Brothers and Sisters,

On November 13th, three weeks from now we will celebrate the parish feast of St. Albert. This year we will hold the picnic at Our Lady of Guadalupe in Tortugas, immediately following the 11:15 Mass here at St. Albert. After discussions with the parish Pastoral and Finance Councils, we made the decision that this parish feast would be free, we wanted to take the opportunity to thank all the parishioners at St. Albert for all the support they provide the parish. For this reason, we are not selling tickets for food. One slight downside to this is that by selling tickets, we had an idea of how many people were coming and how much food to order. This year, in order to get a relatively accurate head count, we are asking that you let us know if you will be joining us by ‘registering’ with the QR code posted in various places (bulletin, bulletin boards, etc.). So if you would like to join us for some music, games, and free food, please take a moment and fill out the form so we don’t run out of food. To accompany the hot dogs, hamburgers and fried chicken, the sides will be done potluck style, so please prepare a nice side for the event. Beer and wine will also be available for purchase (we are Catholic after all...).

The theme of the feast will be ‘Discovering St. Albert.’ The intention double: to familiarize yourself a bit more with the St. Albert (the person lived a few centuries ago) and to get to know St. Albert Parish a bit more. Knowing the history of the parish, how it’s developed, and the various ministries we have today will hopefully help us all feel more     connected to the community. I’m considering having a St. Albert picture contest to see who can draw or paint with the best image of St. Albert. There may also be some karaoke. The St. Albert Feast Committee has been working hard to prepare the event, so please take a moment to register so we know how much chicken to buy.

I was happy to be able to return to preside Mass at the parish last week, and plan to continue, though with some help. Two priests from the Marist Order, Fr. Joe and Fr. George just moved to Las Cruces and are in the house across the street from the parish. You will see them from time to time in the parish. Fr. Joe will be working with immigrants and Fr. George will be the chaplain at Mesilla Valley Hospice. We welcome both of them to the area and look forward to the times they will be able to join us in prayer.

In Christ,
Fr. Kevin
(the guy on crutches in the church)

                                                                                          From the desk of Fr. Trinidad
 
The word Advent originates from a Latin word “Adventus” which means “coming” or “arrival.” Advent Season is focused on preparing for the coming of Jesus Christ in all ways, from His birth in the past to His Second Coming in the future as the
Messiah. 
 
For us Catholics, Advent is a meaningful season that reminds us of the reality of Jesus Christ and that He has come and He is present in our world and lives. 
 
Jesus’ ascent into heaven does not mean He has abandoned us. While awaiting His return, we can still experience His presence through the Holy Spirit, our spiritual family which is the church, the sacraments and His Word. 
 
In the Second Coming, Jesus will appear in His full glory and it will perfect and complete our community and identity        as His people. It is during this time that we can finally be united with Him and spend eternity with Him in heaven. 
 
Pax et bonum 
Rev. Trinidad 
 
Desde el escritorio de Trinidad
La palabra Adviento se origina en una palabra latina "Adventus" que significa "venida" o "llegada". La temporada de Adviento se centra en la preparación para la venida de Jesucristo en todos los sentidos, desde su nacimiento en el pasado hasta su segunda venida en el futuro como el Mesías.

Para nosotros los católicos, el Adviento es una temporada significativa que nos recuerda la realidad de Jesucristo y que Él ha venido y está presente en nuestro mundo y nuestras vidas.

El ascenso de Jesús al cielo no significa que nos haya abandonado. Mientras esperamos Su regreso, todavía podemos experimentar Su presencia a través del Espíritu Santo, nuestra familia espiritual que es la iglesia, los sacramentos y Su Palabra.
En la Segunda Venida, Jesús aparecerá en toda Su gloria y perfeccionará y completará nuestra comunidad e identidad como Su pueblo. Es durante este tiempo que finalmente podemos unirnos con Él y pasar la eternidad con Él en el cielo.

Pax et bonum                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Rev. Trinidad