Dear parishioners,
The bulletin for Sunday, September 13th, is attached below.
Please share this information with any parishioners who are not on Flocknote, especially our older parishioners.
As a reminder, we continue to live stream Mass on our Facebook page on Sundays at 10:30 AM for our homebound parishioners and those who are considered more susceptible to COVID-19.
Religious Education Begins Next Week!
Religious Education classes are beginning next week. There is still time to register! Registration for the 2020-2021 Religious Education Program is online.
- Returning Families: You should have received an email and directions from Parish Giving with all information saved from last year. If you did not receive an email, please check your spam or junk folder. The email that you receive from Parish Giving will give you special access to your private family portal, as well as a unique password to register your children. Payment will also be done at the time of registration. If you have questions please contact Parish Giving at 866-307-7140, Monday – Friday, 8:30 am-4:30 pm.
- New Families: Click here to begin the registration process. Once you enter your family information, we will submit it to Parish Giving who will then send you a special link to your family portal.
If you have any questions, please email Maria Crisafi at religioused@stmolph.com
Father Henry Available to Chat
Each change of season brings new stress with COVID. The stress affects everyone, one way or another. If you would like to stop by the rectory just to chat, Fr. Henry is available to listen. It wouldn’t be therapy or counseling, just a simple conversation. It would be best to set up an appointment to make sure he will be there when you arrive.
2020 Holy Land Collection This Weekend
Each year on Good Friday, Catholics around the world hold the traditional Pontifical Good Friday Collection for the Holy Land. This collection was supposed to have been taken up at the Liturgy of the Lord’s Passion on Friday, April 10. But, as you know, the COVID-19 pandemic precluded the normal community celebration of Holy Week, not only in our archdiocese, but in churches worldwide. Pope Francis has approved the proposal that, for this year, 2020, this collection take place on the weekend of Sept. 13, near the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.
The Christian communities in the Holy Land, exposed to COVID themselves and already dealing with situations of serious suffering, are the beneficiaries of this collection. The funds help them continue their evangelical presence in the Holy Land and assist them, especially the weakest and poorest, with healthcare, education, and peaceful coexistence. The collection also helps maintain the shrines of the Holy Land. The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross is Sept. 14. It commemorates the discovery of the Relics of the Cross by St. Helena in 320 AD.
Please be generous and make this collection a sign of hope and salvation and a witness to our solidarity with those who continue to live the Gospel of Jesus in the Land where “it all began.”
Update on Faith Forward Re-Opening
The Archdiocese has permitted churches to progress to the next phase of the "Faith Forward" campaign. Capacity in the churches has been increased to 33%. That corresponds to a capacity of 133 individuals in St. Matthew Church and 66 individuals in OLPH Church.
For those attending Mass this weekend: all precautions must be taken (wearing of masks, maintaining a six-foot distance, no physical contact except for communion, frequent washing of hands and sanitizing surfaces).
We will have greeters at the doorways of each church counting the number of individuals arriving for Mass. Please note that we are prepared to set up a live stream of the Mass in the basement of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church for any overflow crowd. Greeters will direct you downstairs if this becomes necessary.
Entry at St. Matthew Church will be through the main doors on Warburton Avenue only. Exit at St. Matthew Church will be through the side door on Villard Avenue only. At Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, entry and exit will remain through the main doors at the back of the church; those in the overflow area in the basement will exit through the basement doors.
Please note that a dispensation from Sunday Obligation is still in effect for those who are not comfortable returning at this time.
Entry at St. Matthew Church will be through the main doors on Warburton Avenue only. Exit at St. Matthew Church will be through the side door on Villard Avenue only. At Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, entry and exit will remain through the main doors at the back of the church; those in the overflow area in the basement will exit through the basement doors.
Please note that a dispensation from Sunday Obligation is still in effect for those who are not comfortable returning at this time.