Posted on October 16, 2016 View all news
Laudetur Jesus Christus! Gelobt sei Jesus Christus! Sia lodato Gesù Cristo! Praised be Jesus Christ!
There hasn’t been a lot of room in the bulletin recently, with the many events and things going on, but I wanted to provide a few updates on things around the parish.
First of all, the stained glass windows in church are off being repaired. When they were refinished several years ago, a few were never completed correctly. This led to the windows bowing inward, which would have eventually caused them to break. The company has come back to repair them. To do so, they had to be taken back to the company’s shop. This work will take a few weeks, then they will be returned. They will also, at that time, do a few more repairs on the windows so that they open and close well, lasting us into the years to come.
Secondly, the scaffolding has finally come down. Work on the tower continues, but the work up high has come to a close. They will finish the lower sections with lifts. They will also do some repair work on the front steps, where the sand stone has blown away. When this work is finished, we will begin to work on repairing the roof and the gutters.
It takes a lot to keep Old St. Mary’s up and running; but she is definitely well worth it. Thank you to everyone for their support and assistance. Without you we could not do what we do. Please watch, in a few weeks, for a statement of financial position and other updates about the parish.
In the meanwhile, we are preparing for our annual celebration of Forty Hours. This year we will begin with Solemn Mass on Thursday, October 27 at 7:00 p.m. There will be a procession of the Blessed Sacrament that evening, followed by Adoration until 10:00 p.m. Adoration will continue the next morning following the 7:15 a.m. Mass, and continue as usual. We will have our Solemn Closing with Procession on Sunday, October 30 at 4:00 p.m. There will be a reception afterwards. Please watch for a sign-up sheet next week for side dishes.
I ask that every parishioner, and every person who attends Mass at Old St. Mary’s sign up for a Holy Hour at some point during these Forty Hours. These hours remind us of the time that Christ spent in the tomb, waiting for His resurrection. These are special moments of grace for parishes, as we are reminded why we exist, and to Whom we should be moving toward. We exist to proclaim, always and everywhere, that Jesus Christ is Lord, and that He dwells within our churches. He is waiting and yearning for people to come to Him with an open heart.
May we each come before Him, kneeling in prayer, praying for our families, our parish, our Church, our communities, and our Nation. Families and the world are especially in need of prayer. Occasions such as Forty Hours give us the opportunity to do just that. Have a blessed week ahead!
