Our annual Oktoberfest is one of the highlights of our year here at Mother of God Church. Our parish was founded by German immigrants, with German-speaking people making up the congregation, with German-speaking priests serving the people, and German-speaking nuns running our school, teaching German-speaking kids, in German. This went on up until World War I, when the American bishops asked all German-speaking parishes to stop doing so, because the German Americans were being looked at with suspicion and with concern that they were loyal to Germany rather than America.
    
We honor our German roots (even I, your Irish pastor, am one-eighth German), with this annual celebration. Even if you are not German, all are invited to join us this afternoon after the 11:30 am Mass for good German food, music and fellowship.