By Reba Phelps
The month of December always comes and goes like a huge wrecking ball leaving behind a path of destruction shaped like fatigue and overeating. By the time New Year’s Eve makes her delicate entrance, I am more than ready to ring in the year with my pajamas and snacks while watching the wildly expensive crystal ball drop in Times Square.
While it has been a cozy tradition for the past few years, I truly wanted 2026 to be completely different as I am quickly becoming a lady who is set in her ways and somewhat predictable. I also wanted to be more intentional about the time I was spending seeking a deeper relationship with the Lord. My spiritual life was beginning to feel like it was on autopilot and needed a recharge. A few days before New Year’s Eve I made a post on social media asking what churches were having services to ring in the year. It wasn’t long before my timeline was flooded with church service information. I was completely overwhelmed with the sincerest invitations to worship with friends that I simply couldn’t narrow it down to just one service.
Being the overachieving optimist that I am, I narrowed it down to two services. One was earlier in the evening and one that started a little later.
On an invitation from my high school friend, Patrice Harper, my first New Year’s Eve church service began on Black Lake at the beautifully quaint and historic Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church on Pardee Road. Having misjudged my leave time, I was slightly tardy for the pre-church visiting with church members, but when I entered the church, I could feel the warmth and love from the small congregation of familiar faces. The Priest’s homily was beautifully worded and full of peace. As soon as the service concluded I was introduced and welcomed by every single church member in the building, including the Priest.
As I was leaving, I was feeling so blessed having been able to attend a service with high school friends and their parents. But I also knew there was something special about this church and its radiant, luminous stained-glass windows that reflected the love of Jesus from the inside out.
The church’s origins date all the way back to 1860 and was established as a missionary church. The church was also a Catholic School where most of the elders of the Black Lake community attended as children. Nuns educated the children through the 8th grade in the small one room church-schoolhouse. The cinderblock building that stands today was built around 1945 by brick mason, Bill Trichel, who is the grandfather of Patrice. The stunning kaleidoscopic stained-glass windows were installed around twenty-five years ago with an update about six years ago. While the building is small, the hearts of the congregation and history are as big as any cathedral in a much larger city.
Are you seeking Jesus? Is something missing in your life? Our hearts will always have a Jesus shaped hole in them that only he can fill. Our Parish is full of spectacular churches that have dedicated church members who are always open to visitors. There is a pew or chair waiting on the seekers. Seek and you will find, let 2026 be the year you find your church family.
“And I tell you, ask and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” – Luke 11:19
Follow along next week as I share the second church I visited on New Year’s Eve!
Reba Phelps jreba.phelps@gmail.com
