Here’s the plan for Palm Sunday and Holy Week. We are trying to connect while social distancing and provide limited exposure. The plan may change as the week unfolds but this is what we have decided to do:
· Palm Sunday (April 5th) Palms will be blessed and Mass will be live streamed beginning at 8:30 A.M.
· 10:00 AM – 11:00AM - Enter the parking lot entrance near the Parish House.
· I will be available for “Drive-thru-confessions” at the side door of the Fr. Reilley Center near the Thrift Shop. Stay in the left lane for confessions.
· If you don’t want to go to confession, pass on the right to the rear of the church where you can receive your Palms, candles for the Easter Vigil (for those who will be “attending”). If you have last year’s candles, please use those, as our supplies are limited.
· There will be someone with a collection basket so you can make your continued offerings to our ordinary expenses.
· Exit the parking lot near the railroad bridge.
· Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Vigil (April 9, 10, 11) Services will all be live streamed at 7:30 P.M. I encourage you to fully participate at home as you would when present in church.
· The Easter Vigil will be our Easter Sunday Mass; no live stream Easter Sunday morning.
I wish to thank Rob Russell for operating the cameras for live streaming, Gina Russell for operating the Mass slides, Steve Chaplin for volunteering to provide music (Yes, I will shut my mic off) and those who have volunteered to read each Sunday and Holy Week. Pam Chaplin is coordinating the music, slides and ministers to ensure our liturgies are seamless. We are all working together, from a distance!
I wish to thank all who are giving online, and those who are dropping their offertory at the Parish House or under the Sacristy Door. We are only averaging about 50% of our weekly income. I am concerned on how this will affect our parish not only in the short term, but how our programs going forward could be impacted. If you are blessed to be working from home, vs. not working please continue to support our parish. We have something special in Hopedale, and I do not want to see us lose any of the programs that make us special.
Please remember that our payroll and all our bills are paid by weekly donations – we have no other income. You can continue drop off your donation by slipping it under the door of the sacristy, in the mailbox outside the parish office or go to our website to either register for an account or use the ‘Quick Give’ option to give a one-time gift. As usual the church will be open from 9:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. each day for prayer.
Even though we as a flock are scattered, let’s gather electronically! Till we can finally be in communion again!
Fr. Bill