Posted on May 24, 2020 View all news
Laudetur Jesus Christus! Gelobt sei Jesus Christus!
Sia lodato Gesù Cristo! Praised be Jesus Christ!
After ten long weeks, public Mass will resume tomorrow, May 25. I know this has been a challenging time, but I also hope that this time helped each of us unite more closely to the cross of Christ. It is only by the cross that we are saved; there is no other way. We can try this or that short cut, but there is none. It is only by uniting ourselves to the crucified Lord that we can be saved. Sometimes we choose the crosses we bear, but other times they find us. And when they do find us, we can never allow them to steal our interior peace and joy because we know that through them, we are working out our salvation in fear and trembling. So even as these ten weeks were hard, there was an excellent opportunity for grace, and I hope we didn’t squander that opportunity! I hope we all also appreciate our way of life, the Church, the Sacraments, and each other a bit more!
Please know that throughout these weeks, both Fr. Adrian and myself offered Mass daily. Mass continued to be offered at both Old St. Mary’s and Sacred Heart. We heard many confessions, we received two people into the Church, baptized several infants, celebrated an ordination, and had several funerals. The sisters worked hard at keeping things clean, braiding palm, and helping us to still have Sung Mass from time to time to celebrate the Feasts that came up with solemnity. Both Churches underwent regular and extraordinary maintenance. In other words, life here continued as usual as we could, waiting for you to return. May we continue to pray for those affected by the coronavirus, for all those who have died, and all those economically affected.
We will resume Mass as normal beginning tomorrow. The only exception is tomorrow since it is Memorial Day. Mass will be at 7:15 a.m. (Latin) and 9:00 a.m. (English). Confession will be heard at 8:15 a.m. Otherwise, the Mass schedule is as indicated under the intentions. On Tuesday, we celebrate the Feast of Saint Philip Neri, the founder of the Congregation of the Oratory. There will be a Solemn Mass at 5:00 p.m. On Saturday, we prepare to celebrate the second greatest Feast on the entire liturgical calendar, Pentecost. We will have a Solemn Mass of the Vigil of Pentecost at 7:30 a.m. This Mass is very similar to the Easter Vigil and will last about three hours. We will also administer the Sacrament of Confirmation to those adults who were preparing to complete their Sacraments of Initiation. These Mass will be at Old St. Mary’s.
Please note that we have blocked off certain pews for social distancing. Please observe this. We have also temporarily removed the hymnals and other booklets in the back of the church or the pews. Leaflets will be provided to assist you at Mass. There may be socials, but the vast majority of people should remain outdoors in the garden or in the space above the carport. Please be courteous to the Mass going on inside of church by keeping your voices low.
Please note that there are no other regulations at this time. Holy Communion may be received how one chooses, except at the Latin Mass, when communion must be received on the tongue. Please receive communion well to help keep the priest from coming into contact with you. Please also be conscious and courteous to those who prefer to be more socially distant than others. Due to various circumstances, some are remaining more cautious than others. It is a matter of justice that we respect other’s boundaries as we may not know their circumstances.
Please note that the Archbishop has continued to grant a general dispensation to the Sunday obligation. If you feel ill or are in a vulnerable class, you do not have an obligation to attend Mass for the time being. Once he lifts this dispensation, he let us know.
Also, be sure to continue to check the parish webpage calendar. You can find the calendar at this link: Google Calendar.
Thank you for observing these few rules. I will continue to assess our situation and will make changes and modifications as needed.
I did not get to record a sermon yet this week and I wanted to get this update out. I will send post a sermon to the webpages as soon as I record, but otherwise I look forward to seeing everyone this week! Have a blessed week ahead, and God bless each of you!
