Welcome back to Mass!
April 15, 2021
Dear Friends,
We have had some beautiful days lately. On Tuesdays, my day off, and Sundays when I have the time, I like to go to Valley Forge to take a walk. At this time of year, it's lovely to see trees in blossom and in bud. It reaffirms for me the meaning of Easter - the new life, Resurrection life. Seeing those brilliant light green buds and baby leaves gives me such a sense of hope!
Another thing that gives me a sense of hope is the progress being made with vaccines. Millions of people have received at least their first dose of the vaccinations. Today, I celebrate the one-month anniversary of having received my second Moderna shot.
It has been wonderful seeing more people at Mass lately, especially at Easter. There were people there I had not seen in over a year! I invite as many of you as feel comfortable to come and join us at Mass on Saturday evenings at 5:00 PM or on Sunday mornings to worship the Lord together. I imagine that as more and more people receive their vaccinations, more and more will feel comfortable to come and join us. Welcome!
We are still careful. We are still wearing masks. We are still encouraging people to distance themselves appropriately from other parishioners.
As you know, just before Palm Sunday, we changed the configuration of the pews from seating in every third pew to seating in every other pew. Starting this weekend, we remove the white tapes in the middle of each pew. This will make things a little bit easier at Communion time. People sitting the length of pew will be able to exit the pew by the middle aisle, process up to the front to receive Holy Communion, and then proceed to the outside aisles of the church and then back to their pew, without having to go all the way to the back of the church.
I hope that doesn't sound confusing. We will explain it again at the beginning of Mass, and our ushers and greeters will guide you at Communion time. You'll see that it's very simple.
We are happy to have Father David Cregan with us again this weekend. Father David will preside and preach at the 11:15 Mass on Sunday morning.
Don't forget our annual Parish-wide Meeting. It will be at 1:30 PM on Sunday, April 25. This year as last year, we will conduct the meeting on Zoom. I will send you the meeting access information next week.
Also on Sunday, April 25, we will have our first outdoor Mass of the season at 5:00 PM on the green lawn just outside of the Social Center. Please bring blankets or lawn chairs. Please pray for good weather! We plan to have one outdoor Mass per month until the fall.
Christ's peace,
Friar Liam
Augustinian Annual Appeal
Augustinian friars have served OMGC since its founding in 1885.
The Province of Saint Thomas of Villanova will conduct its first Augustinian Appeal in support of the friars’ way of life and ministries in our parish during April. This general appeal will replace the Augustinian Foreign Mission Appeal. Besides supporting our foreign missions and young friars in formation, the Appeal also raises money to support retired Augustinians,
like Fr. Jim Martinez, who was pastor here for 31 years.
like Fr. Jim Martinez, who was pastor here for 31 years.
We are grateful to those parishioners who already support the friars' mission and way of life, and we count on your continued assistance. As a community founded to engage in the work of evangelization, we go where we are most needed, vowed to poverty, to share our spiritual and material goods. As mendicants, we rely on the charity of those we serve to help us sustain our way of life beyond what we can earn ourselves. This Appeal helps us provide for our brothers who cannot work because of age or health, and those who are students information preparing for ministry.
Father Liam will introduce the Augustinian Annual Appeal in two weeks on April 24-25, 2021, followed by a direct mail appeal.
Donations will also be accepted online at: www.augustinianfund.org/parish-appeal. Gifts of any amount are welcome and will make a difference in the friars' lives and those they serve.
If you'd like to, you can make your gift in honor of Fr. Jim! (click on “Tribute Gift”)
Confirmation Class Reminder:
All Confirmation Candidates are to meet in the Social Center of the school building, wearing Masks, on Sunday, April 25 at 4 PM. This includes Catholic School students as well. We will work together on a Service Project and attend the 5 PM outdoor Mass. If you have any questions please contact Karen at kcarey@omgcparish.net or 610-864-8538
IHN HOSTING
Our Mother of Good Counsel is on the schedule to host our IHN guests the week of May 2-9. Since we are still not hosting in person, we are looking for people to help in various other ways. We still like to provide for both the families that are quarantining in the Day Center as well as those in the Graduate Program. The Graduate Program follows those who have moved into housing and have gotten jobs and have begun to get on their feet again. However, with COVID - some of them have lost jobs and are struggling to make ends meet.
Ways in which you can help for this week:
~Donate Money to help cover rent costs
~Donate Gift cards for grocery stores
~Donate food including meats and fresh produce
~Make a meal (usually a casserole will do) and freeze it.
We will collect any of these items beginning this Sunday, April 18 through Friday, April 23. Please feel free to bring them to church with you and leave them in the vestibule of church, or drop them off at the Parish Office during the week. We thank you for all your continued support of this incredible ministry.
If you have any questions, please contact Karen or Joe Carey
Roof Memorial Plaque
Two and a half years ago, when we began raising money to repair our church roof, we offered the option to donate in memory of a deceased loved one. Many of you took that option when you made your donation. In February of 2020, when we celebrated our Roof Gala, we unveiled the plaque listing those names. We found out right away that we had missed at least one of those names. The plaque now hangs in the church vestibule, near the door to the Sunday sacristy.
Please look at the photograph below. If we missed the name of one of your loved ones that you requested, please notify Michelle in the office. We will make sure that that your loved one’s name is included when we redo this plaque.
Our thanks to all who so generously support our parish even during this time of quarantine.