Dear Parishioners,
This weekend we 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 wine are consecrated. Today we celebrate the assurance that Christ is with us always, now and until the end of time.
Next weekend we will celebrate the end of this year’s Easter Season, with the Feast of Pentecost. At the Vigil Mass, to be celebrated at 5:00 P.M. on Saturday, May 30, we will anticipate the coming of the Holy Spirit. Promised by the Lord to His Disciples at the Last Supper, anticipated by the prophets for centuries, unknown to generations of humanity going back to creation, the Holy Spirit is ready to come into our lives. On Pentecost Day itself, for the 9:30 A.M. Mass on Sunday, we will hear about the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, as recorded by Saint Luke in the Second Chapter of the Acts of the Apostles. The Gospel will show Saint John’s version when, on Easter Sunday, the Risen Christ imparts the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles. We will join together to pray for the action of the Holy Spirit in our world, in our communities, and, most importantly, in our hearts.
Since we were unable to have the Easter Vigil this year, with the baptism and reception of new members into the Church, we will have the majority of our new people received into the Church, and confirmed, next Saturday evening at the 5:00 P.M. Mass. Like the Easter Vigil that Mass is an actual vigil with four Old Testament Readings, before the Epistle from Saint Paul’s Letter to
the Romans. And just as Jesus will refresh those who believe in Him with living water, so we will welcome our new members into the Church. Unfortunately, with the current regulations, we cannot have a reception for our new members. There will also be an entire family coming into the Church at the 9:30 A.M. Mass on Trinity Sunday, June 7th. We rejoice with all of our new members as we ask the Spirit to lead and guide them.
This Morning, Saturday, May 23, the Rev. Mr. Dane Joseph Westhoff, our deacon for the past year, became Father Dane Joseph Westhoff. Congratulations to Father Westhoff and we ask God’s blessings on him, his family, and his priestly ministry. May the Lord watch over and protect him (and his classmate, Father Christopher Smith) as they will begin their ministry to God and His people in the Archdiocese of Saint Louis in a few weeks.
Return to PUBLIC MASSES: I think that the return to public Masses has been rather smooth. There were, of course, a few hiccups, but that is to be expected. The challenge is that we work together, try to follow the directives of the State, County, and Archdiocese, and remember that we are here to PRAY!
Tuesday – Friday (of this week) we will have our “normal” 6:30 A.M. Mass. This Mass will be shown “live,” and “taped” so that it will be available to be viewed throughout the day. Monday of this week is, of course, Memorial Day, so our Morning Mass will be at 9:00 A.M. It too will be shown live, but will also be available throughout the day. There will be the “end of the Parish School of Religion School Year” Mass at 7:00 P.M. this coming Wednesday, June 3rd. This Mass will also be shown “live.”
Saturday mornings 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 30, at 5:00 P.M. and 9:30 A.M. on Sunday, May 31. 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.
On Memorial Day: There will be parishioners (some of whom might be Scouts) to do a Flag Ceremony and place flags on veterans’ graves after the Memorial Day 9:00 A.M. Mass. Please stay and honor those who have served our country.
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 are signs 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.] If we have to have people in the Msgr. Schneider Hall watching the Mass on TV, Holy Communion will be brought to them.
Planning ahead: Our GROUP First Holy Communion is scheduled for 2:00 P.M. on Sunday, June 14, the Feast of Corpus Christi. The second grade families all received information about that this past week. May we pray for our children who are finally going to receive our Lord in Holy Communion.
Faithfully yours, in our Risen Lord,
Fr Joe Weber