Memo from Msgr. Raun - Monday, March 30th, 2020
My dear family in Christ,
Today I want to share with you a beautiful testimony I received from a member of our parish. I'm leaving off her name, but the words are all hers :
Monsignor,
I wanted to write you to let you know I was tested for COVID-19. It took 8 days for my results to come in. As a young mother of three boys I was terrified, my family was terrified. My parents kept my children to keep them safe during the waiting period. I downloaded the parish app during this time. I went through so many emotions. I was angry with everyone including God. I was scared and depressed. I would get so upset and my Husband could not calm me down. I just continued to follow your daily memos and listen to some of the talks you did. I would also live stream the mid-day rosary. At night when I was up alone and scared I would re-read your memos. The app really helped me to continue my faith when I felt I lost all hope. I want to thank you for this amazing resource. I always try to teach my kids that even when they think they are alone they are not because God is with them. I definitely got taught my own lesson in this on my journey. I just wanted to reach out to let you know this is an amazing resource our parish is offering and I don’t know how I would have gotten through this scary time without it. I have gotten my results and they are negative but I do have bronchitis so I’m still on the mend from that. You and the clergy of our parish are in my prayers.
I WENT FOR A WALK YESTERDAY : a long walk (one and a half hours). My legs are stiff today! But it was worth it. Spring has a beauty all it's own. Seeing new life bloom gives hope. I talked to parishioners who were out driving, working in their front yard, or also out walking. I talked to all sorts of non-Catholics who were happy to see a priest. I gave everyone I met my blessing. It really uplifted me on a strange Sunday afternoon. And I slept very well last night.
SPIRITUALLY ADOPT A PERSON WHO IS DYING ALONE : This is really on my heart, friends. These coronavirus victims in the ICU units are dying alone. No family and loved ones, no priest and sacraments. Often, I am afraid, little or no knowledge of God or faith in His love for them. Just facing death terribly alone.
THE HOLY MASS is being offered by Fr. McKee and me each day at 9 am. You can watch it on the website any time during the day. I am offering the Holy Mass each day for the intentions of our fellow-parishioners. Unite yourself in your heart to the divine mystery of the Holy Mass. Sorry for any technical glitches. We are doing this off my I-Pad !
"I know that many of you go to confession before Easter… Many will say to me: ‘But Father…I can’t leave the house and I want to make my peace with the Lord. I want Him to embrace me… How can I do that unless I find a priest?'
Do what the catechism says. It’s very clear. If you can't go to a priest to go to confession, speak to God. He’s your Father. Tell Him the truth: ‘Lord. I did this and this and this. Pardon me.’ Ask His forgiveness with all your heart with an act of contrition, and promise Him, ‘afterward I will go to confession.’
You will return to God’s grace immediately. You yourself can draw near, as the Catechism teaches us, to God’s forgiveness, without having a priest at hand."______________________________________
THE CHURCH is open from 7 am to 7 pm. Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament is present in the Tabernacle. Our parish staff is disinfecting the church three times a day.
______________________________________
CARE CALL: Reaching out to our parish family with phone calls of concern and prayer. If you would like to volunteer for this, please email your name, phone number, and email address to viana.sikes@stanm.org
CARE KITS: Taking essential household goods and food to those who have no way to leave their house: If you would like to volunteer for Care Kits, please email your name, phone number, and email address to frank.smith@stanm.org (Please: no one over 60 or with serious health problems should volunteer for this ministry.
If you need a Care Kit, please call the parish Office at 892-1511. Please give this number to people you know who might need a Care Kit.THE PARISH OFFICE and the ST. VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY are open, but not for walk-in traffic. Please call on the telephone first.______________________________________
Father Young is more or less fully recovered, and is helping with confessions. Fr. McKee is fine, but will be in self-isolation. Everyone else is fine.
______________________________________
CHATTING WITH THE PASTOR: We thought that it might be good to do a weekly 20 minute video of me answering questions you may have at this time. If there is interest, I'm happy to do it. Please email any questions you may have to Deacon Ed at ed.leyba@stanm.org. We will let you know when the video will air.
Remember, Christians are to set the best example in following the directions of our civil and public health officials.
In all of this let us in a dark world be bright lights of Christian patience, service to others, cheerfulness, and Christ-like love.
______________________________________
How do we share the Gospel at this time? Simple - tell people, especially our fellow parishioners, to go to our website, stanm.org, and sign up for our email list and to download the parish app. Also, share this information with those who do not have access to the internet!
Today I want to share with you a beautiful testimony I received from a member of our parish. I'm leaving off her name, but the words are all hers :
Monsignor,
I wanted to write you to let you know I was tested for COVID-19. It took 8 days for my results to come in. As a young mother of three boys I was terrified, my family was terrified. My parents kept my children to keep them safe during the waiting period. I downloaded the parish app during this time. I went through so many emotions. I was angry with everyone including God. I was scared and depressed. I would get so upset and my Husband could not calm me down. I just continued to follow your daily memos and listen to some of the talks you did. I would also live stream the mid-day rosary. At night when I was up alone and scared I would re-read your memos. The app really helped me to continue my faith when I felt I lost all hope. I want to thank you for this amazing resource. I always try to teach my kids that even when they think they are alone they are not because God is with them. I definitely got taught my own lesson in this on my journey. I just wanted to reach out to let you know this is an amazing resource our parish is offering and I don’t know how I would have gotten through this scary time without it. I have gotten my results and they are negative but I do have bronchitis so I’m still on the mend from that. You and the clergy of our parish are in my prayers.
I love this testimony for three reasons:
It shows us the power of faith in Christ in getting through the hard times.
It shows us the power of us being united in prayer as a parish family.
It shows us the power of our parish ministry at this moment, although we cannot physically gather together for prayer.
Do you have a testimony from this time that you would like to share with me or with the parish family? Email me at pastor@stanm.org. Let us support and encourage one another!
______________________________________TELEPHONE NUMBERS ! EMAIL ADDRESSES! There is a lot of ministry going on in this parish right now, and we want to minister to you. But I need your working current phone number. Many of you registered with a land-line, then got cell phones and dropped your land-line without telling us. Please, if you have not received a phone call from the parish in the last week, please email your name and phone number to viana.sikes@stanm.org Help others, especially the elderly who do not have the Internet, to get their phone numbers to us!
Also, I keep on talking to parishioners who have no idea that we have a website, daily email, on-line services, and so forth. Please - when you talk to parishioners, ask them if they are getting my emails. If not, encourage them to right away go to our website, stanm.org and sign up for our emails and download our parish app.
This is the only way we have to directly minister to people right now, and I do not want any of our parishioners to be missing out on the spiritual resources their parish has to offer them to get through these difficult times!
______________________________________I WENT FOR A WALK YESTERDAY : a long walk (one and a half hours). My legs are stiff today! But it was worth it. Spring has a beauty all it's own. Seeing new life bloom gives hope. I talked to parishioners who were out driving, working in their front yard, or also out walking. I talked to all sorts of non-Catholics who were happy to see a priest. I gave everyone I met my blessing. It really uplifted me on a strange Sunday afternoon. And I slept very well last night.
I was sorry to not see more people walking. Even if it is just around the block, it will do you a world of spiritual, emotional, and physical good. While always observing "social distancing", you can talk to others who are outside, asking how they are doing, and saying a cheerful "God bless you." It's just nice.
I also waved at the cars going by. Older people, remembering a better time when people were more friendly and this was the custom, enthusiastically waved back.Younger people had no idea why the crazy guy dressed all in black was waving at them.
If only to sit in the sun, get outside, my friends. It will do you good.
______________________________________SPIRITUALLY ADOPT A PERSON WHO IS DYING ALONE : This is really on my heart, friends. These coronavirus victims in the ICU units are dying alone. No family and loved ones, no priest and sacraments. Often, I am afraid, little or no knowledge of God or faith in His love for them. Just facing death terribly alone.
It's real simple: Pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. Then say to our Father words to this effect: " Dear God, I offer up this Chaplet for that person whom You know is at this time dying alone."
I think this is a great work of mercy, much needed at this time!
______________________________________THE HOLY MASS is being offered by Fr. McKee and me each day at 9 am. You can watch it on the website any time during the day. I am offering the Holy Mass each day for the intentions of our fellow-parishioners. Unite yourself in your heart to the divine mystery of the Holy Mass. Sorry for any technical glitches. We are doing this off my I-Pad !
HOLY HOUR is being aired every night on our website and app at 6 pm from the rectory chapel, being lead by Fr. McKee. Join in adoring the Holy Eucharist, and praying the Holy Rosary and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.
______________________________________
CONFESSIONS are being heard each evening, Monday through Saturday, in the church at 5:30 pm. The priest will remain until the last person in line has confessed. Friends, what this means is that if you want to go to Confession, show up at 5:30 pm. The priest will hear the confessions of those people in line. He will then go home. If you can never make it at 5:30 pm, give a call to the parish office and we can set up a special time for you.
We are using the Adoration Chapel for Confessions. This is working out very well.Please follow the directions on the sign.
Also, remember what the Pope said a few days ago:
"I know that many of you go to confession before Easter… Many will say to me: ‘But Father…I can’t leave the house and I want to make my peace with the Lord. I want Him to embrace me… How can I do that unless I find a priest?'
Do what the catechism says. It’s very clear. If you can't go to a priest to go to confession, speak to God. He’s your Father. Tell Him the truth: ‘Lord. I did this and this and this. Pardon me.’ Ask His forgiveness with all your heart with an act of contrition, and promise Him, ‘afterward I will go to confession.’
You will return to God’s grace immediately. You yourself can draw near, as the Catechism teaches us, to God’s forgiveness, without having a priest at hand."
THE CHURCH is open from 7 am to 7 pm. Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament is present in the Tabernacle. Our parish staff is disinfecting the church three times a day.
HOLY WATER AND BLESSED SALT are available in the back of the church. These are two very powerful sacramentals that we can use to protect ourselves and our homes. Traditionally we sprinkle our homes with the holy water, and sprinkle the blessed salt around our property. Please take what you need (bring your own container for the holy water. The blessed salt is pre-packaged.
The exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and 24 Hour Adoration has been suspended for the duration of the emergency.______________________________________
CARE CALL: Reaching out to our parish family with phone calls of concern and prayer. If you would like to volunteer for this, please email your name, phone number, and email address to viana.sikes@stanm.org
CARE KITS: Taking essential household goods and food to those who have no way to leave their house: If you would like to volunteer for Care Kits, please email your name, phone number, and email address to frank.smith@stanm.org (Please: no one over 60 or with serious health problems should volunteer for this ministry.
If you need a Care Kit, please call the parish Office at 892-1511. Please give this number to people you know who might need a Care Kit.THE PARISH OFFICE and the ST. VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY are open, but not for walk-in traffic. Please call on the telephone first.
YOUR TITHING : Friends, for those of you who are able to support the parish, we are really going to need your tithes and offerings at this time. The best way to do this is on-line: Go to the parish website stanm.org and click on the "Three Ways To Give" button. You can use your credit card or checking account, and you can set it up for a one-time gift or a reoccurring donation. If you can't do that, mail it to the parish office.
______________________________________Father Young is more or less fully recovered, and is helping with confessions. Fr. McKee is fine, but will be in self-isolation. Everyone else is fine.
______________________________________
CHATTING WITH THE PASTOR: We thought that it might be good to do a weekly 20 minute video of me answering questions you may have at this time. If there is interest, I'm happy to do it. Please email any questions you may have to Deacon Ed at ed.leyba@stanm.org. We will let you know when the video will air.
______________________________________
WONDERFUL FREE PRAYER RESOURCES :
The Magnificat: the prayers and readings of daily Mass, and a simplified form of Morning and Evening Prayer : https://us.magnificat.net/free
Live-Streamed Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament : from the chapel of the Sisters of the Holy Spirit: http://savior.org/
______________________________________
Prayer, dear friends, prayer!
Remember, Christians are to set the best example in following the directions of our civil and public health officials.
In all of this let us in a dark world be bright lights of Christian patience, service to others, cheerfulness, and Christ-like love.
______________________________________
How do we share the Gospel at this time? Simple - tell people, especially our fellow parishioners, to go to our website, stanm.org, and sign up for our email list and to download the parish app. Also, share this information with those who do not have access to the internet!
Our prayer for the day - well, it's more of a meditation, but it's a good one !
St. Theresa de Avila's Bookmark :
Let nothing disturb you;
Let nothing frighten you.
All things are passing.
God never changes.
Patience obtains all things.
Nothing is wanting to him who possesses God.
God alone suffices.
Let nothing frighten you.
All things are passing.
God never changes.
Patience obtains all things.
Nothing is wanting to him who possesses God.
God alone suffices.
I send you my fatherly blessing, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit!
Msgr. Doug Raun
Posted in Daily Memo from Msgr. Raun
No Comments