A Christmas Message from Fr. cooper

As I settled down to write this Christmas letter, it occurred to me that the greatest thing we need in our lives, now and always, is to know that God the Father is with us. This is the message of Christmas and thus the message of our faith. I love the way Archbishop Chaput put it: “What begins in the stable ends in our salvation. That’s why we celebrate Christmas, and it’s the best and only reason the human heart needs.” 

Jesus is with us! This is what our children need to know. Jesus is not only the Babe of Bethlehem, but He is also the Son who was born to live for our righteousness, and to die for our sins. Christ is the missing piece to life. Without Him our lives are incomplete. With Him our lives, even in their most complex or disappointing parts, make sense. 

Jesus is with us! This is what our young people need to know. In the middle of their trials, self-esteem issues, betrayals by friends, struggles to find their way in the world, and dreams for a great future, the Babe of Bethlehem, now the enthroned Christ of all Creation, is with them. His salvation gives hope to them and to you. This is the message of hope to single people, and single-again people, and young FROM THE PASTOR Mary, Queen of Peace www.maryqueenofpeace.org marrieds, and families with children and families without children, empty-nesters and young retired folks and senior saints and priests, religious, and deacons. The light we long for is the Light we have been given. To receive Him is to be warmed by that Light and shown a new way through the trials and sorrows and even joys that we have on our journey. 

I am blessed to be on that journey with you here at Mary, Queen of Peace, for it is in this place that we hear the Good News of great joy, the news that God is with us. As we go about our celebrations this Christmas season, my prayer is that you don’t let this story of God’s unfailing love for the world go unspoken, but share this good news with everyone so that they can find hope, joy, peace, and love in Jesus Christ! We will tell the world that the Christ is born to save. 

I am privileged to be your pastor, and I feel incredibly blessed and honored to be with you. I thank God for you, and I commend you to your true first Pastor, the Shepherd of our souls, the dear Savior, Jesus Christ. This Christmas, I want to again bow before Him with you, happy and confident that in Him all things turn out for our good and His glory. 
As we prepare to bid farewell to 2025 and embrace the unwritten pages of 2026, I am filled with an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the blessings that have graced our lives. Together in 2025, we have accomplished remarkable things—a testament to the spirit of love, unity, and dedication that defines MQP. Your contributions of time, financial resources, and talents have made our worship, faith formation, and ministries true instruments for connecting with God, each other, and our neighbors. Thank you for your support, your sacrificial giving, and your commitment to the mission of our parish. Together, we have made a difference, and I am excited to see how God will lead us in the coming year. Thank you for being a living and thriving body of Christ – fostering life- changing encounters with Jesus! 

May you be filled with the wonder of Mary, the obedience of Joseph, the joy of the angels, the eagerness of the shepherds, the determination of the magi, and the peace of the Christ child. And may Almighty God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit bless you now and forever. Amen.