Fr. Pfeiffer's Weekly Message--Culture of Encounter
October9,2020
Encouraging the Culture of Encounter with Jesus Christ, His Church, and All People
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
What about an Anointing Mass? Customarily around this time of year we schedule an opportunity for parishioners to receive the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick on the weekend at or in between the Masses. Due to covid circumstances we cannot celebrate the Sacrament of the Anointing in our customary way. However, this does not mean one cannot receive the sacrament. It just means we cannot do it communally. Throughout this whole covid time, I am still able to anoint people. Please feel free to call the rectory and we can schedule a time for me to come visit you to pray and celebrate this sacrament. We will take proper precautions, of course, but there is no need to miss the graces of this sacrament if you desire it. A reminder regarding who is able to receive the Anointing: 1) a person needs to be of the age of reason who is actively dying or coming close to death; 2) a person who suffers “under the burden of years” and desires the consolation of God’s healing gifts; 3) one who suffers from debilitating physical or in some cases even mental or emotional sickness. If you have questions or want to schedule a time, please call the rectory.
Holy Hour for Vocations Please join us for a Holy Hour of Prayer for Vocations on Priesthood Sunday, October 25 at 6pm. We want to thank God for the gift of the priesthood in His Church as well as pray that the master send more laborers into the harvest. The Church needs not just more but holy priests, those already ordained and those yet to be. As Catholics we believe prayer is efficacious, so please join in this special opportunity prayer.
Prayer for the Upcoming Election We will be praying for our country as we prepare for the November elections. In addition I will be posting good resources on our website to help Catholics form their consciences well. I will also preach specifically on how our Church calls us to approach our responsibilities as American citizens as well as citizens of God’s Kingdom. Check our website for more information.
Please Be Mindful of Distancing after Masses I know it is difficult because as Christians we want to foster fellowship, which means connecting, talking, and being physically close to others. Well .... we still must strive to follow the guidelines from the Diocese while we are in the church building. Especially after the 8:15 and 9:30 Masses, since there will be increased traffic of people coming and going. Furthermore there are people who want to remain in (or come early to) the church to pray. Because of covid, we must keep our narthex doors open, so when people stick around talking, even in the narthex, the sound will disturb those in the church. Thankfully we have a large narthex, which I realize was designed in order to facilitate fellowship and gathering, yet for now I must insist that if people are not praying after Mass in the church itself, then you need to leave. “You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here!” However people can gather appropriately outside the building if they wish to continue talking. There’s understandable resistance, but we need to keep social distance! Sincerely in Christ, Fr. Pfr