Memo from Msgr. Raun- Thursday December 3rd, 2020
| My dear family, Blessings to you all! WE CAN ATTEND MASS IN PERSON AGAIN ! We have just received word from the Archbishop that, in accord with the Governor's new Public Health Order, we can now allow people to attend Mass at 25% of seating capacity - which for us is 250 persons. So, as of tomorrow (Friday, December 4th), we will be able to attend Mass in person. In short, we will be "doing" Mass the way we did from June through October. You do not need a "reservation" : it will be first-come, first served. If more than 250 people show up for Mass, we will invite then to listen on their car radios and receive Communion at the end of Mass. We will continue to broadcast all the Masses on 106.5 FM. Those who do not feel comfortable going into the church can listen in their cars. The Eucharistic Ministers will distribute Holy Communion outside the doors of the church after everyone inside has received. These new regulations also apply to funerals, weddings, and baptisms. Funerals can now be celebrated with a Requiem Mass. We will be keeping Mass as short as possible. We are back to the 5 minute Sunday sermon (don't you dare cheer !). At the end of the 9 am weekday Mass we will ask everyone to leave so that we can disinfect the church (about 15 minutes), and then will begin confessions and Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. Yes, dear family, all these constant changes are confusing and exhausting. Personally I feel like a yo-yo. But I am glad that we can go to Mass in person again. I miss not seeing you in the church at Mass. UPDATE ON FATHER YOUNG: I spoke to Father Young's doctor today, and the news is not good. He is seriously ill. I hope you forgive me for not going into details, but Father Young himself is very heavily sedated because of pain, and does not know the details himself, so out of respect for his privacy I think that we should wait until he himself is aware of his situation. I will keep you updated. No visitors are allowed. Right now Father cannot answer or speak on the phone. But I'm sure cards and notes would be welcome. Please pray for him. THE INFORMATION BELOW IS REVISED: HOW TO ATTEND MASS AND RECEIVE HOLY COMMUNION DURING THIS TIME: 1. The normal schedule of Masses - weekday and weekend - are being celebrated in the church. Two-hundred and fifty people can attend each of these Masses. Holy Communion will de distributed at the end of each Mass. Please wear your mask, socially distance, receive Communion on the hand, etc. 2. For those who do not feel comfortable going inside the church yet, every Mass is being broadcast on our low-wattage FM transmitter at 106.5 FM. You can listen to the Mass anywhere in our parish parking lot. Just sit in your car and listen to the Mass. After each Mass, Eucharistic Ministers will go out of the doors of the church with the Blessed Sacrament. Just go line up at the doors and receive Holy Communion. 4. The 9 am Mass will continue to be live-streamed daily, and can be seen on our parish app and website (stanm.org). Also, remember the following: We are opening the church building every day at 9:45 am until 6:00 pm. ( On Saturdays, 9:30 am to 5 pm. On Sundays from 2 pm to 6 pm.) We have Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament during these times. We are hearing Confessions Monday through Friday at 9:45 am and 5:00 pm. Saturday confessions will be at 9:45 am and 2:30 pm. Please call the parish office to arrange funerals, marriages and baptisms. We can have up to 250 persons on these occasions. The Requiem Mass can be celebrated at a funeral. Your priests are happy to make sick calls. Every precaution will be taken to protect the health of the sick person and the priest. Just call the parish office. PLEASE SHARE ALL THIS INFORMATION WITH THOSE WHO DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THE INTERNET! Laughing is the best medicine : Where do puppies sleep when they go camping? Answer: in the pup tent What was the snail doing on the highway? Answer: about a mile a day Quotes From the Saints to give peace and encouragement in difficult times.... ”And of what should we be afraid? Our captain on this battlefield is Christ Jesus. We have discovered what we have to do. Christ has bound our enemies for us and weakened them that they cannot overcome us unless we so choose to let them. So we must fight courageously and mark ourselves with the sign of the most Holy Cross.” – St. Catherine of Siena 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 | | |
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