Message from Fr. Rick

Dear sisters & brothers in Christ, 

I pray that you are well and blessed. We are going through an unprecedented event. I knew it was becoming serious when bishops began suspending Sunday Mass. I realize that for some of you that is quite a shock and even a hardship. One of the young associate priest at my mother’s parish in St. Louis is furious at the Archbishop, who lifted the obligation of having to go to Sunday mass (but parishes were still allowed to celebrate them - I wonder how he will react if the masses are canceled?). He said Archbishop Carlson was only thinking about people’s bodies and not their souls. That sentiment is very irresponsible. As a pastor I have to worry about people’s physical well being, as well as, their souls. To ignore what the medical experts are telling us would be foolish and selfish. Blindly following this obligation and having even more people get sick, and even die, is not what my Lord would want. 

While we may not be able to physically gather as a community, we can still do so spiritually. I know some of you who are parents are finding your lives very hectic, while others may be bored and not know what to do. I would encourage all of you to make some time in your day, especially on Sunday, to pray. I would encourage you to gather as a family and pray the rosary, or the Stations of The Cross (which can be downloaded from online), or even an Our Father & Hail Mary. Pray first for the world and all those who are sick. Pray for those who have lost loved ones. Pray for those who are isolated and alone. We may not be able to gather together physically, but our prayer life can remind us that we are ALL sisters & brothers. We are united by our faith in One God, and for us Catholics who may be missing The Eucharist, let me remind you that we ARE The Body of Christ! The Holy Spirit, and the love of God, binds us together in a way that no physical contact can accomplish. 

I encourage you to reach out via phone or internet to family, friends & neighbors who may be alone. We are still doing daily masses. Our Fish-Fry may be drive-up only, but that went very well last Friday. Although, these things could change, and so, I am also asking that you stay in touch with us through our Web Page, Facebook, our My Parish App, and/or email. We will try to keep them updated as much as possible, but for now most other things have been canceled. One thing that has not been canceled is our bills. Like some of you, we find ourselves in a tough spot, because our main source of income is our Sunday collection and we had just started our two major fundraisers, the Fish-Fry & raffle. So if you are able I would ask that you continue to make those donations via mail or electronic transaction. Picking up fish on Friday is another great way to continue to support your parish in these difficult times. You can also drop off your church envelope at the Fish Fry Drive Thru. Just hand it to the person taking your order. We will have a secure container to put it in. You can also drop off your raffle tickets there. I also want to be sensitive to those of you whose income is in question as more and more businesses are temporarily shut down. So be assured of our prayers and any support that we can provide. 

I am reminded of an old Chinese curse, “May you live in interesting times.” Well these are certainly “interesting” times. While I realize everyone’s situation is different, I encourage everyone to listen to the experts and try to do the best you can. As we try to find the silver lining, I suggest that this is a great time to strengthen your family bonds and spend some quality time with your loved ones. Trusting in God I know we will get through this. As Catholics we are used to making sacrifices in Lent, so let us just look at this as our Lenten Cross, focus on those who have a harder struggle than we do, and ask ourselves how we can help our neighbor. 

 In the Redeemer, Fr. Rick