Dear Friends:
For the month of October, as I mentioned in a previous bulletin, you may have noticed the ushers at every Mass going up the side aisles with a “clicker” as we call it. The purpose was to take the annual “October Count” as mandated by the Archdiocese. This has been done every year for time immemorial, it seems, and its purpose is to supply the Chancery (and the Archbishop) with a “snapshot” of the state of the parishes in the Archdiocese. One gauge of a healthy parish is found in the number of people who come to Mass each weekend. It is not the only gauge of a healthy parish, but obviously, a parish which has few to none attending Sunday Mass cannot be said to be healthy.
That being said, our overall number for this year of those who come to Mass in Precious Blood Parish stands at just about 1600 people. I am grateful to all of you who make the effort to be with us in person week in and week out. Our faith is grounded in a personal encounter with the Lord in the context of a community of believers and one essential part of our Catholic faith is the necessity of receiving the sacraments,
especially the Eucharist. This cannot be done in any way virtually. It requires our personal presence. While I am grateful to those parishioners who come to Mass each weekend, I am also somewhat disheartened. Prior to the pandemic, our weekend Mass attendance hovered around 2000. Where have the four hundred people who came then now gone? Some may have died, others may have become sick and home bound, others may have moved away. There are some however who have not returned. If you know of someone, make an effort to reach out to them and invite them back. It is safe to come to church, and anyone who wishes to wear a mask is welcomed to do so. As Jesus said in the Gospel, “Fear is useless; what is needed is faith.”
That being said, we are in need of readers, ushers, and altar servers. A parish of our size should have an abundance of people ready and willing to serve the community in those capacities. Please think about these vital ministries and, if you are interested in any way, please speak to me, to Father Lijo, or to Deacon John. Training is provided and we will be happy to answer any and all questions. Parents of children of sufficient age are encouraged to speak to their children about serving at Mass. It is a good way for them to be involved and to learn more about their faith. Again, training will be provided. I thank all those who serve currently as readers, ushers, and altar servers.
Finally, this Tuesday, November 8, is Election Day and it is, as the pundits put it, a “consequential” election. There are numerous issues, pressing problems facing our nation and our society. The candidates for whom we vote may have a significant impact, for good or ill, on the future direction of our nation and our state. Party loyalty is a good thing, but it cannot supercede loyalty to the good of our nation and to its founding principles.
As Catholics, we are bound by the Fourth Commandment to vote and to be good citizens, and for the benefit of all, I quote what the Catechism of the Catholic Church on the duties of citizens, specifically from #2240, where it says: “Submission to authority and co responsibility for the common good make it morally obligatory to pay taxes, to exercise the right to vote, and to defend one’s country.”
Have a good week, and go out and vote!