For the week of Sunday, September 19, 2021
At our recent staff meeting, which happened to be the first day of work for Laurie Youngers, our new Director of Worship and Music, each staff member introduced themselves and their position. To add a little fun, we asked each staff person to name their least favorite hymns. I won’t betray any confidences on that, but I’ll share that one of mine was “Whatsoever You Do.” It takes me back to my post-Vatican II childhood when it seems we sang that song every other week at our school Mass and I grew weary of it.
Fast forward to this past Sunday and Laurie’s first weekend playing at weekend liturgies and what song did we sing? “Whatsoever You Do!” To be fair, the music for the Mass had been planned before Laurie’s arrival, so she had nothing to do with the selection. I had to smile as I listened to the song because isn’t it just like God to challenge me in my musical Achilles heel and make me ponder the words?
The Pax Christi Executive Board met recently to consider the challenges that we’re experiencing. Some of our parishioners are anxious to socialize with one another again. Some of our parishioners are fearful of coming to Mass without masking and distancing. Our children cannot yet be vaccinated and the Delta variant remains a very real challenge to those who are immune-compromised. In the general population, decisions about COVID safety have largely become a matter of personal responsibility and choice.
The problem is that it’s one thing when personal choice means not going to restaurants or theatres or large venue events. It’s another thing when personal choice means not going to Mass. Sharing the Eucharist together is fundamental to our faith as Catholics and is a very real sign of Christ’s presence among us. We want as many people as possible to join in the sacrament, which means that we will continue our goal of striving to create a safe environment for the most vulnerable among us; at least until such time as it seems the variant is waning.
As you heard Fr. Mike say at Mass this past weekend, we are going to “double down” on encouraging masking for the time being. Case rates and transmission rates are high, hospitals are full, and even those who have been vaccinated can become infected and be carriers of the virus. Indeed, among our own parishioners, we know that some have quarantined with a breakthrough case of COVID. For the time being, we’re also going to hold off on returning to Sunday hospitality or sharing food while inside on-site.
We know that this decision is frustrating for some. We’re asking you to bear with the inconvenience of masking for an hour at Mass out of love for your fellow parishioners. As I remembered when I was pondering one of my least-favorite hymns, it was Jesus himself who said, “…just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.”
Carol Bishop
Parish Director
WELCOME RECEPTION FOR LAURIE YOUNGERS
Please join us in welcoming Laurie Youngers as our new Director of Worship and Music! We will be hosting muffins and cupcakes on the plaza outside our main entrance after all Masses this coming weekend, September 18-19. Stop by and give Laurie a warm welcome! (And if you are at the 5:00 Saturday Mass, you can also wish a happy birthday to Fr. Mike!)