Memo from Msgr. Raun- Monday December 12th, 2020
| My dear family, A blessed Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe to you all! UPDATE ON FATHER YOUNG: I am happy to share with you some guardedly optimistic good news. It looks as if Father has passed the immediate crises of a heart attack he had while he was in the hospital. He is awake and more-or-less coherent. Father is suffering from a form of bone cancer. There are chemotherapy treatments that can contain (but not cure) this cancer. Father has begun these treatments and the doctors are hopeful that he will respond well to them. Father is still very sick and weak at this time, and could easily suffer from infections. Even I have been told that for the time being, now that Father has received the Sacraments, it is best that I stay away. With two broken arms, it is hard for him to answer the phone. So, for the next week or two at least, Father can have absolutely no visitors and I would hold off on the phone calls. My guess is that in the next few days Father will be transferred to some sort of skilled nursing/rehab facility, and we shall see where things go from there. I have told Father about how so many of you are praying for him. He thanks you and asks you to keep the prayers up! THE CHRISTMAS NOVENA starts this Wednesday, December 16th. We will pray the Novena at all the Masses for these nine days of prayerful preparation for Christmas. I will also include the Novena Prayer in next week's memo, so that you can print it and pray it at home. In addition to the normal confession times, each night of the Novena (Dec. 16-23), there will be priests in the church hearing confessions at 6:30 pm. Make your Christmas confession early! "NIGHT IN BETHLEHEM" COVID-STYLE : In view of the COVID -19 limitations St. Thomas Aquinas will be hosting a "drive by" living display of the Town of Bethlehem. It will be held on Saturday, December 19th, from 4 pm to 7 pm, in the parish parking lot near the parish hall. The town will have the Stable, and few shops form Bethlehem. You will be able to drive by slowly and see the stable where Our Lord Jesus was born, and the children will receive a gift bag as the family leaves the area. I do hope you are able to join us for this event. The children love it. It's nice to take the kids to go see Santa, but it is wonderful to take them to go see Baby Jesus! "THE PURPOSE OF CHRISTMAS" SMALL GROUPS are off to a great start! It's not too late to sign up for the final two Bible-studies. Just go to the parish website (stanm.org) and click on "The Purpose of Christmas" tab. LOOKING AHEAD TO CHRISTMAS: Friends, this will be the Christmas Mass schedule this year: Dec. 24, Christmas Eve : 4 pm, 6 pm, 8 pm Dec. 25, Christmas Day : 9 am, 11 am, 1 pm The Christmas Eve 4 pm Mass and the Christmas Day 9 am Mass will be live-streamed on our website (stanm.org). If you are not able to come to church this year, we suggest that you gather as a family and watch the Christmas Eve or Christmas Day Mass. All Christmas Masses will be broadcast on our FM transmitter (106.5 FM) that can he heard anywhere in our parking lot. Holy Communion will be distributed outside the church doors after all the Christmas Masses. (If you are concerned about being inside the church and around other people because of the virus, hearing Mass in your car and receiving Communion outside is an excellent option!) We can have 250 people inside the church for each Mass. It will be "first-come, first-served". Once we reach that number, other people will be invited to hear Mass in their car and receive Holy Communion at the end of Mass. A word to the wise: we all know how the Christmas Eve 4 pm Mass is very well attended. So if you want a better chance of getting into the church, plan on attending one of the other Masses! (One note: no Midnight Mass this year. This will be the first time in my 38 years of priesthood that I have not celebrated Midnight Mass. The staff and pastoral council discussed this a long time and we decided that with many people not wanting to be out late because of the virus, with no choir and orchestra, and with the difficulties in getting younger volunteers, it was best to cancel it for this year. This makes me sad! But I do believe it is for the best. God willing, we will have a magnificent Midnight Mass next year!) HAVE YOU PUT OUT YOUR YARD SIGN? If you need one, we have them at the doors of the church. 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. 3. 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 : Some funny play on words... A perfectionist walked into a bar. Apparently it wasn't set high enough. Man injured in bizarre peek- a - boo accident. He's in I.C.U. Went to this horrible bar called The Fiddle. It really was a vile inn. Quotes From the Saints to give peace and encouragement in difficult times.... “Lord, help me to live this day, quietly, easily. To lean upon Thy great strength, trustfully, restfully. To wait for the unfolding of Thy will, patiently, serenely. To meet others, peacefully, joyously. To face tomorrow, confidently, courageously.” – St. Francis of Assisi 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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Posted in Daily Memo from Msgr. Raun
1 Comment
Thank You Msgr. Raun for information. I Appreciate your Blessing.