From the Pastor- New Year's Day

As parishioners heard me say in our Advent homily series, hope isn’t wishful thinking. It is a desire for something very possible to come about if we are willing to work and pray for it. 2025 has been a year of hope. As it draws to a close, I look back to see many signs of Holy Redeemer parish bringing hope into our world, Church, and community. Little by little we are helping God’s Kingdom draw closer. 

Every quarter century the Catholic Church celebrates a Holy Year. Modeled after the jubilee years called for in Jewish tradition, Pope Francis proclaimed the theme of the Holy Year 2025 to be “Pilgrims of Hope”. Sadly, Pope Francis died shortly after Easter on April 21, 2025, and the world was surprised by the election of an American as pope. Pope Leo, formally Cardinal Robert Prevost is actually a citizen of the world. He spent his early priesthood as a missionary in Peru. Then, for more than a decade, he was Superior General of his Augustinian religious order. In that capacity he traveled to over one hundred and fifty counties, gaining an understanding of the condition of the Church throughout the world. Pope Francis later made Leo a bishop in Peru where he gained Peruvian citizenship. Later Pope Francis called Leo to Rome as head of the Dicastery for Bishops and elevated him to the College of Cardinals. Pope Leo is settling into his role as pope and is a sign of hope for the Church and world. 

Hope is flourishing here at Holy Redeemer. This year we celebrated the first anniversary of our organizing small faith sharing groups. Presently, we have nine groups with over eighty parishioners participating. Small groups make a tremendous impact on parish life. Members are deepening their faith and growing in loyalty to the parish. To celebrate their first anniversary in February, group members held a Day of Reflection with approximately sixty-five attending. In July, the highlight of the parish year was a visit from Bishop of Fall River, Most Rev. Edgar Da Cunha. Bishop Da Cunha gave a reflection on the Holy Year of Hope and blessed our new organ at an organ recital and prayer service. The over one hundred and fifty in attendance also got an introduction to the small group process. Our hope is to continue to grow small groups in 2026.

More parishioners are getting active in the parish community. New ministries and parish organizations are being established and existing ones are growing. A new gardening group planted shrubs and flowers to enhance the beauty of our grounds. This fall a very successful Ministry Fair enlisted over fifty new members in our parish organizations.

In July, as a sign of hope for the future of Holy Redeemer Church, we launched our Capital Campaign, “Unless the Lord Builds the House.” The campaign goal is to raise $750,000 to help pay for capital improvements to all parish properties. We have raised $500,000, enough to pay for two of our largest projects, new siding for Holy Redeemer Church and replacement windows for the rectory. If you haven’t donated to the Capital Campaign yet, consider doing so today. More information is on our website www.holyredeemerchatham.org. 



Holy Redeemer is a sign of hope for the wider Chatham community. Our St. Vincent de Paul Society actively works with the poor and disadvantaged in Chatham to provide material and spiritual support. Parishioners work in the community on many events such as the Chatham Conservation Foundation’s spring roadside clean-up. For the second year in a row Holy Redeemer parishioners made up the largest group of volunteers.

If you are new in Chatham or an established resident looking for a hope filled faith community, I invite you to become active here at Holy Redeemer. If you have questions about our church you can stop by the Welcome Desks at the doors of the church today or on your next visit. Merry Christmas and blessing throughout 2026.

Simplify

Perhaps as a New Year’s resolution you are considering uncluttering your life? Modern living can be filled with things cluttering it. Many of them are material things but even more of a hinderance are unnecessary commitments, distractions, and mental and emotional clutter. Some of them are the baggage we carry from broken relationships or past hurts. Cleaning out that clutter can provide space to breathe, to focus on what’s important; building better relationships and connecting with God.

Beginning on Epiphany, January 4 and continuing through mid-February we will preach a series of Sunday homilies on the topic “Simplify”. Through this series we’ll offer uplifting insights from Scripture and many practical steps to take to simplify your life. Plan to join us for each of these homilies at weekend Mass, Saturday at 4 pm and Sunday mornings at 8 & 10 am. Invite someone you know who needs to simplify their lives to join you.

Happy New Year!