Dear Parishioners of St. Joseph and Corpus Christi:

By this time, you have probably seen the news from the Diocese of Jackson. Here's some important information to know:

1. Public Mass and church gatherings suspended -- You can see the statement attached below. They will reevaluate at the end of the month. 

2. Confession -- As you can see, confessions are now by appointment. Feel free to email me to make that appointment: frjason@stjosephstarkville.org.

3. RCIA -- We will wait to hear further guidance from the diocese on the celebration of the Sacraments of Initiation. In a college/university setting, there are many different individual situations and we plan on assisting all of our candidates and catechumens as they make this very important step in their lives.

4. Parish Office -- We will remain open for the time being, but we are taking a few measures to self-quarantine and stay healthy. We are asked to encourage business by phone or email during this period of time.

5. Check on your neighbor --  *Important* -- It would be good to reach out and call your friends, family, and neighbors during these times of quarantine every day and make sure everyone is doing well. We might even watch out for those who might need it a little more. Along with the spread of the virus, loneliness, depression, and anxiety will probably be on the rise as well. 

6. Masses going forward -- We are going to look into the possibility of streaming Masses from St. Joseph. We'll keep you informed. In the meantime, you can find Masses streamed at ewtn.org and Catholictv.org. Many priests and bishops will be using platforms online to stream their private Masses.

7. Online Giving -- We will not be having Mass this Sunday and the next and very few were at Mass this past Sunday. Our collections will take a hit, just like a lot of businesses are taking a hit right now. Consider making an online offering through our online giving platform: https://osvonlinegiving.com/592

8. Keep the Sabbath Holy -- Though we won't have Mass and are therefore effectively dispensed from the obligation to attend -- we still have the command to keep the Lord's Day holy. There are many ways we can do that. Our parish uses Formed.org and right now Magnificat has granted free access to their online resources: https://maginificat.net/free. The USCCB, Bishop Barron, and Fr. Burke Masters all offer reflections daily. Bishop Kopacz encouraged the growth of the family as domestic church in his letter. It would probably be good to read the readings of Sunday Mass and discuss them as a family. You can find them here: http://usccb.org/bible/readings/index.cfm

Since it's St. Patrick's feast day, I think the final part of the Breastplate of St. Patrick is appropriate as we ask for God's protection and His continued presence in our lives as we weather this storm:

Christ, protect me today
Against every poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against death-wound,
That I may receive abundant reward.
Christ with me, Christ before me,
Christ behind me, Christ within me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ at my right, Christ at my left,
Christ in the fort,
Christ in the chariot seat,
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks to me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.
I bind to myself today
The strong virtue of an invocation of the Trinity,
I believe the Trinity in the Unity
The Creator of the Universe.

Amen.

Hang on to hope and keep the faith!

Peace,

Fr. Jason