Memo from Msgr. Raun - Thursday, April 1st, 2020
My dear family in Christ,
WE HAVE BEEN THROUGH THIS BEFORE. AND WORST. Part of what is making this time of pandemic so hard is that it is so new to us. None of us have experienced anything like it. But, dear friends, we have gone through things like this before. And we have come through it all right, and even stronger. I just want to talk about two of them, that are just beyond the memory of our oldest parishioners.
THE SPANISH FLU: As if World War I was not bad enough, towards the end of the war a new type of influenza broke out that came to be known as the "Spanish Flu." The soldiers returning from the war spread it all over the world. Medical science, compared to today, was very primitive. There was no hope of developing a vaccination or drug to stop the flu.Communications were primitive - a few had telephones, commercial radio was still a few years away, so people were far more isolated than we are. It was devastating, much more than the corona virus - not only did it target the old and infirm, but infants and children. Most mysteriously, young people in the prime of their life could be killed by it. It was two and a half years before the Spanish Flu burned itself out. By the end, it killed 50 million people world-wide - far more people than died in World War I. Under far harsher circumstances, people had to endure a far worst pestilence.
We have the newspapers and government mandates from that time. It was basically the same restrictions we are living under today. Yes, the churches were closed and public Mass suspended. Funerals and weddings were forbidden. All of society ground to a halt.
But we got past the Spanish Flu. The 1920's were a time of great growth for the Church in our country, and a time of prosperity.
THE MEXICAN PERSECUTION: Just a few hundred miles from where you and I are now, in the 1920's a vile anti-Catholic government seized power in Mexico and declared war on the Church. Basically, the Mass and all worship was outlawed. Priests were hunted down like dogs, and so were those who helped them. (Here we think of the most famous of the Mexican martyrs, Blessed Father Miguel Pro. But there were hundreds of others, many who are canonized saints. If you want to read a classic novel about this time in Mexican history, read "The Power and the Glory" by Graham Green. It tells the story of a heroic if imperfect priest ministering in Mexico during the persecution.) At the height of the persecution, there were only a few hundred priests left in Mexico, ministering underground. Mass was said late at night in homes with the absolute minimum in ceremony - no singing, no vestments, no gold chalice, just the Priest, the Body, and the Blood.
For years, many places in that vast Catholic land never saw a priest at all, much less have even one Mass or the Sacraments. They weren't able to sit in their easy chairs and watch on the I-Pad their pastor say Mass, or have Scripture studies broadcast into their homes.
So what did they do? They prayed. They prayed as families. They taught their children their catechism. (I once in Mexico saw an old illustrated catechism book, written in Spanish, worn out from use, carefully wrapped in tissue paper and lovingly preserved in a box. It was the book that their grandmother had used to teach them during the persecution.) They kept the Faith the best they could.
By 1940 the worst of the persecution was over. And today? Well, the Church in Mexico isn't perfect, but it is strong and vibrant. I have spent a fair amount of time in Mexico. The churches are full of men, as well as women and children. The Faith not only survived, but thrived!
I share these relatively recent stories to give us encouragement and hope. Things have been worst, and we got through them. The question is - shall our generation live up to the challenges of living our Christianity in our own day of crises? Are we worthy of our ancestors, and worthy of our divinely-revealed Faith? If we meet our challenges, then on the other side of this virus, we will be a stronger Church and stronger society.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION : Our staff is doing wonderful things to continue to provide religious education to our kids:
HE 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.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
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/
-------------------------------------------------------------------
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 Heavenly 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!
-------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
TELEPHONE NUMBERS! EMAIL ADDRESSES! There is a lot of ministry going on in this parish right now, and we want to minister to each person in our parish. 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!
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Our Prayer for the Day:
Dear Lord Jesus,
by Your Passion and Resurrection
You brought life to the world.
But the glory of the Resurrection
came only after the sufferings of the Passion.
You laid down Your life willingly
and gave up everything for us.
Your body was broken and fastened to a Cross,
Your clothing became the prize of soldiers,
your blood ebbed slowly but surely away,
and Your Mother was entrusted to the beloved disciple.
Stretched out on the Cross,
deprived of all earthly possessions and human aid,
You cried out to Your Father that the end had come.
You had accomplished the work given You,
and You committed into His hands,
as a perfect gift,
the little life that remained to You.
Lord, teach me to accept all afflictions
after the example You have given.
Let me place my death in Yours
and my weakness in Your abandonment,
Take hold of me with Your love,
that same foolish love that knew no limits,
and let me offer myself to the Father
with You so that I may rise with You to eternal life
I send you my fatherly blessing, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Msgr. Doug Raun
WE HAVE BEEN THROUGH THIS BEFORE. AND WORST. Part of what is making this time of pandemic so hard is that it is so new to us. None of us have experienced anything like it. But, dear friends, we have gone through things like this before. And we have come through it all right, and even stronger. I just want to talk about two of them, that are just beyond the memory of our oldest parishioners.
THE SPANISH FLU: As if World War I was not bad enough, towards the end of the war a new type of influenza broke out that came to be known as the "Spanish Flu." The soldiers returning from the war spread it all over the world. Medical science, compared to today, was very primitive. There was no hope of developing a vaccination or drug to stop the flu.Communications were primitive - a few had telephones, commercial radio was still a few years away, so people were far more isolated than we are. It was devastating, much more than the corona virus - not only did it target the old and infirm, but infants and children. Most mysteriously, young people in the prime of their life could be killed by it. It was two and a half years before the Spanish Flu burned itself out. By the end, it killed 50 million people world-wide - far more people than died in World War I. Under far harsher circumstances, people had to endure a far worst pestilence.
We have the newspapers and government mandates from that time. It was basically the same restrictions we are living under today. Yes, the churches were closed and public Mass suspended. Funerals and weddings were forbidden. All of society ground to a halt.
But we got past the Spanish Flu. The 1920's were a time of great growth for the Church in our country, and a time of prosperity.
THE MEXICAN PERSECUTION: Just a few hundred miles from where you and I are now, in the 1920's a vile anti-Catholic government seized power in Mexico and declared war on the Church. Basically, the Mass and all worship was outlawed. Priests were hunted down like dogs, and so were those who helped them. (Here we think of the most famous of the Mexican martyrs, Blessed Father Miguel Pro. But there were hundreds of others, many who are canonized saints. If you want to read a classic novel about this time in Mexican history, read "The Power and the Glory" by Graham Green. It tells the story of a heroic if imperfect priest ministering in Mexico during the persecution.) At the height of the persecution, there were only a few hundred priests left in Mexico, ministering underground. Mass was said late at night in homes with the absolute minimum in ceremony - no singing, no vestments, no gold chalice, just the Priest, the Body, and the Blood.
For years, many places in that vast Catholic land never saw a priest at all, much less have even one Mass or the Sacraments. They weren't able to sit in their easy chairs and watch on the I-Pad their pastor say Mass, or have Scripture studies broadcast into their homes.
So what did they do? They prayed. They prayed as families. They taught their children their catechism. (I once in Mexico saw an old illustrated catechism book, written in Spanish, worn out from use, carefully wrapped in tissue paper and lovingly preserved in a box. It was the book that their grandmother had used to teach them during the persecution.) They kept the Faith the best they could.
By 1940 the worst of the persecution was over. And today? Well, the Church in Mexico isn't perfect, but it is strong and vibrant. I have spent a fair amount of time in Mexico. The churches are full of men, as well as women and children. The Faith not only survived, but thrived!
I share these relatively recent stories to give us encouragement and hope. Things have been worst, and we got through them. The question is - shall our generation live up to the challenges of living our Christianity in our own day of crises? Are we worthy of our ancestors, and worthy of our divinely-revealed Faith? If we meet our challenges, then on the other side of this virus, we will be a stronger Church and stronger society.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION : Our staff is doing wonderful things to continue to provide religious education to our kids:
- The School. Our teachers are working overtime to give the children in our parochial school on-line classes, and provide for their educational needs.
- Catechism Classes: We are "firing up" online classes for our kids in catechism, including First Penance, First Communion, and our Mid-School program (called "Edge") If you have no received information about this, please e-mail cre@stanm.org
- Youth and Young Adult are meeting regularly online, including LifeTeen and Confirmation Class. For more information, please contact ed.leyba@stanm.org
HE 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.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
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/
-------------------------------------------------------------------
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 Heavenly 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!
-------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
TELEPHONE NUMBERS! EMAIL ADDRESSES! There is a lot of ministry going on in this parish right now, and we want to minister to each person in our parish. 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!
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Our Prayer for the Day:
Dear Lord Jesus,
by Your Passion and Resurrection
You brought life to the world.
But the glory of the Resurrection
came only after the sufferings of the Passion.
You laid down Your life willingly
and gave up everything for us.
Your body was broken and fastened to a Cross,
Your clothing became the prize of soldiers,
your blood ebbed slowly but surely away,
and Your Mother was entrusted to the beloved disciple.
Stretched out on the Cross,
deprived of all earthly possessions and human aid,
You cried out to Your Father that the end had come.
You had accomplished the work given You,
and You committed into His hands,
as a perfect gift,
the little life that remained to You.
Lord, teach me to accept all afflictions
after the example You have given.
Let me place my death in Yours
and my weakness in Your abandonment,
Take hold of me with Your love,
that same foolish love that knew no limits,
and let me offer myself to the Father
with You so that I may rise with You to eternal life
I send you my fatherly blessing, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Msgr. Doug Raun
Posted in Daily Memo from Msgr. Raun
No Comments