December 30, 2025

The Season of Christmas at Saint Josephine Bakhita Parish

December 30, 2025

Daly Christmas Notes

My Friends,

As we usher in the New Year, we find ourselves in a period of reflection. We reflect on the past year, our recent celebrations, and our future hopes. My own reflections on my first six months at Saint Josephine Bakhita Parish bring to mind one simple word: gratitude.

On behalf of Deacon Michael, Deacon Mike Shelto and the entire staff, we are grateful to the many people who helped to make our Advent and Christmas celebrations so meaningful.

A special word of thanks to Elizabeth and Joy and the choirs, cantors, instrumentalists, and all those involved for sharing their talents and enhancing our Advent and Christmas liturgies as well as the I Will Sing with All My Heart Concert and our Advent Lessons and Carols. So many parishioners have commented on how beautiful and inspirational the music and hymns were.

Thanks to all of our Lectors, Eucharistic Ministers, Altar Servers, Ministers of Hospitality and the Rocky Hill Knights of Columbus. We appreciate your dedication and faithfulness. To all who helped to clean and decorate both churches for Christmas, thank you for making our churches so beautiful for Christmas.

Thanks to the members of our Social Action Committee who helped to make Christmas a little bit brighter for so many people in our community and thanks to all who donated gifts to help families in need. Your generosity in supporting local families in need was amazing.

Young people are such an important part of our parish. We thank our first graders who inspired us with their prayerful movements and thank you to all who participated in our annual Christmas Pageant.

Many thanks for the cards, goodies, and gifts we received at Christmas. Your kindness is truly appreciated.

Finally, we thank all of you. Your presence and prayers truly made this a very special Christmas. May God continue to bless and renew the parish family of Saint Josephine Bakhita with health and happiness in 2026.

A blessed Christmas to all,

Fr. Shawn

The Christmas Season at Saint Josephine Bakhita Parish

Christmas Season Liturgy Schedule

12.31.25 ~ Solemnity of Mary, Holy Mother of God

4 PM Vigil at St. Elizabeth Seton

01.01.26 ~ Solemnity of Mary, Holy Mother of God

9 AM at St. James

01.03.26 ~ Epiphany of the Lord

4 PM Vigil at St. James

01.04.25 ~ Epiphany of the Lord

9 AM at St. Elizabeth Seton

11 AM at St. James

Faith Formation

Our recent Christmas pageant was a great success, and we are deeply grateful to everyone who took part. Families gathered to witness not only the beauty of the Nativity, but also the added events that brought a new and exciting experience to this cherished tradition. The joy and enthusiasm present that evening were a powerful reminder of how meaningful it is when we come together as one parish family. Thank you to Tom Dzimian for taking beautiful photos. Enjoy the full gallery on our website.

Click Here To View The Gallery of Pageant Photos

Spirituality Opportunities

The Gift of a Retreat

Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center

West Hartford, CT

We invite you to join us this year at Holy Family for your annual retreat as we celebrate our 75th Anniversary of ministry. Together, as part of God’s beloved creation, we can pursue that blessed goal – life with God as beloved companions and pilgrims of hope.

Faith is a journey! Last year, just months before his passing, Pope Francis called for a jubilee year, and he announced the theme would be Pilgrims of Hope.

As “pilgrims of hope,” we must be willing to take risks, to make the effort to understand God’s call, and to grow in our faith. The pilgrim doesn’t travel aimlessly but allows God to be the North Star, leading us to discover that God is at the heart of our journey.

Considering giving a Holy Family Retreat to a loved one as a Christmas gift - one size truly fits all! Reach out to Holy Family via the contact info below and they will help you with a Gift Certificate.

Women’s Retreat: January 9-11, 2026

Men’s Retreat: February 20-22, 2026

Couples Retreat: February 13-15, 2026

For more information visit holyfamilyretreat.org or call us at 860.760.9705.

Parish Promoters:

Bob Manzi (860) 502-5097 manzirj@sbcglobal.net

Kathleen Quintana (860) 680-3195 kathleen_quintana@snet.net

A Note from Deacon Michael to the Men of the Parish

Are you satisfied that you are as free to be the man, son, brother, husband, father or friend you want to be?

Probably at least not fully I’d wager.

Our culture has a very specific view of freedom: that of being free FROM all unbidden constraints and limitations that keep us from doing whatever we want to do, whenever we want, and with whoever we please. Somehow throwing off all these will make us happy, satisfied and fulfilled, and “free”. Yet as we look around we see increasing evidence that a path of such freedom leads to chaos and dysfunction of various stripes - personal and societal. The longer we contemplate this notion of freedom FROM the more sense that its a dead end that will not yield its promise, for us and for those we care about. It’s ultimately empty, more of a distraction than a help.

So what to do?

The Christian notion of freedom is quite different, more freedom TO rather than freedom FROM. It’s about freedom to worship, to commit and sacrifice, and to love– the freedom to take up our life and lay it down for those we love. A free man is a man for others…as was Christ himself. But there are many things that keep us from this, bad habits and attitudes, new and old hurts, disordered distractions and off-target desires. We need to be free FROM these to be free TO live in the love we are created for.

Exodus 90 is a 90-day challenge of prayer, asceticism and fraternity that has helped many, many men live this way of love more freely…through a deeper prayer life and physical discipline, “giving up” that which distracts and detracts…and holding each other accountable in the process. It was conceived of and is driven by younger Catholic laymen who sought to be more free to live in the greater love Christ calls us to. Last year more than 40,000 men nationwide participated.

I went through Exodus 90 in 2025 and plan to do so again in 2026…starting on January 5, 2026 the Feast of the Epiphany. It’s a 90-day journey to Easter, toward a resurrected life of freedom we were created for. I invite you along for the journey. It’s a challenge. It requires commitment and effort, but the fruit that it can yield can be bountiful. Men of all ages and stations in life are welcome!

If you are interested in knowing more…you can shoot the QR on the Exodus 90 posters in the church foyers, go to exodus90.com, watch the video linked HERE, email me at saintjmdeacon@gmail.com or call me at 860-836-8218.

Peace,

Deacon Michael Ward