Each year my wife and I have some words when she starts putting away the Christmas decorations a bit early for my taste, but we've come to an understanding that the candles in the window can stay up until February 2, "Candlemas" or the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord. This year it falls on a Sunday so we get to celebrate it instead of the usual Ordinary Time Sunday! It's one of my favorite feasts on the calendar, here is a little background... Jeff

The parish office and meeting rooms will be closed Monday, January 20. / La oficina parroquial y los salones, estarán cerrados el lunes 20 de enero.

The funeral for Ignacia Anzurez Reyes will be Monday, January 13 at 12:30 pm in the church. Visitation will begin at 11:30 pm in the atrium.

Come join moms of all ages in community, faith and service on Tuesday, January 21 at 7:00 pm in Room 109. Take some time out for you while connecting to other moms and learning more about our Catholic faith. Our January evening meeting topic is: What to do and not do during Mass. Click the title for more information.

Join our Women's Bible Study on Wednesday mornings during Lent for "No Greater Love," a five-part video series and full-length book that reveals Christ’s amazing love for us. Filmed on location in the Holy Land, the series will guide you through the last hours of Christ's life in this biblical pilgrimage. You will walk step-by-step with Jesus from the Garden of Gethsemane to the Mount of Calvary along with Biblical experts. Registration is required. Click on the title for more details and to register.

Please welcome Fr. Thierry Lievens, S.J. who will be at St. Raphael through early summer to learn more about our parish’s evangelization efforts. He is a Belgian Jesuit who is interested in learning about a Jesuit parish that is undertaking work in evangelization, and he found St. Raphael all the way from Belgium! / Démosle la bienvenida al Padre Thierry Lievens, S.J. El Padre Thierry es un sacerdote jesuita belga y está interesado en aprender sobre una parroquia jesuita que está trabajando en la evangelización.

The Catholic Coalition/Habitat for Humanity home #10 has been completed and was dedicated on December 17, 2019. Thank you to all of the St. Raphael parishioners who helped make a home a reality for a deserving family. Whether your support was in construction, financial, providing lunches or prayer, we are very grateful.

Our Prayer Shawl Ministry wants to express their warmest THANKS to all those who graciously donated yarn to us for our Ministry. The colors are perfect and very cheerful which is just what we needed for our shawls. We can’t thank you enough. - Gerry Madey and Theresa Everhart

The funeral for John Kearney will be Tuesday, January 7th at 11 am. Visitation will begin at 10 am.

Click the title for special traditional Epiphany blessing that every family can do together. / Haga clic en titulo para a continuación una muestra de una bendición especial de la Epifanía tradicional que cada familia puede hacer junta.

Members of our parish community continue to be targeted through email and text by someone who is pretending to be one of our priests or a member of our staff. If you receive an email from any of our clergy or staff that is vague or from any address that isn't from a saintraphael.org or notifications@ondemandmail.com email address it is most likely a fake. / Los miembros de nuestra comunidad parroquial han sido atacados por medio de correos electrónicos o texto enviados por alguien que pretende utilizar el nombre de nuestro sacerdotes o personal parroquial. Si recibe un correo electrónico del nuestro sacerdotes o personal parroquial que es vago o de cualquier dirección que no sea saintraphael.org o notifications@ondemandmail.com, lo más probable es que sea una falsificación.

On January 1, we observe the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God a Holy Day of Obligation. Mass will be celebrated in English on Wednesday, January 1 at 9:00 am. / Solemnidad de Santa María, Madre de Dios es una Día de Obligación/Precepto. La Misa en español es Martes 31 de Diciembre, 7:00 pm.

The parish office and meeting rooms will be closed Tuesday, December 24 through Wednesday, January 1 in observation of the Christmas and New Year holiday. / La oficina parroquial y los salones, estarán cerrados desde el Martes 24 de diciembre hasta el Miercoles 1 de enero. 

There will be on 7:00 am daily Mass on December 24 and 25. There will be no 7:00 pm Spanish Mass on December 25. / No habrá Misa a las 7:00 pm en español el 25 de diciembre.

Join the Respect Life Committee for two opportunities to march for the unborn. Click the title for more information. / Hay dos oportunidades para marchar por los no nacidos. Haga clic en titulo para más información.

What if, this Christmas, your loved one in another city feels that nudge from the Holy Spirit and thinks, “You know, maybe I should go to Mass this Christmas…” What kind of welcome do you want the people in that parish to offer your loved one? / ¿Qué pasaría si esta Navidad, su ser querido en otra ciudad, inspirado por el Espíritu Santo pensara: "Tal vez debería ir a Misa esta Navidad ..." ¿Qué tipo de bienvenida desearía que los miembros de esa parroquia le ofrecieran a su ser querido?

Click the title for prayers for your Advent Wreath for the fourth Sunday of Advent. / Haga clic en el titulo para oracíones para su Corona de Adviento para el cuarto domingo de Adviento.

All are welcome on Friday December 20 at 7:00 p.m. in Ignatius Hall to come see an original work, created and dramatized by our Hispanic Ministry altar servers, that reenacts the story of Mary and Joseph's journey to Bethlehem and search for a place to stay. There will be songs, piñatas, and more activities to share with the family at this special time of the year. Free admission.

The decorating committee can use some more volunteers to help decorate the church and Ignatius Hall for Christmas. They especially need help on Monday, December 23. If you're interested, contact Nora Cambier at 919-307-8883 or njcambier@gmail.com.

When we welcome others, like Jesus, as his disciples, we can change lives. / Cuando damos la bienvenida a otros, al estilo de Jesús y sus discípulos, podemos cambiar vidas: la vida de los demás y la nuestra.