After so many unexpected things happened in 2016 I think it's highly appropriate that I finish off my year of reviews here. A place where no one ever expected I'd be particularly on Christmas Eve. It's not that I wasn't raised to be religious. After 12 years of Catholic indoctrination you'd think I'd be a deacon or something by now. But alas the church and I haven't always seen eye to eye. So finding myself in a church for a late Christmas Eve service seemed highly unlikely. But end up here I did and it was a very moving experience. This church, like me, was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. It rebuilt as so many of us have and is truly a beautiful place. The size of the church is far larger than I'm used to, but at the same time felt welcoming. There was a band and choir and during the service I actually found myself singing along. If you're surprised, you should be. I surprised myself. The priest was an older Irishman and had a charming accent. The mass was just as I remembered as a kid and that was comforting to me. During his sermon, the priest gave some advice that I thought very useful. "You can't always change the world. But you can change the world in you". I'm sure some folks may think that's a bit cheesy. But I think I'm going to work to change the world in me as I move forward into 2017. Will I become a regular here? That's hard to say. But I'm thankful for being there this Christmas Eve. Happy New Year everyone. read more

The Parish of parishes in Long Beach, beautiful and welcoming. So many awesome memories.