Encouraging the Culture of Encounter with Jesus Christ, His Church, and All People Dear Brother and Sisters in Christ, Do You Feel a Bit Lost? This week I invite everyone to acknowledge who we are as disciples of Christ. In this truth is our surest foundation. At the same time, this does not mean we cannot feel fear or distress or frustration or even a righteous anger. With so much confusion and uncertainty in our world, our church, and, admittedly, even in the parish with a possible Mass schedule change, it is appropriate to feel a certain tension. At times we may feel lost. I feel it too! All the more reason to pray and stay close to Christ, Who is our peace.

Sunday Aug. 23, seven young adults from St. Paul Parish received the Sacrament of Confirmation: Grace Mazzagati, Daniel Rudowicz, Makayla Ulery, Alec Sturgill, Gabriel Vance, Garrison Stone, Thomas Tatum. May God the Holy Spirit continue to dwell in them strengthening them to live holy Catholic lives!

Encouraging the Culture of Encounter with Jesus Christ, His Church, and All People Dear Brother and Sisters in Christ, As I write this I am on retreat with seven other priests, all pastors. We are praying for our parishes and people. Especially in this weird time, it is sad but at the same time comforting to know that others are going through it with us and we with them. So many parishes and other brethren in the faith struggle to discern these times and how to live faithfully. Religious, political, cultural, and economic upheaval breed confusion, discouragement, and even despair. All the more reason to hold fast to Christ. He must be our center - the source, the summit and everything in between.

Encouraging the Culture of Encounter with Jesus Christ, His Church, and All People Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Examining the Sunday Mass Schedule As promised from last week’s column regarding the proposed Sunday Mass schedule change, I offered the opportunity for input from people after the Masses.  Thus far, folks have responded positively. Here is the proposal: 4:30pm Vigil (Ord. Form no music) 7:30am     (Ord. Form no music) 9:00am.   (Extra. Form w/ music) 11:00am.  (Ord. Form w/ music)

Encouraging the Culture of Encounter with Jesus Christ, His Church, and All People Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Examining the Mass Schedule As things stand now with our two weekend Masses, current attendance due to Covid-19 does not risk exceeding our church capacity especially since we have overflow seating in the PAC. However, we hope that as things calm down, more Masses will become necessary with more people returning. While we aim for stability we also need to recognize the “signs of the times” around us, which extend beyond the merely physical into the spiritual. This is the time to examine certain aspects of our Mass schedule and discern a way forward.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Pew Missal Giveaway Due to the Covid-19 Liturgical guidelines from the diocese we are not to offer communal pew missals or hymn books. This is why we have not put out the pew missals the past two months. Since the missals we use are renewed each year, we thought it might be helpful for people to take home the ones we have. After all they are just sitting in a closet. After Masses this and next weekend a member from each household may take home a pew missal and keep it as their own. You can bring it back each week and use it for Mass if you wish. But don’t leave it in the pew, we will end up throwing it away.