Weekend Update

06-02-2020Weekly Flocknote MessageFr. James Aboyi, V.C.

Dear Parishioners,

Happy Pentecost! We have now come to the end of Eastertide with the celebration of Pentecost this weekend. I thank you for your faithful participation in the Eastertide this year. May the coming of the Holy Spirit bring God's peace and healing to our troubled world, especially during this time of pandemic.

This weekend will mark our third week celebrating public Mass with limited capacity. You may have noticed we have added one extra Mass every weekend since then. Thus, this Pentecost weekend, we will return to our regular schedule of four Masses but still with only 25% of our sitting capacity (130 people per Mass). A number of our parishioners expressed concern about the possibility of being turned away if Mass is full when they arrive. Sofar, none of the Masses have reached full capacity.

Please note, we will only live-stream the Mass and distribute Holy Communion after the 5pm Mass on Saturday and 9am Mass on Sunday. The 11:00am will not be live-streamed or have the distribution of Communion following it.. You may participate in the live-stream Masses via our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/channel/UCNxWJ4wvmIMJlu9kN3A9l-g/featured?sub_confirmation =1​ .

Those who participate in Mass through the live-streams are invited to receive Communion for one hour following each Mass. The Communion station will be at the main entrance of the church. Please park your vehicle anywhere in the parking lot and use the north or south walkways for the Communion line. We ask that you observe physical-distancing while waiting in line, then return quietly to your vehicle for private prayers after receiving Communion.

As a reminder, anyone who is sick, caring for a sick person, or vulnerable continues to be dispensed from your obligation to attend Mass. Here are some safety procedures to observe and few things to expect when you come for Mass:

• There will be no Holy Water font by the church door.
• There will be no greeting or shaking of hands at any time during the Mass, including the Sign of Peace.
• Masses will be limited to 30-40 minutes to limit public exposure time.
• We will limit the number of chairs inside the church to only 130 seats and spread them out six feet apart to maintain a safe social distance. We ask that you do not move chairs around, except for family members who may sit together.
• There will be hand sanitizer by the door. We ask that you use it as you enter and leave the church, and after using the restrooms. Confession.
• All ministers have been instructed to maintain the highest level of hygiene by washing their hands properly and using hand sanitizer before they serve or touch any vessels. Eucharistic Ministers will be wearing facemasks while distributing Holy Communion.
• Holy Communion will be distributed under the species of bread alone.
• I encourage everyone to receive Communion on the hand. Reception of Communion on the tongue could inadvertently contaminate the hands of those distributing Communion. However, this is a personal decision everyone has to make.
• The church doors will remain open during Mass.
• You are highly encouraged to wear a facemask throughout Mass time. This is for your safety and the safety of others.
• The collection baskets will be placed at the back of the church. We appreciate your continued support of our parish as you place your offertory in the baskets before or after Mass.

Confession will take place in the church on Saturday from 3:30pm-4:30pm. The Confessional stand will be located near the Mary statue on the West side of the church. We ask those waiting in the Confession line to please sit around the North side of the church and maintain physical distance.

Financial Impact of the Pandemic

The financial impact of the crisis on our parish community is very significant. For the months of March through May, we lost an average of ​ $20,000 each month​ compared to the budgeted amount; unfortunately, we project the same outcome for June. To mitigate that, we implemented some cost-saving measures within this time frame, including: the elimination of one staff position, 25% reduction of salary for the priests and Sister, freezing of office supply and other expenses, an overall reduction of office hours, professional fees and maintenance. Although these measures did not fully cover the financial loss, they contributed to the recovery effort. Additional other cost reduction options are being considered as we evaluate the unfolding situation. I will present an annual finance report to you in the Fall. We appreciate all those who have been able to give during this time and invite you to continue doing so through Faith Direct online. Your generosity has helped us continue to serve our parish community.

Volunteers Needed

I thank all of the volunteers who helped coordinate Masses last weekend and those who donated hand sanitizer and cleaning supplies during the week. As you would expect, we rely heavily on the few available volunteers to help us maintain parish life, especially during this time of crisis. If you are available to help with some cleaning and sanitizing inside and outside of the Church, please call Mary Jane in the parish office at 480.961.1610.

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament

Adoration is this Friday,June 5th from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm. If you are not comfortable attending, please pray at home as your health and safety are most important. Here is the link to sign up: http://signup.com/go/puKjbjK

Due to COVID-19, please adhere to the following guidelines:

• Please use the hand sanitizer provided at the door of the Church upon entering and leaving the Church. We also ask that you use it before and after using the restrooms.
• Please remember to keep a social distance minimum of six feet from the next person.
• We ask each person participating in Adoration to wear their own face mask.
• Participation is strictly limited to those who sign up for a specific time slot before the deadline. This allows us to regulate the number of people allowed in the Worship space at any given time. Each time slot has room for eight participants (max).
• The first and last 30 minutes of Adoration will be live-streamed and available to view on the parish Youtube channel: www.youtube.com/channel/UCNxWJ4wvmIMJlu9kN3A9l-g/featured?sub_confir mation=1​ . ​ Evening prayer and Benediction will take place during the last 30 minutes. We suggest you sit behind the camera if you are not comfortable appearing in the video during this time.

Thank you everyone and have a Blessed Weekend.

Fr James Aboyi, VC Pastor