Robert J Kurtz, CRBishop of Hamilton in BermudaDear Friends,I am pleased and honoured to be able to extend Christmas greetings to you in the name of all the pastors and members of the Catholic Church in Bermuda.In this beautiful Christmas season we thank the Lord for the gifts of life and health that enable us to appreciate and celebrate God’s further gifts of family and friends whose company we enjoy during the Christmas holidays.We also know that not all people find themselves in a festive mood at this time.The sudden and unexpected death of Fr Joseph Palubeski, CR, Rector of St Theresa’s Cathedral, on December 3 has saddened the entire Catholic Community of Bermuda.It has also made me more aware of the people who have suffered the loss of a loved one during the past year and now face the Christmas holidays without them.To all who suffer loss, hurt or illness at this time I would like to offer a word of Christmas consolation.Yet, Christmas is always a feast and a season of hope. Nature and the entire cosmos tell us that the winter solstice has passed.Darkness yields to dawn. Daylight will continue to increase in these days. And Christ, the light of the world, is born for us and for our salvation.Let the Word of God and the message of the angels in Luke’s Gospel give us continued hope: “Be not afraid ... a saviour has been born for you, who is Christ and Lord. Glory to God in the highest and on Earth, peace to those on whom his favour rests.”The good news is that we are blessed; we are truly favoured by God. A very merry Christmas to all!