As Catholics we are a Sacramental People. We recognize the grace of God coming to us as a community, celebrating the gifts of the Holy Spirit at Confirmation, and the gift of being nourished at the table of the bread in Eucharist. In an effort to make sure that family members can attend Confirmation and First Eucharist, and at the same time everyone in the parish can “fit” into the church and still “socially distance,” we are have scheduled three Confirmation celebrations, and four first Eucharist celebrations over the next several weeks. We also realize that due to travel restrictions and some relatives being in the high-risk category, they are not able to attend these celebrations. To accommodate their needs, we are so grateful to Ed Lavallette and Rob Russell who are willing to make sure all these services are live streamed so that everyone can be “present” at these important times in the lives of family members.
I not only wish to thank the catechists who have prepared folks for these sacraments, but also their parents for passing on the faith and encouraging them to deepen their understanding of being a faithful follower of Christ. At the same time, I wish also to thank all of you for generously providing the necessary funds to install the live streaming equipment. Little did we know at the time, (five years now) how important this technology would be during this pandemic. We never missed a beat and were able to connect with everyone. Rob Russell not only guided us in the purchase of the equipment, but also crawled through the spaces under the church to install all the necessary wiring for us to provide this service.
We are a Sacramental People and I am encouraging all those who are high-risk to consider joining us for Mass during the week when attendance is lower, thus less risk. All who are watching the live stream and for various reasons unable to join us in church, please feel free to come after Mass to receive communion. Wear a mask, enter the front door, you will be greeted with a squirt of hand sanitizer, and come forward for communion.
Let us make every effort to stay healthy, and safe, and nourished by the sacraments we value so very much.