My dear friends,
What a difference a week makes! Last week, I wondered about if we could use social media to help us in ministry. This week, most of what I’ve done was in cyberspace. I have learned how to go on Facebook Live for Masses and Bible study, and Deacon Vinny has been on for Stations of the Cross. Parish life has been operating through our Facebook group! That place we normally go to just complain has become a useful tool in the service of God to proclaim the Gospel. Who would have thought?
One thing I have found in the midst of this health care emergency is the hunger people have to belong to their parish. We often take for granted that the doors are always open and the Sacraments will always be there. If I miss one time, I could run down the street to another church for Mass. No one is taking their belonging to a parish for granted now! We started broadcasting to answer the need of people who wanted to pray with their neighbors. Just because we can’t be in the same room, doesn’t mean we can’t gather. The internet became a tool to unite us in prayer and study. I am most grateful to God that I have been able to offer some comfort and enlightenment in a difficult time when people need to feel connected to God and each other more than ever
If you don’t know, let me share what we have been doing. We are using myparishapp to update parishioners as soon as news comes to us. The parish website continues to be a place for information and outreach. We are using the Facebook group for connections. I am broadcasting Mass on our regular schedule weekdays, and once on the weekend for all three intentions on Saturday afternoons. (You can stream it on Sunday if you prefer at your regular time, but the Mass won’t change, so I broadcast once and leave the recording there. Also, I will pray separately in my private prayers for each of those separate Mass intentions.) I am streaming a special Bible study during the time of quarantine on Monday and Thursday afternoons at 1:30 PM. Each day is different. We are examining the Book of Tobit, the text where we meet the Archangel Raphael, patron saint of healing. We have Stations of the Cross, and we will see what else we can do. It’s a great tool to reach out and let parishioners share with each other.
I’m also trying something with Confessions. The church has been locked to allow the custodial staff time to thoroughly deep clean. (By the way, I commend them on their amazing work so far!) I’ll park my car, a green Toyota Camry, on the side of the rectory near the entrance to the chapel. I will open the passenger side window. Pull up about a foot or so away and confess. I won’t look, so those who like the anonymity can keep it. I will follow the schedule of Monday 6:00 to 7:00 PM and Saturdays 2:30 to 3:30 PM., as long as it is not raining. We’ll see if that works
In the days of uncertainty, it’s good to be able to offer something to help all of you get through this and stay connected to your parish and each other. Use this unique time to pray a bit more, talk with your family and friends, and just rest. Think of this as your own Lenten retreat. Make the most of the solitude and appreciate the connections we still can make. We will offer what we can to help with that.
Be happy, be healthy; be holy! Fr. Joe
March 22, 2019
My dear friends,
I’m writing sitting at my desk with a mind filled with plans for Lent and Easter. I’m aware of the timeline we face and the many tasks that must be accomplished. It’s generally a busy time of year for me. I didn’t plan on facing this time in the midst of a global pandemic and a national health emergency. So what do I do? I do what I do, is what I do.
For now, I continue to preside at Masses. For now, I plan the many liturgies that are to come. If I were told to shut down, I’d shut down. If we’re told no public gatherings, I would follow those guidelines. It would be painful, but I’d implement that plan should it come. I operate hoping for the best and planning for the worst. Even without Masses, I’d still have to compile some kind of bulletin, at least posting it online at our website. Could we expand our media presence on the Facebook page? That’s a possibility. I am looking into the options we have.
My hope and prayer is that all of you will be happy and healthy, following the guidelines we’re given to preserve our health. What should you do? Do what you do. For some of you, that means staying home and self-quarantining. For some, it means go to work to care for others, but taking the precautions to keep you and them healthy. For some, it means diligently doing school work, even when a teacher is not standing right in front of you. We must go forward.
How will we get through this and not go mad? Well, just remember this isn’t like living in London during the Blitz or sheltering in wet, rodent infested bunkers for months and years on end like World War I. People rise to the occasion of a crisis. Besides, how terrible is it to social distance in this day and age? We have streaming media of all kinds, home delivery of just about anything you can imagine, and pretty beautiful weather for this time of year. Remember, you do these things to help out all people. That is a Christian virtue
As we face this stressful time, pray for those who cannot just stay home or out of the way of sickness. We pray for nurses and doctors, lab techs and therapists, EMTs and all in the health care system who will be rather busy and burdened. We pray for the police, firefighters, and National Guard members who will keep things ordered and face what they must to protect us. We pray for the workers at groceries and pharmacies who will labor in the midst of shortages and panicked crowds. We pray for the folks who pack our orders and make our deliveries so we can stay home. For all of, we are most grateful! May the blessing of Christ, the servant of all, come upon you, keep you healthy and safe, and give you strength and courage.
Whatever happens, we’re united in the bonds of humanity and as Children of God. Remember the commandment of love above all else. We need that most of all!