From the Pastor's Pen - March 29, 2020
Dear Friends,
We are thinking about you. This shutdown of things is hard on each of you, in different ways. We care about that. Father Nickolai and I are doing fine. We are enjoying meals together and working in the office as normal. We are doing private Masses for the people as the Archbishop has told us to do.
WE MISS YOU!! I miss seeing you at church or greeting you and talking about the homily and your families. The Adoration Chapel closed last week, even before Masses had been cancelled, because Millie told Deacon Denny that too many people were already dropping out to stay at home. The chapel hours were not covered, Millie was trying but couldn’t do it herself.. St Catherine Apartments restricted us from coming to have Mass with the residents last week as we’d planned to.
Church is open, and is allowed to be open under the Stay at Home order ( III E7.) It’s open from 9-10am and 5-6pm Monday - Friday and 4-5pm on Saturdays including the Sacrament of Reconciliation at that time. We have not had many visitors, so please take advantage of praying in church if you'd like it to be open. But 10 people at most, as the order says.
I’ve heard it said that we could go ahead and gather at Masses, and God would protect us. That’s called“magical thinking”, not faith, and it’s not how God works. God expects us to take precautions that we are directed to do. God always expects us to take our medicine, follow the Doctor's advice and care for ourselves and others. And if we were to go ahead and gather like we’re Supermen and Superwomen, invincible, then we’d go out from there into stores, gas stations and pharmacies, looking like we have no regard for the rest of society. It would be a scandal on the reputation of the Catholic Church. So as the Archbishop knows, we are to follow the orders that come from civil authorities, for the public good (not just our good).
Without the opportunity of Mass these days, use all of your spiritual resources. Go to our website for many Spiritual Resources: www.strpdparish.org. Make a Spiritual Communion; view a Word On Fire video. As you know, the Easter Triduum Services of Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday are cancelled for attendance. We will hold them in private, and I hope you’ll be able click in and view them a short time after they’re done. Keep on (or get on) Flocknotes and MyParish App for instructions.
-Fr. Tom
“Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.” ~ John 11:25-26
Sunday's readings can be found online at
The Cathedral will LiveStream Mass with Archbishop Robert Carlson
Sunday, March 29th at 10AM
Click here to join: http://cathedralstl.org/live/
Bookmark this link, the Cathedral is also Livestreaming Daily Mass and Devotions to help the faithful stay connected in worship during this time of social distancing to prevent the spread of Coronavirus/COVID-19.
Other options for livestream Masses can be found at www.archstl.org/coronavirus
