Dear Parishioners and Visitors:

Catholics have been addressing Our Lady as Stella Maris—Star of the Sea—for well over a thousand years. The image of a star shining on the sea is certainly an inspiring and beautiful one that recalls her identity as the Queen of Heaven.  Our Lady, too, guides us on the tumultuous seas of life.  She is never dimmed by clouds or storms, but shines bright no matter the weather.  Our Lady seems to particularly resemble the North Star, Polaris, which is the only star in the Northern Hemisphere that doesn’t move.  All the other stars appear to rotate around it.  It might be beyond the skill of the average non-sailor to correctly trace the paths of moveable stars, but the North Star is simple to locate.  Like the North Star, Our Lady is near us always, easy to find, steadfast and unmoving.

With prayerful best wishes,

Fr. John Mahoney