Missive

     Woo-hoo!  We are now open for weekday Mass.  Bishop Callahan sent out a letter this past Wednesday informing us that we are now open for weekday Mass under the same conditions by which we are celebrating weekend Mass.  I am very glad of this and am anxious to welcome weekday Mass participants back.  It’s been 16 weeks since weekday Mass has been open for all.

     This also means we are in a position to honor our 8^th grade graduates from Sacred Heart School which we will be doing on the evening of Wednesday, July 16 (7:00 pm).  A few days later, on Sunday, July 19, we will honor our high school graduates.  I would ask that those intending to participate let me know and plan on bringing your cap & gown.  I look forward to celebrating all our graduates and I hope you do too.

      As the school year past finally comes to its celebratory conclusion, we are very busy preparing for the school year to come.  Bishop Callahan has let it be known that we should expect to be open on time in the fall and open five days a week.  For Sacred Heart, with our large rooms and smaller class size this should not prove to be a particular issue.  There will be some minor adjustments to how we do things, but I anticipate we will be open and ready by September.  Parents can expect more communication regarding adjustments they should be prepared for by the beginning of August.

     Finally, a word about reservations for Mass.  There is, of course, no need to be concerned about weekday Masses; so don’t worry about that.  I am quite comfortable with where we are at St. Mary’s (the largest of our three churches) and with St. Augustine’s.  The issue is going to be Sacred Heart, which is why I waited a few weeks into this before moving back.

     Sacred Heart, at 25% capacity, can accommodate 65 people.  Typically, I would expect about 120 people at a Saturday afternoon Mass and from 140-160 people at a 10:00 Sunday Mass.  We have not come close to even 65 yet and so I determined that it would be alright to return to Sacred Heart.  HOWEVER, this means we will need to continue with reservations at Sacred Heart until we are given permission to increase our capacity to 50% (130 people).  I know this can be an inconvenience and I thank all for their continued cooperation and patience.

     “May Christ our Lord help us all with His bountiful grace, so that we may know His holy will and perfectly fulfill it.” (St. Ignatius of Loyola)