Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ!

I begin by offering all of you a very blessed and joy-filled Christmas season! We most appropriately offer our thanks to God the Father for the gift of his beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. This year’s Gospel Reading for the Nativity of the Lord (Christmas) Mass during the Day comes from the first chapter of the Gospel of John. It proclaims to us that Jesus, the Word made Flesh, has come to us and has made his dwelling among us. The Son of God has come to us not as a judge but as our Savior. He comes to reveal to us our divine dignity as God’s children, and the glory of our eternal destiny in heaven. This is the Good News that the people of God waited thousands of years to hear!

I am very pleased to have this opportunity to inform you about two extraordinary new documentaries that have recently been completed for the Black and Indian Mission Office. Together, these films celebrate the richness of the Catholic faith across two distinct cultures and across many generations. Walking the Sacred Path documentary film reveals how Native American Catholics have carried their faith through centuries of change – uniting tradition and the Gospel in a story of reconciliation, renewal, and enduring hope. Trailblazers of Faith tells the extraordinary story of Black Catholics who transformed struggle into witness - building schools, founding communities, and shaping the heart of the American Church. We have posted a link to information about these two documentary films on the main page of the Black and Indian Mission Office website. Clicking on the link will direct you to the following:

• A Trailer for the Walking the Sacred Path film
• A Trailer for the Trailblazers of Faith film
• A schedule of broadcast times for the two documentary films
• Additional Resources
  • Bulletin Announcement, Email Templates, Promotional Photos and Contact Information

Finally, I wish to offer my heartfelt thanks to all of you for your prayers, financial offerings, and other forms of assistance that you so generously and consistently offer in support of the Bureau of Catholic Indian Missions. I pray that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Word made Flesh and the Light of the World, will abundantly bless you and offer you many graces during this holy Christmas season and always. Commending you to the intercession, help and protection of our Blessed Mother Mary, St. Kateri Tekakwitha, St. Katherine Drexel, and all of the saints, I am, Yours sincerely in Christ our Incarnate Savior,

Father Henry Sands

Executive Director