darkness. From its earliest days, our bishops have placed our nation in the loving embrace of Immaculate Mary, Mother of God. During these difficult times for many, let us renew our consecration to Jesus through Mary by participating at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
This day is our national holy day. Masses will be celebrated on Friday, December 8 at 815am with the school children, at noon using the Traditional Latin Form, and at 7pm with organ and cantor.
