As president of the advisory board to the archdiocese’s Catholic Community Foundation (CCF), I have had the benefit of seeing firsthand the enormous generosity, service and leadership among our faithful community.

As we approach the end of this jubilee year in our Church throughout the world, with a theme of “Pilgrims of Hope,” let’s pause to thank God for the special blessings of this past year as well as asking for his ongoing gift of hope for 2026 and beyond. From Dec. 21, 2024, to Jan. 6, 2026, it’s been quite a journey!

The birth of our Savior at Christmas is a profound mystery that is ultimately impossible for our minds to take in. How is that God, who is infinite and all-powerful, who is being itself pervading and undergirding all time and space, the source of all that was, is and ever will be, could be born as a tiny baby in a stable in a small backwater town of the Roman Empire?

You may know my office for programs like the Indiana March for Life, Project Rachel retreats or healing Masses. My role also allows me to accompany, form and pray with parish leaders—both staff and volunteers—across the archdiocese.

As we approach the Christmas season, we do so with so many Christians throughout the world. What we celebrate during Christmas is a reminder of our unity in Christ. And yet, we are not united in communion—that oneness which Jesus mandated for us in John 17:20-21.

I look forward each year to retrieving our Christmas decorations from their hiding places and setting them out for all to see: our large gilded Nativity scene adorned with white lights displayed in our front dining room window, the needlepoint stockings with each family member’s name hung on the mantle, token items that have been part of our family tradition since our adult children were very young, to name just a few. These visible signs have meaning and capture the essence of the season in our home.

Durante la santa temporada del Adviento, la Iglesia destaca a la Santísima Virgen María y su papel indispensable en la historia de la salvación. La solemnidad de la Inmaculada Concepción, celebrada el 8 de diciembre, y la fiesta de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, celebrada el 12 de diciembre, son dos ejemplos claros de la importancia que se le da a María en esta época del año, pero hay muchos otros, como, por supuesto, la Natividad del Señor (Navidad), celebrada el 25 de diciembre, y la fiesta de la Sagrada Familia, celebrada el 28 de diciembre, y la Solemnidad de María, Madre de Dios, el 1 de enero.

During the holy season of Advent, the Church calls our attention to the Blessed Virgin Mary and her indispensable role in the history of salvation. The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception on Dec. 8, and the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Dec. 12, are two prominent examples of this season’s special focus on Mary, but there are many others including, of course, the Nativity of the Lord (Christmas) on Dec. 25, the Feast of the Holy Family on Dec. 28 and the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God on Jan. 1.

We all know the story. We return to Bethlehem this time each year, awaiting the birth of the Christ Child. In the weeks of Advent leading up to Christmas, we read about Mary’s “yes” to become Mother of our Savior. She serves as a model of hope, faithful waiting and preparation for Jesus’ arrival. Her unequivocal response in faith is one we are called to follow each day as we live our vocations as disciples of Christ.

As in years past, Fox 59 in Indianapolis will again broadcast SS. Peter and Paul Cathedral’s 10 p.m. Christmas Eve Mass beginning at midnight.

When the archdiocese purchased a farm in the southeast corner of Indianapolis in 1947 to develop a parish, it was decided the livestock barn would be converted for use as the church. Christ would become present at Mass where animals used to shelter. What better name for the parish than Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, an homage to the Savior’s birth in a Bethlehem stable.

Queridos hermanas y hermanos en Cristo: Aunque las narraciones del nacimiento de Jesús se encuentran en los Evangelios de Mateo y Lucas, es el comienzo del Evangelio de Juan el que nos da a entender el verdadero significado de la Navidad; a saber:

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, While the narratives of Jesus’ birth are found in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, it is the beginning of the Gospel of John that we are given to understand the true meaning of Christmas, namely:

The annual Indiana March for Life and associated events will take place on Jan. 22 in Indianapolis. Youths and pro-life advocates from all five of Indiana’s dioceses will participate in the event, which solemnly commemorates the date in 1973 when the U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision legalized abortion across the country.

Fifteen members of the Sisters of St. Francis in Oldenburg celebrated significant anniversaries of their time in religious life in 2025. The anniversaries are marked by the year in which the sisters entered religious life with the Franciscans. Some who entered in February celebrated their jubilees this year in anticipation of the actual anniversary of their entering religious life.

SELLERSBURG—How does a fledgling community of women religious, with less than 10 members and founded only 14 years ago in Boston, come to live and minister at St. John Paul II Parish, nestled in Sellersburg in the hills of southern Indiana?

The birth of our Savior at Christmas is a profound mystery that is ultimately impossible for our minds to take in. How is that God, who is infinite and all-powerful, who is being itself pervading and undergirding all time and space, the source of all that was, is and ever will be, could be born as a tiny baby in a stable in a small backwater town of the Roman Empire?

“Mi alma glorifica al Señor, y mi espíritu se regocija en Dios mi Salvador.” (Lc 1:46-47)