Dear Friends:
This first weekend of September brings us just about to the close of the summer season and the beginning of the fall season. Normally, this would be a busy time as the regular parish schedule of meetings and religious education classes resume. This year, however, continues to be unusual. While we will be holding meetings, such as those involving the parish council and the parish finance council, in the weeks ahead, we will be doing them carefully using social distancing, asking attendees to wear masks, and not serving food or refreshments of any kind. The parish religious education program will remain suspended until early in the new year, and even then, the only classes that will possibly meet will be those preparing the young people of the parish for the celebration of sacraments, namely First Confession, First Communion and Confirmation. It is my sincere hope that we celebrate First Confession and First Communion for those in second and third grade sometime late in the spring. Confirmation, I hope, will be celebrated in the fall.
A note of encouragement and hope is seen in the fact that, as I write these words, the students of St. Mary School, from preschool through eighth grade, are nearly ready to return to school. Our school, under the leadership of its new principal, Deacon Dominic Corraro, has been preparing to welcome our students back to inschool instruction. The school is following the CDC guidelines carefully, again emphasizing social distancing, the use of masks, and regular handwashing. The school has been cleaned and disinfected very carefully, and will continue to be. I ask that we all pray that this school year will get off to a safe and healthy start, and not just for our own St. Mary School, but for all of the young people of the parish, wherever they might be going to school, as well as all teachers, staff members, and administrators.
The priests of the Archdiocese received a letter from Archbishop Blair last week in which, among other things, he announced that he is extending the dispensation from the obligation to attend Sunday Masses through November 28, which is the last day of the liturgical year and the vigil of the First Sunday of Advent. Even though there is no obligation to come to Mass, I still would encourage anyone who is not at risk because of age or some health conditions, to consider coming at least once or twice a month. Thus far, we have been well within the limits of the one hundred persons per gathering as mandated by Governor Lamont. The church is cleaned and sanitized regularly. Even in this time of health concerns and fear, we need to stay connected personally to our community of faith.
Several people have called over the past few weeks and months wondering why one could not receive the sacraments over the telephone, such as confession and the Anointing of the Sick. This is not permitted in any way. The Church has always understood the sacraments to be profound occasions of a personal encounter with the Lord. They must be celebrated in person and never virtually. Furthermore, the sacraments are celebrated normally in the confines of the church building. Of course, if someone is homebound, one of the priests could go to visit them at their home and offer them the sacraments of confession, Holy Communion, and if needed, the Anointing of the Sick.
One additional matter connected to the sacraments merits comment. Baptisms, with rare exception, such as when a person is in immediate danger of death, are celebrated in the church. The church building is the home of the parish community, the privileged place where we gather together for prayer and worship, the place where we encounter God in a special way. Baptism is the sacrament that admits us to the Church, making us members of the Body of Christ. Thus, it is an important sign that one is to be baptized normally in the church itself. Even the COVID19 pandemic does not alter that practice, and I would like to stress that we are arranging baptisms carefully, one family at a time, one per hour, limiting those who can come and affording us the chance to clean and disinfect the church between celebrations. There should be little fear or concern about coming to the church for the celebration of the baptism of a child. For relatives, such as grandparents, who are concerned because of age or issues of health, someone in the family present can live stream or videotape the ceremony so that those not present can at least be part of the ceremony virtually.
In the months since we have reopened the churches, we have been following carefully the recommendations of the CDC as well as the Archdiocese of Hartford in our celebrations. You will notice that we are not singing any hymns or the psalms. We have chosen to recite the Apostles’ Creed rather than the significantly longer Nicene Creed. The purpose is to limit any unnecessary possibility of transmitting the COVID19 virus, which can be spread by singing, and even speaking, among people gathered too closely together. The use of masks and social distancing and hand sanitizers helps mitigate this. Nevertheless, I would ask, in the interest of health and safety, that both the Prayer to St. Michael and the Rosary not be prayed in common at the end of Masses for the time being. I certainly encourage anyone who wishes to do so to pray them privately. I know that I can count on your cooperation. Once this pandemic passes, it is my intention to resume our normal prepandemic customs.
The annual Missionary Coop Appeal which normally takes place during the summer months has also been affected by the pandemic. Happily, the priest assigned to our parish this year is our own Fr. Sam John, who is to speak on behalf of the needs of his home diocese in Kerala, India. Our support of the missionary efforts of the Church is essential and our parish has been generous to the various mission appeals over the years. By way of announcement, Fr. Sam will be making the appeal for the missions in place of the homily at St. Mary Church on the weekend of September 56 and at St. Agnes Church on the weekend of September 1920. There will be two collection bins at their usual places. If you are giving by check, make it payable to Precious Blood Parish, marking “MISSION APPEAL” on the memo line.
Finally, I would like to address the 2020 Archbishop’s Annual Appeal. The results so far have been very gratifying. Our parish goal is $110,000 and as of last week, we had garnered some $119,000 in pledges, almost ten thousand dollars over goal. Once again, your generous spirit is evident and for that, I thank you. The Archbishop can use our support, especially to help needy parishes and ministries on the Archdiocesan and local levels during this time of unusual financial stress. If you have not made a gift, however large or small, please consider doing so before the end of the year.
I hope you are all staying safe and well. Have a wonderful week.
