Dear Parishioners,
This weekend we celebrate the Sixth Sunday of Easter. At this time of year when flowers are bloom- ing and daylight is lengthening and nature is full of life, it feels as though God’s creation has been reborn. During the Easter Season we recall that we ourselves have been reborn in Baptism. Next week’s Gospel, again taken from the Last Supper, reminds us that Jesus dwells within us. Not only that, the Holy Spirit is with us, too. Therefore, when we look around, we can see the full flowering of the divine in ourselves, in each other, and in the whole world. Truly, “let all the earth cry out to God with joy,” taken from Psalm 66, our Responsorial Psalm next weekend.
The Ascension of the Lord is celebrated on Sunday, May 24 in this part of the United States. So, this coming Thursday, May 21 is NOT a Holyday of Obligation (although everyone is still dispensed from attending Mass anyhow!). Just a “head’s up.”
With that in mind, next weekend we will celebrate the Ascension of the Lord. This feast recalls Jesus’s Ascension to His Father in heaven. Before He left he promised His disciples that He would be with them always. Indeed, the Lord is with us when we gather in his name as we listen to the Word of God, and as the bread and since are consecrated. Next weekend may we celebrate the assurance that Christ is with us always, now and until the end of time.
Very GOOD news: Rev. Mr. Dane Joseph Westhoff has been called to the Sacred Order of the Priest- hood by Archbishop Carlson. The ceremony will be this coming Saturday, May 23, 2020, at 10:00 A.M. at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis. Because of social distancing and limitations on large groups, attendance is by invitation only. However, it will be live streamed at 10:00 A.M. at cathedralstl.org.
I hope that you ALL will keep Deacon Westhoff in your prayers and that many of you will be able to participate in the ceremony by watching Deacon Westhoff and Deacon Chris Smith be ordained priests by the laying on of Archbishop Carlson’s hands and by the invocation of the Holy Spirit.
By the way, that day, May 23rd, is a MOMENTOUS day in the Archbishop’s life, since it will be the 50th anniversary of his Ordination to the Sacred Priesthood. If you want to send the Archbishop a congratulatory card for his Golden Anniversary, the address is Most Rev. Robert J. Carlson, Archbishop of Saint Louis, Cardinal Rigali Center, 20 Archbishop May Drive, Saint Louis, Missouri 63119. I’m sure that he would be happy to hear from you!
Return to PUBLIC MASSES: Tomorrow morning (Monday, May 18) we will be able to resume public Masses in the Archdiocese of Saint Louis. We will have our “normal” 6:30 A.M. Monday – Friday Mass, which will be “taped” and will be available to be viewed throughout the day. There will be the “end of school” Mass at 8:15 A.M. on Wednesday, which will be shown “live.” Saturday morn- ings will, for a while, have an 8:00 a.m. Mass. It will be “live,” but will also be available to be viewed throughout the day. This coming weekend we will have Masses on Saturday, May 23, at 5:00 p.m. and 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, May 24. Those Masses will be livestreamed, with the 9:30 A.M. Mass available for viewing later in the day if you wish to see it. Again, as I mentioned last weekend, the Memorial Day Mass, Monday May 25, will be at 9:00 A.M., with the annual Scouts’ Flag Presentation and placing of flags on our Veterans’ Graves.
You should have received a very short “Survey Monkey” survey about your possible attendance at Mass next weekend sometime this past week. (There is a “hard copy” in the bulletins that are available to be picked up at Church.) HOWEVER, please if you responded to the on line survey, DO NOT reply to the “hard copy.” There will be a basket at the main entrance of church for your survey results.
THE FOLLOWING APPLIES TO ALL MASSES: PLEASE PAY ATTENTION AS TO
WHERE YOU CAN / CANNOT SIT. Also please enter through the MAIN ENTRANCE of CHURCH. The side doors will be locked, but will, of course, be available for emergency egress. (They will also be open at the end of Mass.) MASKS WILL BE REQUIRED FOR ALL ATTENDING MASS. We are also asking you NOT to use the kneelers; they will be locked in place. The entire church will be cleaned after the Masses. For the reception of Holy Communion, please keep social distancing in mind. There will be tape on the floor six feet apart. You will be directed when to go to the Priest / Deacon after the previous person has received Holy Communion. [Obviously take the mask off (and if you might be wearing gloves, those too) for the reception of Holy Communion.]
Financial Matters: I realize that there have been some extenuating events this year, but I received this the other day and it is somewhat concerning. From July 1, 2019, through April 30, 2020, our offertory collections are down $202,209 from the previous year July 1, 2018 – April 30, 2019. However unre- stricted gifts are up $76,273 over last year. (This obviously doesn’t include the recent grant from the Roman Catholic Foundation of Eastern Missouri for our STREAM lab. That is a restricted gift for a special project, so not included.) So, in total, unrestricted revenue and offertory together are down $125,935 from last year. Happily we were able to get a PPP loan that was funded through the Federal CARES bill, but we will have to come up with the money to perhaps repay it (or at least some of it) at some future time. Your donations are ESSENTIAL to the operation of the parish … at all levels … from simply purchasing the altar breads, wine, and candles for Mass to cutting the grass (which isn’t cheap, let me assure you), to the salaries of our teachers. I know most of you have not been able to get to Mass, but please consider sending in your donation or, even better, please consider ON LINE DONATIONS. If you aren’t sure how to do that, just call Patty or Joan at the Parish Office 314.434.4211 and they will walk you through it.
Faithfully yours, in our Risen Lord,
Fr Joe Weber