1 Elmwood Drive
Daly City, CA 94015 - 3424
www.olmcath.org
(650) 755 - 2727

Merry Christmas! Maligayang Pasko! Buon Natale! Joyeux Noël! Chúc giáng sinh vui ve! ¡Feliz Navidad! Nollaig mhaith chugat! Fröhliche Weihnachten! Mele Kalikimaka! Malipayong Pasko ug Bulahan Bag-ong Tuig!

We welcome all of you who have come to celebrate the birth of Jesus - visitors from other places, college students home for the holidays, friends attending a Roman Catholic Mass for the first time, the spiritually curious who are in our midst, the children who enjoy Christmas so much, Catholics who come each year for special days like Easter and Christmas, future Catholics from our RCIA groups, and those many faithful, generous parishioners who are with us each week in prayer and service.

During this season of light and life, we thank God for the gift of his Son by our presence, prayer, song, giving, forgiving and reaching out to those in need. We thank God for Jesus also by sharing our vision of the Christian life with those who worship in this church each Sunday, and in many cases each day. To those who are here for the first time in a long time, we offer both a warm welcome and an invitation to prayerfully consider what in our parish community might inspire you to get involved in something which is so wonderfully worthwhile - Christian discipleship as it is lived out here at OLM.

As you look around our church community gathered for Eucharist, you see that we are a diverse and thriving parish - people from many cultures, some who have been here in Westlake since the founding of OLM, others who are more recent arrivals. You see those who help us worship well - children, teens and adults serving as cantors, choir members, musicians, lectors, eucharistic ministers, ushers, altar servers, sacristans, priests, and those who decorate our worship space. But there are also many other opportunities for your involvement!

RENEW - we are blessed to have a good number of small faith-sharing groups which meet once a week, for six weeks. Are you interested in joining us for Scripture, fellowship and discussion? We have groups for all different ages, and Season IV will begin March 5, 2000.

CHARISMATIC PRAYER GROUP - established just five years ago, our prayer group is alive in the Spirit! If you are attracted to the Charismatic Renewal, how about giving them a try?

SAINT VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY - these wonderful volunteers (men and women) gather for prayer and service, reaching out to help our neighbors in need of food, clothing and other necessities.

MEN'S CLUB - the Westlake Catholic Men are experiencing a rebirth, eager for new members and new ideas. In addition to making new friends, you can help the parish through the volunteering and fundraising on which every parish depends.

WOMEN'S CLUB - talk about history! The Westlake Catholic Women have been going strong since the parish was founded, active in every aspect of OLM life. Old and young alike find fellowship and opportunities for service here.

RCIA - the "Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults" helps people who would like to join the Catholic Church learn about the Bible, prayer, living as disciples of Jesus, and what it means to join this particular parish family. If you know of someone who is interested, give us a call!

OUTREACH TO THE SICK - several of our eucharistic ministers visit our homebound neighbors, plus the nursing homes and hospitals, bringing Holy Communion and friendship to those who can't join us in church, and letting the priests know when special needs arise. If you know of someone who might benefit from this ministry, please do call the rectory.

PREPARING FOR ETERNITY - we have materials to assist those interested in learning about their choices surrounding death, medical decisions, mortuary costs, cremation, the funeral rites, and how they would like to be remembered by their loved ones.

TEACHING THE YOUNG - our parish school, our religious education programs, our classes for First Communion and Confirmation, our Sunday children's Liturgy of the Word: these are all part of our attempt to follow Jesus' invitation to go out and teach all nations.

WEDDING BELLS? - for parish members looking forward to getting married here at OLM, our staff and volunteers help prepare you for the big day and - more importantly - for what lies beyond.

VOCATION DISCERNMENT - are you interested in learning more about joining a religious order, or perhaps becoming a priest or a permanent deacon? We have several men and women religious, plus the priests of the rectory, who can help you.

These are just some of the areas we participate in as your parish family. Please call Barbara, our parish secretary, during office hours (Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.), and she will happily direct you to the right person in charge of each program.

On behalf of all of us who work, volunteer and worship here at Our Lady of Mercy Parish, we wish you and your loved ones a happy, holy Christmas, and God's richest blessings for the new year 2000!

Yours in Christ,

Father Manuel Curso
Pastor