Thursday, December 24th - Christmas Eve:

We are having a 4:10pm Mass on Christmas Eve in the Parish Center to accommodate the number of people. To attend Mass, people will be directed by hired firemen to the Parish Center after the Church is full before the 4:00pm Mass.  As with last year, this will allow for a safe and more prayerful environment.

 The holiday music is playing from car radios throughout shopping centers and the grocery stores.  Both traditional and new holiday movies are on cable TV daily.  Decorations are everywhere!  It is a festive time of the year.  However, for families who have experienced the death of a loved one, this can be a challenging time.  There is someone missing at the table for gift giving and at all the traditional family celebrations. If this is the first winter holiday season since that loved one's death, families can struggle with how to celebrate, while also acknowledging grief they feel.  Hospice Calgary has compiled a 6-page resource, "For those who grieve: a holiday survival kit," that addresses coping strategies, ways to cherish memories and includes a holiday checklist to help families really consider what traditions they want to do this year and also think about possible new options.  Please share these resources with families you know who are coping with grief during this season.

To learn about developmental differences in children's grief, visit The Dougy Center.

Special thanks to South Shore Hospital's Youth Health Connection for this information.