On Sunday, November 11, 2012, St. Leo Parish celebrated a closing mass for our 125th Anniversary Year, and began our next 125 years.

Thanks everyone for a great celebration to end our 125th anniversary year of celebration. Our theme was "The Old Becoming New Again." From the parking lot to the front steps of church to the railing on the ramp on the side of the church building to repairing the church roof to the construction of classrooms and storage rooms in Centennial Hall to three new rooms in the church space, are only some examples of the physical newness for which we are thankful in this last year.

From fifty baptisms each in the last two years to Liturgy of the Word for Children, to increased partnerships with other parishes and shared ministries to enriching cultural liturgies to many prayer requests to living the spiritual and corporal works of mercy, are only some examples of the spiritual newness and growth for which we are especially thankful. The Lord has blessed us and continues to bless us abundantly. Thank you so much for living and sharing our blessings with so many others. This is what makes us and keeps us the church of God for 125 years and for many more years to come.

It is only appropriate that as our year of The Old Becoming New Again ends that we join the church throughout the world in celebrating The Year of Faith. As Bishop Binzer mentioned in his homily, it is faith that we have celebrated for 125 years and it is this same faith that will carry us for another 125 years. Like the widow's mite, living our faith is to give our life to the Lord fully and completely and then to rejoice in the abundance of God's life that everyone, including ourselves, will receive.