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A New Year, Held in Prayer
As we step into this new year, my heart is full of gratitude.
Thank you, deeply and sincerely, for the prayers you offered for my family and for me during these past weeks. We felt them. In moments of weariness, uncertainty, and healing, your prayers were a tangible reminder that we are held together in love. This community’s care, patience, and kindness are a quiet strength, and I am profoundly thankful for each of you.
A new year always invites reflection. It also invites hope.
As we look ahead, I want to share an important invitation with you. Our Annual Parish Meeting will take place on Sunday, January 18th at 10:00 a.m. in the Parish Hall. This year, our meeting will be a little different from years past. Rather than gathering solely for business, we will hold our Annual Meeting within the context of our liturgy, grounding our conversation in prayer, scripture, and shared trust in God’s guidance.
This feels right for the season we are entering.
At the Annual Meeting, we will formally open a year of discernment for St. Mary’s. Discernment is not about fear or uncertainty. It is a faithful, intentional practice of listening together for where the Holy Spirit is leading us now. It invites honesty, imagination, and courage. It asks us not simply what we want to preserve, but how we are called to be faithful in this moment.
This year will be a time of prayerful listening, open conversation, and shared reflection. It is also a season filled with possibilities. New beginnings rarely arrive fully formed. They begin as invitations. They begin with trust. They begin when we are willing to say yes to God’s movement among us.
I am genuinely excited about what lies ahead. Not because we know all the answers, but because we are choosing to walk this path together, grounded in faith, love, and hope.
As we begin this new year, may we continue to hold one another in prayer, trust the Spirit’s leading, and remain open to the surprising and beautiful ways God brings new life.
With gratitude and hope,
Mother Allison+
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