'Tis the season for Santa's elves, reindeer, holiday cheer and Christmas decorations galore, but during this time of year, I especially like to take a step back and remember what Christmas is really all about. I've been going to Our Lady of Joy off and on since I was a teenager. It was the closest church to our place when we visited the desert. Now that I'm a big kid and live here permanently, I typically stick to a church closer to my home since Our Lady of Joy is a pretty long drive for me. But here and there, I'll meet my sister for mass and we'll head up "north." This is a simple church without many frills, but it's got a solid foundation, a great priest (Father Patrick who used to be at St. Thomas) and excellent mass times. The 5:00 PM mass time is perfect for me on days that I don't get up and going in time for 11:00 AM Mass (I know it's not that early, but sometimes I hit snooze 1-20 times on a weekend!)
There's not much more I can say about this church other than that it's the perfect one to visit for Sunday Mass if you are in the area, you're Catholic and you're looking for a friendly and welcoming parish.