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Good news and bad news for those of us enduring the winter elements: Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow indicating six more weeks of winter weather; but the goods news is the brevity of February, 28 days only! “The groundhog is like most other prophets; it delivers its prediction and then disappears.” (Bill Vaughn)
With the completion of our beautiful parish hall—albeit a few details to be completed—we hope in time to make full use of the facility, benefitting our parish family and visitors. With the grace of God we have great staff and volunteers who actively keep up our parish ministries and facilities; however we are in need of a part-time position to maintain the cleanliness of the hall, with certain duties within the church proper. Please contact me if you are interested or for more details. Thank you.
Lent is less than two weeks away, with Ash Wednesday on the 17th. As of now the present diocesan guidelines will continue through the forty days of Lent and most likely, into Holy Week. I thank you for your desire to participate in the Eucharist and, at the same time, caring for the health of others with the wearing of masks and seating in the designated pews. Because of the ongoing concern, the distribution of Ashes on Wednesday the 17th will be handled differently. From the Catholic News Service: “The Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments asked priests [dioceses] to take special anti-COVID-19 precautions this year when distributing ashes on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 17, including sprinkling ashes on the top of people’s heads rather than using them to make a cross on people’s foreheads. Sprinkling ashes on the top of people’s heads, rather than marking foreheads with ashes, is the customary practice at the Vatican and in Italy. Given the spread of the coronavirus, the practice has the advantage of not requiring the priest to touch multiple people.” In various European countries this Rite is the common practice initiating the season of Lent. Ashes are imposed by making a sign of the cross and then ‘sprinkled’ above the head. For this Ash Wednesday this “Eastern Rite” will be the norm in all parishes as a means to safeguard all individuals participating.
Very soon our parish will begin taking Communion to the Homebound on Sundays. For those who are presently taking Communion to a spouse because of health reasons please bring your pix up as you receive Communion and the Eucharistic Minister will place a host in the open container and then offer you the Body of Christ.
Likewise, for those who need to receive Gluten Free, our parish will have a special pix at each Mass with the Consecrated Hosts. Those Gluten Free Hosts will be kept separately in the tabernacle for each Mass, and the presiding priest will have the pix with the Gluten Free Consecrated Hosts during Communion. Please receive from the priest, quietly saying “Gluten Free” so he knows. Sorry if all of this seems confusing. I hope you always feel welcome to receive the Body of Christ, and the grace of Peace that it embodies. Thank you.
God Bless, Fr. TimFYI: “Just when I think I have learned the way to live, life changes.” (Hugh Prather, author, minister)