Holy Day of Obligation – The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Make plans to join us at Mass on Monday, December 8 for this holy day of obligation to celebrate our Blessed Virgin Mary.  Masses are at 8:30am and 6:30pm at St. Gregory, and 7:00pm at Sacred Heart.

As we continue our “Reclaiming Sundays” initiative for the year, the theme for December is “Music and Prayer”.  The church season leading up to Christmas is Advent, so pray with an Advent wreath.  If daily seems like too much, aim for each Sunday of Advent.  Light a candle (of the number of candles representing which week of Advent we are in) and pray as a family.  Start with the sign of the Cross, ask God to prepare your households’ hearts for Christmas, pray a prayer or two that everyone knows (e.g. Our Father, Hail Mary), and sing a song such as “O Come, O Come Emmanuel”.

Action for this month:  Create an Advent wreath and family prayer time in your home.

Inspired by the often-ignored writings of Saint James, bestselling author Matthew Kelly has crafted a uniquely powerful guide based on one epic spiritual truth: Governing your speech is a sure path to holiness. The simplicity and practicality of this great spiritual truth make it remarkable. The Forgotten Way is our parish’s free Advent book for 2025.

The annual M&M Craft and Bake sale will be held Saturday December 6, 9:00am until 2:00pm, and after both weekend Masses.   The M&M ladies will also host their Christmas Coffee Sunday on Sunday, December 7.

     Raffle tickets are available now for $10 each.  Please ask an M&M member or stop by the parish office to get your tickets for a chance to win one of three gorgeous handmade items.  

     For all those crafty crafters out there – it’s time to get creative!  Donations of crafted and baked items should have prices attached and dropped off by Thursday, December 4.  

The Mary and Martha Women’s Group will not have a meeting in December.  The monthly meetings will resume on Thursday, January 15^th in the Parish Hall at their new time of 5:30pm.  

The youth nativity performance, which is open to all, is planned for Sunday, December 14 at 3:00pm.  The performance will be in the church, followed by potluck dinner in the parish hall.

Sacred Art: Christ the King –  Sit down with Dr. Ben Akers and Taylor Kemp as they explore Catholic theology through the lens of Sacred Art. In this episode, they discuss the Solemnity of Jesus Christ, King of the Universe.  https://app.formed.org/app/videos/1861143/

Friday Fun Night:
The next Friday Fun Night for Grades 3-5 will be Friday, December 5, 6:00-9:30pm in the Parish Hall.  Signed permission slips are required by all youth who attend. Forms are available in the narthex and from the Faith Formation office.

Lifeline Mass at NET Center – Saturday, December 6, 11:00am:
 The next Lifeline mass (Lifeline Latinamente) will be Saturday, December 6th at 11:00 am at the NET Ministries Center in St. Paul.  Please let Liz know if you have interested kids; this is for both middle schoolers and high schoolers.  Transportation will be provided.  RSVP and permission forms are required by December 3rd.

Saint Peter Catholic School in Forest Lake welcomes all parents to open house style meeting on Tuesday, December 2, at 6:00pm.  Tour classrooms, meet teachers, learn about the curriculum, and see how Saint Peter Catholic School can provide the foundation for your child’s success.  Registration for the 2026-2027 school year begins January 6, 2026.  Visit the school website www.school.stpeterfl.org or go to http://mytads.com/a/stpetersmn to apply for enrollment. (1250 South Shore Drive, Forest Lake, 651-982-2216)

This talented group, which includes our parish’s own Kathy Grace, is bringing their annual Christmas concert to Main Street Church (6500 Main St, North Branch) on Saturday, December 13, at 2:00pm.  Don’t miss this chance to see them in town!

     Their other two concerts and locations are as follows:

           Friday, December 12, 7:00pm – Immanuel Lutheran Church, Princeton

           Saturday, December 13, 7:00pm – Cambridge Lutheran Church, Cambridge

St. Gregory’s is once again a collection site for new unwrapped gifts for kids in need in Chisago County.  The bin is in the narthex now through December 15.  This program serves kids from birth through 18 years, but the biggest need is for items for teenagers.  They are also looking for volunteers for various roles and days December 14-20.  Reach out to Charee (chareelynn@hotmail.com, 651-238-6453) to learn more about volunteer opportunities.   

      If you are a family in need this season, you may apply for this program at https://anonymoussantamn.com/apply.  Applications are due Friday, December 5.  Eligible families must live within Chisago County or the Forest Lake school district and have children up to age 18 (or over 18 if still enrolled in high school).

God wants to shape and mold us during times of waiting, but the problem is…Instead of waiting, we get worried, anxious, we check out, and we get lost scrolling on our phones.  Fr. Mike wants to help you learn to wait well this Advent, with daily videos in the Ascension App starting November 30, 2025.  Download the Ascension app for free from AscensionPress.com or by clicking here, sign up for a free account, and join “Waiting Well” for this new video series from Minnesota’s own Fr. Mike Schmitz.

Join Father Matt for Mass at 8:30am on Friday, December 12, at St. Gregory’s to celebrate the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe.   After Mass, come to the parish hall for tamales provided by Jose from El Mezcal in Rush City.

Experience interesting historical perspectives, artistic items with old-world craftsmanship, and papal artifacts what show the humanity behind the leaders with Vatical Unveiled, the largest collection of papal artifacts outside of Rome.  Visit archspm.org/vaticanunveiled/ to learn more!  Tickets are available for pre-sale now.