Dear Clonmelians,

Happy Independence Day! My prayer for each of you this July 4th weekend is to grow personally closer with the Lord so that we may know our goodness and be able to recognize the goodness of others. There is an abundance of divisiveness in our country; in politics, in religion, and in how to respond to COVID-19. We can pray for a deeper sense of community and communion among one another, however without drawing closer to Jesus and recognizing His love for you and for others our efforts of community become skewed by the influences of our world.  

Following the guidance of the governor’s order for wearing masks, I have asked our office staff to wear masks while in the parish office. You are also encouraged to wear masks while in the office and when attending Mass. I recommend wearing masks as a way to participate in the goal of limiting the spread of the virus while also allowing for our economy and culture to continue to operate. While some may find it an inconvenience, others will be more comfortable. It’s a sacrifice I am personally willing to make and I encourage you to prayerfully consider.  

Last Sunday we held our Patriotic Rosary and Concert in the back yard of the rectory (due to wind). 55 people participated in praying for the needs of our country and enjoying the patriotic music provided by Acclaim (our parish brass ensemble) and our parish musicians (Janis Pauly and A.J. Ritter).   

Wednesday evening 3 altar servers were fully installed into their ministry following a time of apprenticeship. Gabe Brunke, Vincent Allmond, and Edward Smith received their blessed surplice and a blessing to strengthen them in their faith and commitment to serving at the Lord’s altar, in the parish community, and in the universal Church. Be sure to congratulate them on their installation.  

Boy who made their first communion a few weeks ago are now eligible and invited (as well as any other young men 3rd grade and up) to join the ranks of our altar servers. If interested please contact the parish office and we will set up a training schedule.  

COVID-19 forced us into adopting several new approaches to attending Mass. We are required to count those attending Mass so as to limit our numbers to 1/3 capacity. This has become a blessing as it is providing us a more accurate number of those attending each Sunday. We plan to continue counting attendance at each Sunday Mass even after the COVID pandemic is over. Many thanks to the ushers who help with this task. These counts will give us accurate numbers for our Annual Report of the parish.  

Fr. Joe