From the desk of Fr. Nickolai - August 9, 2020

Following up on something I mentioned last week: I highlighted the Archdiocese’s coronavirus-specific website so that everyone could see where things stand. If you consult that site, you will see that pastors (and administrators) are authorized to allow meetings and other parish functions, provided the needed precautions can be taken (social distancing, masks, sanitizing of surfaces, etc.). We have already begun to do this, slowly and, I hope, cautiously. For one thing, some of our homebound ministers generously offered to begin making visits again. Of course, they’re required to follow certain guidelines established by the diocese for that ministry.

Secondly, we have chosen some dates for our long-delayed garage sale! More information about it is elsewhere in this bulletin.

So I invite you to contact me at the parish office if you are interested in having your group begin to meet again. We’ll have to decide on a case-by-case basis, for now — I can’t yet give a blanket permission simply to put everything back on the calendar that was there in February.

Finally, a word of thanks to the 150 Club. Their drawing (also long-delayed) was held this week in the parish office, and they presented a donation of $2,500 to the parish.

I’m writing this column on the feast day of St. John Vianney, patron saint of parish priests. The priests of our diocese who received new appointments this year — including Fr. Tom and me — are now one week into their new roles. Please pray for your priests.