A Special Holiday Message from Bishop John P. Dolan
Christmas: It’s that time of year when our hearts yearn for home to savor time with those we love as we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, that long-ago night in Bethlehem. There’s an air of festivity almost everywhere we turn in December, with colorful Christmas light displays and elaborate decorations.
This will be the first year ever that I won’t be with my parents and extended family in San Diego for Christmas Eve. Phoenix is my new home, and the people of this thriving metropolis have extended a very warm welcome. For that, I am most grateful.
As I travel our community, I’m struck by the deep faith and lively spirit of those who dwell here in the desert, a landscape not unlike the one that served as a backdrop for a truly pivotal moment in history — the night a tiny, fragile, newborn King was born to save us.
As we gather with our loved ones this year to share a meal, worship, laugh and open gifts, let us keep in mind the simplicity and silence of that holy night when Christ took on flesh to redeem us. Let us seek out the lonely, the lost and the left behind to offer hope and compassion. My prayer is that the love we share will bring consolation and healing to those we encounter.
May you experience a truly joyful and blessed Christmas and a New Year filled with abundant blessings.
Bishop John P. Dolan
Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix
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