Dear parishioners, Thank you so much for your generosity of spirit and openness to all that the Lord is doing in our parish. In addition to the ‘preparation dimension’ of Lent for the celebration of the Paschal Mysteries at Easter, I have always seen the season of Lent as a season of renewal, when new life springs forth. And I am praying that this is the case for you in all areas.
I would like to bring a few items to your attention.
We are here for you As your priests, we want to be available and accessible to everyone. We want to listen to your concerns, answer your questions, be there to provide counsel and pray with you. We have tried to do this, as the Lord has provided us with wisdom and strength. However, we recognize that we cannot be everywhere, or do everything. This is why we have a very capable and supportive staff team and Pastoral Council members. They support us and advise us so that we can be the best shepherds we can be. In the back of the church, there is a board with the names and pictures of these persons. The purpose is so that parishioners and visitors would familiarize themselves with these staff and councilors and know that they are here to support and help you feel welcome, valued and needed. Please reach out to these persons for whatever needs you may have. They are happy to help, or point you in the direction to get the needed help. Also, our office is open to anyone. If you want to reach me or Fr. William specifically, you can either call the office or send us an email. We try to respond as soon as we can.
Change within the liturgy You would notice that since Lent began on Ash Wednesday we have changed the way we do the Universal Prayers (General Intercessions/Prayer of the Faithful). We now have a cantor sing “Let us Pray to the Lord” and we respond “Lord Hear our Prayer.” My intention is that once the prayer intention is read, we pause for a brief moment and pray for the intention we have just heard, and then we sing our response in unison, with one heart and one voice. Please join your voice with that of the worshipping community as we offer our petitions for the church and the world.
The bishop has given permission for the resumption of the distribution of Holy Communion under both kinds (body and blood) throughout the diocese. However, this permission is subject to the discernment of each individual pastor. While it is the norm to receive under both kinds, where circumstance permits, we believe that our Lord is wholly and entirely present whether received under one or both kinds. We are looking at the various ramifications, health and logistic, of resuming reception of Holy Communion from the chalice. I will communicate my decision on when we would resume the chalice at the appropriate time. Please continue to ask our Lord to heal our world.
Please take the survey I am grateful to all who have taken the Disciple Maker Index (DMI) survey. So far, we have received about 15% of completed surveys. This is a great start. Our goal is to have 100%, that is, all our parishioners responding to this survey. Our hope is that this would give us some idea of what parishioners expect from their pastor, the parish staff, and the parish in order to build their faith and their spiritual life so that they can be better disciples of Jesus who then go out to make disciples. Please pray and take this survey. We appreciate your feedback.
The Rescue Project Finally, we are grateful for all who are currently participating in The Rescue Project. This is our parish’s Lenten Mission. We thank all our parishioners who have volunteered to host this “Project” in their homes. We ask for your prayers, that through this opportunity to deepen our relationship with Jesus, participants will be led to a profound experience of God’s love and be inspired to share this same love with others. Please consider participating in these life-transforming encounters; you will be glad you did.
May Jesus bless you, and may Our Lady protect you! Fr. Julius