THIS IS A HOLY DAY OF OBLIGATION FOR CATHOLICS.

(9am & 7pm Masses on Dec. 9th at St. Nicks)

The Immaculate Conception refers to the special way in which the Virgin Mary herself was conceived. This conception was not virginal, because she had a human father and a human mother.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains:

490- To become the mother of the Saviour, Mary “was enriched by God with gifts appropriate to such a role.” The angel Gabriel at the moment of the annunciation salutes her as “full of grace”. In fact, in order for Mary to be able to give the free assent of her faith to the announcement of her vocation, it was necessary that she be wholly borne by God's grace.

491- Through the centuries the Church has become ever more aware that Mary, “full of grace” through God, was redeemed from the moment of her conception. That is what the dogma of the Immaculate Conception confesses, as Pope Pius IX proclaimed in 1854:

Because of the way redemption was applied to Mary at the moment of her conception, she not only was protected from contracting original sin but also personal sin.

We can celebrate the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, a holy day of obligation, by attending Mass and praying the Hail Mary before meals.

The coordinators of the Christmas Pageant have asked that our Youth and Teens participate as assistants.

Youth & Teens will also be the servers for all of the ministry positions & choir at the 5pm Mass.

Both of these are great opportunities for our Youth & Teens, and it would be very special for all of St. Nick's to see them joining and supporting our parish as we prepare for Christmas!

We completed Lesson 3 with Part 2, Patriarchs and Egypt. See slides and video below.

Thanks to Mr. Justin Renner for joining us again in EDGE!

We completed Lesson 3 with Part 2, Patriarchs and Egypt. See slides and video below.

Many thanks to Shannon & Rob Blackburn for blessing us with their ongoing assistance in HSYG!

No class this week.

Next class will be on Sunday, Dec 15th.

Ages 5-17 years old are invited to Oratory at 1pm every Saturday at Sacred Heart Cathedral.

Learn more about Oratory (including the schedule) at https://sacredheartak.org/oratory.

While we have had quite a few wonderful parishioners volunteer to assist in EDGE & HSYG, their schedules do fluctuate and it would be very helpful to have more who are willing to assist.

Per the Diocese policy for the safety of everyone, a minimum of 2 certified adults are required to be present for all Youth Ministry activities.

Please prayerfully consider completing your certification, and/ or asking individuals who you think would be a willing volunteer. Or, you can submit suggestions for me to contact. Thank you. -Beth

All youth ministry volunteers must have current certification for the course of Serving Vulnerable Populations and a Criminal History Record Check on file with the Diocese.

More information can be found by visiting Adult Training on the Diocese of Fairbanks website.

Diocese of Fairbanks - Adult Training - Fairbanks, AK

Call or Text 907-978-4786

Email stnicksym@cbna.org

Sundays 10am-7pm

Please call, text, or email for

appointments Monday-Saturday

It is a privilege to work with St. Nick's Youth!

As always, please never hesitate to contact me for any reason.

I pray you are having a blessed week.

In Christ's love, Beth