I pray that you and your loved ones are healthy and have the resources you need amidst the current restrictions.  We know these measures are designed to protect our wellbeing and that of our broader community and world.

For many of us, particularly when we're now told to stay home for weeks at a time, our initial reaction is to gather all we can and hunker down to weather the storm.  As a Christian family of faith, this is also a time - perhaps the most important time - to consider our need for spiritual unity and the needs of our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Though our family of families in our parishes may be physically separated from one another right now, we are blessed with ways we can unite in prayer.  I encourage you to consider any number of the following:

1.  The Bishop has suspended the public celebration of Mass through Easter Sunday at this time.  We will continue to post the Sunday Mass to the parish website and to our Facebook pages.  Mass can be viewed on Sunday morning on Channel 11 KPLR at 8:30am.

2.  For prayer groups - consider a video conference utilizing ZOOM or another platform.

3.  Unfortunately at this time, the new guidelines have suspended Adoration and have directed us to close the Church to the public and keep the doors locked until further notice. This is in response to the Shelter at Home order from the Governor's Office that took effect Saturday 21 March 2020.

4.  Consider joining the Holy Father in prayer by praying the Our Father at 12 noon and/or praying the Rosary at 9pm.

5.  Consider taking some time while at home to log into FORMED (www.stjosephfreeburg.formed.org) There are many faith formation resources (video, audio, etc) and some resources for kids (Brother Francis series).  This is free to both of our parishes.

These are challenging times to say the least, but we are all in this together and the Lord is at our side through all of this.  I have been spending extra time in prayer (praying for those affected by the COVID 19 virus, praying for those first responders on the front lines in all of our communities, and praying for our parish families).  I would ask you to take extra time for prayer and reflection...call people who you miss seeing and talk with them....check on neighbors to make certain they have all they need.  We are in this together and together we can get through this.

The parish is continuing to operate.  We are paying staff members and maintaining the facilities and paying utilities and vendors.  I know that these are difficult time but if we can all try to maintain our current level of giving to the parish so that we can make it through.  If you are not currently part of on line giving (Faith Direct for St. Joseph and OSV for St Agatha) please re-consider signing up.  Otherwise you can mail your contribution to the respective parish office.

The full document from the Bishop's office can be found on the parish webpage under the resources tab.  If you need to get a hold of me - you can email or call 618-539-3209, 618-475-7125, or 618-539-3743.  If I do not answer, please leave a message.  The message will then be sent to my cellphone.

Let us pray for one another.

Fr. Mark