January 4, 2026 • The Epiphany of the Lord

Dear Parish Family:

Happy Epiphany! Today, we celebrate the manifestation of the Baby Jesus to the world by the star and the three kings who searched for and found him. Traditionally, the Epiphany is on January 6, the 12th Day of Christmas. But in many parts of the world, it is moved to the first Sunday after January 1. 

While Christmas Day always occurs on December 25, the date of Easter changes each year. After much debate, the Church decided that Easter would be the first Sunday after the first full moon after the Spring Equinox (an association with Jewish Passover), which means Easter can fall on a Sunday between March 22 and April 25. From that date, many important feasts of the Church year are then scheduled for the year. 

Before yearly calendars were printed—and way before Google and Outlook calendars— there needed to be a way to let people know when these “movable” feasts would be. So on the Epiphany, the important dates for that year were “proclaimed” at Mass with a formal announcement. In that tradition, here are the movable feasts for 2026:

February 18: Ash Wednesday
April 5: Easter Sunday
May 14: Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ
May 24: Pentecost Sunday
June 7: Corpus Christi Sunday
November 29: First Sunday of Advent

Think about what the important dates of your life will be this year. What are the birthdays, anniversaries, memorials, etc. that you will celebrate? Allow God to be part of them. May this year be a good one for all of us.

June 1, 2026, is the 75th Anniversary of our parish.  Since 1951, our parish has been a beacon of faith, hope, and love in our community. That light shines brightly through the good news proclaimed and the good works accomplished in the name of Jesus, the Good Shepherd.  The year ahead will include celebrations and activities that rejoice in our cherished history, dynamic present, and bright future filled with hope.

Continued Merry Christmas! Blessed New Year! 
Father Neil Sullivan