We gained 15 people inside our church this past weekend

4 PM        241          2

6 PM        120          0

8 AM        108          0

10 AM      201          0

12 PM      221          2

     The picture above is from the National Archives.  Ladies at work wore masks during the 1918 flu pandemic.

     Are we still in the COVID-19 pandemic?  I don't presume to answer that question here.  Rather, let's consider how we can better connect people with Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament.

     Many people have returned to attending Sunday Mass.  Some come to daily Mass.

     We have a growing number of people joining us for our holy hour on Fridays at 3 PM.  Adoring Jesus is a wonderful way to be closer to Him.

     For those not yet back inside our church for Sunday Mass, let's consider the possibilities.

     Some people are in high risk categories and fear catching a virus.  This is probably a legitimate excuse.  However, what can we do to make it more possible for you to attend Sunday Mass?  Check with your doctor to determine your risk level.  Then strategize about how you can get closer to Jesus.

     Try visiting Jesus in the church when practically no one else is present like a Tuesday or Thursday afternoon.  Then you could try a daily Mass with only about 30 to 40 people present in a space that could fit 450.  For Sunday Mass, I recommend the 8 AM or 6 PM Masses which are the lightest attended.  This is why I give you the Mass attendance numbers each week.  For Sunday Mass, we open up the church hall which increases the space available.  We could fit as many as 850 people in the church and hall.

     If you're not quite ready to enter the church, you could listen to Mass in your car (via the outside speakers) and receive Holy Communion by the entrance between the church and rectory.  I recommend this only as a stepping stone to getting back inside our church for Mass.

     We still have five Sunday Masses even though we could easily fit everyone in three Sunday Masses.  We'll continue with five Sunday Masses so that people can spread out.  The biggest con is that we're less likely to get the churchy feel of a large congregation all praising the Lord.

     Being lazy is not a good reason to skip Sunday Mass.  Bishop O'Connell reinstated the obligation to attend Sunday Mass and Holy Days of Obligation back in May 2021.  It's still a mortal sin to miss Mass without a good reason.  Being sick, even a little bit sick, is a very good reason.  Taking care of a sick person is usually a good reason.  Three feet of snow preventing you from getting to Mass is a good reason.  Going on a cruise is not a good reason in my opinion.  When we go on vacation, we should make plans about how we'll get to Sunday Mass.

     God does not oblige us to do what is impossible or even extremely difficult.  For the vast majority of Catholics in our area, it's fairly easy to attend Sunday Mass.

     If you're not in a state of grace, still attend Sunday Mass.  However, make a good confession before receiving Holy Communion.  I'm in the confessional room by the main entrance to the church on Mondays from 2-4 PM and 6-7 PM, during the Friday holy hour at 3 PM, and on Saturdays from 3 to 3:45 PM.

     Before the pandemic, we were bringing Holy Communion to 100 parishioners who were homebound and numerous Catholics in our nursing homes.  Currently, we are bringing Holy Communion to a few people in their homes.  And I'm celebrating Mass once a month in three places:  Aristacare Manchester and the Haven and Arbors at Silverwoods.

     We would like to connect more residents in the three facilities with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.  Joe Pittarelli will call the activities directors to see if they're ready for us to bring Holy Communion to residents.  If so, we'll need volunteers to do this.

     We would also like to bring Holy Communion to more of the homebound.  If you are homebound and would like to receive Holy Communion, call the office and talk with Joe.  I invite extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion and those who would like to be EMHCs to call Joe and volunteer to bring Holy Communion to the homebound.

     We will continue to livestream Masses because we have so many homebound parishioners.  Watching Mass on TV doesn't fulfill our Sunday obligation to attend Mass, but it's something good to do if we're unable to get to Mass.  You can connect to our Youtube channel by visiting:

God love you,

Fr. Jim