Catholic Islander December 2009 : Page 2
2 Cathedral Restoration Is Nearing T The Most Reverend Herbert A. Bevard, Bishop of the Diocese of St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands he architects working on the restoration of Ss. Peter and Paul Cathedral on St. Thomas are processing technical information with local government offi ces in order to secure permits for work to begin. Construction companies will bid for the project, and scaffolding may be installed in the cathedral as early as February 2010. The roof will be replaced, but the demolition will take place in small segments in order to preserve the frescos on the ceiling of the cathedral. Tuesday, December 1, 10 a.m., Board of Directors meeting, Catholic Charities of the Virgin Islands, St. Thomas. Saturday, December 5, 6 p.m., Mass, St. Patrick Church, St. Croix. Sunday, December 6, 7 a.m. and 10 a.m., Masses, St. Joseph Church, St. Croix. Tuesday, December 8, 8:15 a.m., Ss. Peter and Paul School Pre-Christmas Mass, Ss. Peter and Paul Cathedral, St. Thomas. Saturday, December 12, 5 p.m., Mass, St. Anne Chapel, St. Thomas. Sunday, December 13, 10:30 a.m., Mass, Ss. Peter and Paul Cathedral, St. Thomas. Sunday, December 13, 1 p.m., Confessions, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, St. Thomas. Sunday, December 13, 5 p.m., Benediction, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, St. Thomas. Thursday, December 17, 10 a.m., Presbyteral Council Meeting and Christmas Luncheon, Bishop’s Residence, St. Thomas. The Newsletter of the Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands Catholic the Most Reverend Herbert A. Bevard PUBLISHER Father Charles Crespo EDITOR Deacon Ernesto Rodriguez SPANISH EDITOR Bernetia Akin, Valerie Douté PROOFREADERS Br. James Petrait, OSFS WEB MASTER Deacon Emith Fludd CIRCULATION December 2009 • Vol. 25 : Issue 7 The bell tower at Ss. Peter and Paul Cathedral will be restored in 2010 along with the church roof. The Catholic Islander is published monthly by the Diocese of St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands. P.O. Box 301825, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, 00803-1825 http://www. catholicislander.com Telephone: (340) 774-3166, Fax: (340) 774- 5816 E-mail: editor@catholicislander. com © FAITH Catholic™. Sunday, December 20, 7:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m., Masses, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church, St. John. Sunday, December 20, 4 p.m., Confessions, Ss. Peter and Paul Cathedral, St. Thomas. Tuesday, December 22, 8:10 a.m., St. Joseph High School Pre-Christmas Mass, St. Joseph Church, St. Croix. Thursday, December 24, Midnight, Christmas Mass, Ss. Peter and Paul Cathedral, St. Thomas. Friday, December 25, 10 a.m., Christmas Mass, Holy Family Church, St. Thomas. Saturday, December 26, 6 p.m., Mass, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, St. Thomas. Sunday, December 27, 8:30 a.m., Mass, Ss. Peter and Paul Cathedral, St. Thomas. Sunday, December 27, 10 a.m., Patronal Mass, Holy Family Church, St. Thomas. Thursday, December 31, Midnight, Old Year’s Night Mass, St. Ann Church, St. Croix. Advent: Preparing for the Birth of Our Lord 4 4 Local News 6 Catholic Education 7 Spotlight on Youth 9 ¡Buenas noticias! 10 Parish Calendars 12 Christmas Calendar 13 Priest of the Month 14 Special Report: Health-care Reform Liturgical Calendar: St. Francis Xavier, priest Dec. 3 | St. John of Damascus, priest and doctor of the Church Dec. 4 | St. Ambrose, bishop and doctor of the Church Dec. 7 | So Please submit news, digital photography and advertising for the January 2010 issue of The Catholic Islander by December 26, 2009. what you’ll get in this issue bishop’s calendar notes from the bishop’s desk
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