Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
This flocknote is going to all our registered parishioner emails and Flocknote registrations because it contains information about Mass time changes and a transition back to our regular Mass times gradually over the coming weeks. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we gradually move through this safely. The slow transition back to public Masses is regulated by strict adherence to social distancing set up protocol and cleaning/sanitizing requirements. With limits on how much sanitizing products are available we are opening up churches as we are able to with different church furniture arrangements and surfaces needing different cleaning products and set ups.
This weekend we celebrate the annual Solemnity of Corpus Christi, the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ! This is the feast that we celebrate every day like last week’s fest of the Holy Trinity, but we especially hold in high regard this second weekend after Pentecost. It’s the feast day that celebrates something special about our Catholic faith and our belief in the special sacramental presence of Jesus Christ in His Body and Blood that we have been invited to consume to have intimate union with God. This is a great occasion to announce further reopening of our Churches for Mass and reception of Holy Communion as follows:
- Starting next weekend, 6/20 and 6/21, we will return Oakmont and Verona Churches to their regular weekend schedule. St. Irenaeus Church Masses will be Saturday at 4 PM and Sunday at 11AM. St. Joseph Church Masses will be Saturday at 5:30PM and Sunday at 8:30AM. We will also add one Mass on Sunday at Our Lady of Joy Church at 8 AM and one Mass on Sunday at St. Januarius Church at 11AM. St. John the Baptist Church Masses will continue as they have for the last two weekends: Saturday 4PM and 5:30PM, Sunday 7:30AM, 9:00AM, 10:30AM and Noon. We will continue this modified weekend Mass schedule for the last two weekends of June (6/20-6/21, 6/27-6/28).
- We will also introduce two parking lot Distribution of Holy Communion services for those who are vulnerable next weekend, 6/20 and 6/21 at St. Joseph Church at 10 AM and Our Lady of Joy Church at 11:30 AM. These services are not a substitute for participation at Mass. They will be brief and exclusively for those who are at risk due to age or health condition in an effort to help those connect with their faith in the Eucharist, while watching or listening to Mass at home during the continued pandemic. It is not for people who are sick with a fever or cough. Those persons should stay at home and all Catholics are still dispensed from any requirement to attend Mass. These Communion Services will have a few short prayers offered and distribution will take place at a Communion station. Anyone attending will need to wear a mask through the parking lot, exit the car and approach the Communion station by foot where each can remove the face mask only to receive and return to the car. Everyone should stay parked and present for the concluding prayer. There will be no “drive through”. Those arriving after Communion is distributed will not be able to receive receive at this time. We will continue these services each week until further notice.
- Starting Monday, 6/29, we will resume our regular weekday Mass schedule at each Church.
- Starting Saturday, July 4 and Sunday, July 5 all weekend Masses will return to our regular schedule for all churches in Holy Family Parish.
Going to Mass is very different now with social distancing and record requirements. Please see our website for our regular Mass schedule and also video links on how Mass will look when you return to Church Mass participation. There is also a preregistration requirement for all those who want to attend. Links to preregister are available at this site also. You can always call and speak to someone at the office for information or to preregister, but the office hours are only Monday to Thursday from 8 AM to 4 PM and Friday 8 AM to Noon. You can find everything related to this at this website location:
https://www.opvcatholic.org/mass-times
In order to maintain as many Masses as we are offering, we need people to help with cleaning/sanitizing and ushering/greeting. I’m hoping that with the opening up of more of our churches, parishioners can support this by volunteering to help in new ways.
It was so wonderful to see people in Church last weekend. I think all of the priests were very happy to be with folks who felt ready to attend. At most of my Masses, people applauded after the opening rite that they were so happy to be back in Church again. The simple joy of something we took for granted for so long was very visible. Please take your time in feeling safe and ready to attend Mass again. Continue to watch our livestream, and attend Holy Communion services to keep healthy and safe. It is slowly getting back to some kind of normal. But we need to continue to be cautious and patient as we celebrate our faith in the continued pandemic conditions. Thank you all for your cooperation and patience as we work through this together. HAPPY FEAST OF CORPUS CHRISTI!
In Christ’s love, Father Kevin