The liturgy of this Sunday takes a break from the Gospel of Matthew and substitutes a reading from the Gospel of John. The setting is the ministry of John the Baptizer.

There are two parts to this Gospel reading. The first part places Jesus in Galilee in northern Palestine. Galilee was his homeland and the major location of his ministry in the Gospels of Mark, Matthew, and Luke.

The Messenger marks the year 2016 by recalling people, places and events of the past year. Parishes and Catholic schools celebrated milestones with beginnings and endings. People were also celebrated for their gifts, their talents, their generosity and their faith. Following is our “year in review.”