Memo from Msgr. Raun- Tuesday March 30th, 2021
My dear family,
On Palm Sunday we had 1,470 people inside the church for the Masses, plus the people who received Holy Communion outside. This is the biggest attendance we have had since the first quarantine! Your pastor had tears in his eyes seeing all of you at Holy Mass.
As you know, unfortunately, Sandoval County is still a "yellow" county under the State Covid rating system. So we can only have 350 people in the church, and 100 in the Hall, for any given Mass.
I have a gut feeling that this is going to be a mess on Easter Sunday, even with the added Masses in the Hall. So - if you show up on Easter Sunday and the Masses are filled, don't get bent out of shape! Chill out! Be Christian about it! Don't fight with the ushers! It's the most holy day of the year! Just go to your car, hear Mass on your car radio (106.5 FM), and then, at the end of Mass, line up to receive Holy Communion outside. Our Lord knows that you came to Mass. The graces of the Mass are not restricted by a brick wall. You will be able to receive Holy Communion. This is a lot more than we could do at Easter last year. Be thankful and joyful. Christians are not supposed to be grumpy - especially on Easter Sunday.
One other option that I might suggest is that you go to the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday at 8:30 pm. First, let me remind you that not only does this count as an Easter Mass, it is the great and most important Easter Mass. Second, the Easter Vigil will be much, much shorter this year. The deacon will sing the Exsultet, there will be two extra Old Testament readings, and in place of the Creed we will bless and sprinkle the Pascal Holy Water. Otherwise it's straight Mass. That's it. I will try to preach short! I doubt if the whole thing will be more than one hour fifteen minutes. And you will stand a much better chance of getting into the church.
REMEMBER: GOOD FRIDAY is a day of fasting and abstinence from eating meat.
EASTER GOODIE BAG GIVE-AWAY: The parish will be hosting an Easter Vigil family drive by giveaway. We will be set up near Fr. D’ Arco hall. Families are invited to come by and receive an Easter gift pack for the kids with a family craft project and Easter goodies for the children. The give away will be from 5:00 pm to 7:30 pm on Holy Saturday the 3rd of April.
EASTER BASKET BLESSING: We encourage the kids (and anyone else) to bring their Easter Baskets to Easter Mass to be blessed. This year we won't be calling them up to the altar, but the baskets will be blessed! This is a nice way to connect in the kid's mind the candy and Easter Bunny with the Resurrection.
DIVINE MERCY NOVENA: The Novena begins this week on Good Friday. With everything so complicated this year, we have decided that, for this year, we will not have a public Novena, but instead ask everyone to pray it privately. Next year! I love the Divine Mercy devotion, and encourage everyone to pray it.
ALPHA IS COMING ! Our next Alpha course will start on 13 April 2021. Alpha classes are a very informal setting in which to look at the Christian Faith, without fear, judgment, or pressure. If you have ever wondered about Jesus, or where you are going in your life, or how can you share the wonderful gift of your faith, then this course is for you. Please come and join us. You can register at the St. Thomas Aquinas web site. (stanm.org)
MANY THANKS to all the people who tuned in to our Lenten 40 Days of Love Bible study. I so enjoyed teaching it. Special congrats to those who joined a small group. Give me a few weeks break, and I'll be back with some more Bible studies.
SPEAKING ABOUT BREAKS, there will be no memo next week. Your pastor is flying out of the the coop for a few days.
HOLY WEEK :
ALL HOLY WEEK LITURGIES WILL BE LIVE STREAMED ON THE PARISH WEBSITE:
STANM.ORG
March 29-31 : Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of Holy Week
Normal weekday schedule of Confessions and Masses.
Extra Lenten Confessions at 7 pm
April 1 - Holy Thursday
Mass of the Lord's Supper at 7 pm
Confessions after Mass
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament until Midnight
April 2 - Good Friday
Liturgy of the Lord's Passion at 12 noon
Confessions after the Liturgy
Living Stations of the Cross at 7 pm
April 3 - Holy Saturday
Confessions at 9 am
Easter Vigil Mass at 8:30 pm
April 4 - Easter Sunday
Holy Mass at
7 am
9 am
9:30 am in the Hall
11 am
11:30 am in the Hall
1 pm
No 6 pm Mass
All of the Holy Week services will be much shorter this year. We will be omitting the optional things like the washing of the feet, the kissing of the Cross, the baptisms, and so forth. Next year!
PLEASE SHARE ALL THIS INFORMATION WITH THOSE WHO DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THE INTERNET!
QUOTES FROM THE SAINTS to give you peace, hope, and strength...
“In the evening of life, we will be judged on love alone.”-St. John of the Cross
A BLESSED AND JOYFUL EASTER TO EVERYONE!
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
On Palm Sunday we had 1,470 people inside the church for the Masses, plus the people who received Holy Communion outside. This is the biggest attendance we have had since the first quarantine! Your pastor had tears in his eyes seeing all of you at Holy Mass.
As you know, unfortunately, Sandoval County is still a "yellow" county under the State Covid rating system. So we can only have 350 people in the church, and 100 in the Hall, for any given Mass.
I have a gut feeling that this is going to be a mess on Easter Sunday, even with the added Masses in the Hall. So - if you show up on Easter Sunday and the Masses are filled, don't get bent out of shape! Chill out! Be Christian about it! Don't fight with the ushers! It's the most holy day of the year! Just go to your car, hear Mass on your car radio (106.5 FM), and then, at the end of Mass, line up to receive Holy Communion outside. Our Lord knows that you came to Mass. The graces of the Mass are not restricted by a brick wall. You will be able to receive Holy Communion. This is a lot more than we could do at Easter last year. Be thankful and joyful. Christians are not supposed to be grumpy - especially on Easter Sunday.
One other option that I might suggest is that you go to the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday at 8:30 pm. First, let me remind you that not only does this count as an Easter Mass, it is the great and most important Easter Mass. Second, the Easter Vigil will be much, much shorter this year. The deacon will sing the Exsultet, there will be two extra Old Testament readings, and in place of the Creed we will bless and sprinkle the Pascal Holy Water. Otherwise it's straight Mass. That's it. I will try to preach short! I doubt if the whole thing will be more than one hour fifteen minutes. And you will stand a much better chance of getting into the church.
REMEMBER: GOOD FRIDAY is a day of fasting and abstinence from eating meat.
EASTER GOODIE BAG GIVE-AWAY: The parish will be hosting an Easter Vigil family drive by giveaway. We will be set up near Fr. D’ Arco hall. Families are invited to come by and receive an Easter gift pack for the kids with a family craft project and Easter goodies for the children. The give away will be from 5:00 pm to 7:30 pm on Holy Saturday the 3rd of April.
EASTER BASKET BLESSING: We encourage the kids (and anyone else) to bring their Easter Baskets to Easter Mass to be blessed. This year we won't be calling them up to the altar, but the baskets will be blessed! This is a nice way to connect in the kid's mind the candy and Easter Bunny with the Resurrection.
DIVINE MERCY NOVENA: The Novena begins this week on Good Friday. With everything so complicated this year, we have decided that, for this year, we will not have a public Novena, but instead ask everyone to pray it privately. Next year! I love the Divine Mercy devotion, and encourage everyone to pray it.
ALPHA IS COMING ! Our next Alpha course will start on 13 April 2021. Alpha classes are a very informal setting in which to look at the Christian Faith, without fear, judgment, or pressure. If you have ever wondered about Jesus, or where you are going in your life, or how can you share the wonderful gift of your faith, then this course is for you. Please come and join us. You can register at the St. Thomas Aquinas web site. (stanm.org)
MANY THANKS to all the people who tuned in to our Lenten 40 Days of Love Bible study. I so enjoyed teaching it. Special congrats to those who joined a small group. Give me a few weeks break, and I'll be back with some more Bible studies.
SPEAKING ABOUT BREAKS, there will be no memo next week. Your pastor is flying out of the the coop for a few days.
HOLY WEEK :
ALL HOLY WEEK LITURGIES WILL BE LIVE STREAMED ON THE PARISH WEBSITE:
STANM.ORG
March 29-31 : Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of Holy Week
Normal weekday schedule of Confessions and Masses.
Extra Lenten Confessions at 7 pm
April 1 - Holy Thursday
Mass of the Lord's Supper at 7 pm
Confessions after Mass
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament until Midnight
April 2 - Good Friday
Liturgy of the Lord's Passion at 12 noon
Confessions after the Liturgy
Living Stations of the Cross at 7 pm
April 3 - Holy Saturday
Confessions at 9 am
Easter Vigil Mass at 8:30 pm
April 4 - Easter Sunday
Holy Mass at
7 am
9 am
9:30 am in the Hall
11 am
11:30 am in the Hall
1 pm
No 6 pm Mass
All of the Holy Week services will be much shorter this year. We will be omitting the optional things like the washing of the feet, the kissing of the Cross, the baptisms, and so forth. Next year!
PLEASE SHARE ALL THIS INFORMATION WITH THOSE WHO DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THE INTERNET!
QUOTES FROM THE SAINTS to give you peace, hope, and strength...
“In the evening of life, we will be judged on love alone.”-St. John of the Cross
A BLESSED AND JOYFUL EASTER TO EVERYONE!
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
1 Comment
Thank you Msg Raum for your wise shepherding us through this past historical year. I listen to mass in the parking lot and always felt the Holy Spirt working through your faithfulness. Praying for you. Hallelujah He has Risen!!