Father Paul’s Words of Wisdom

I know there are a lot of questions about the Mass schedule for Easter. Here is what we will be doing at St. Bridget Church:

I will record Mass on Palm Sunday at 10 a.m. and post it on Youtube. It should be up in the afternoon. The link is https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6tww9dCHXuNp6p1MPAhGoQ. Due to the state law mandating no groups larger than 10, the church will be locked during the celebration of the Mass. It will reopen at noon and remain open until 9 p.m. Blessed palms will be available in the back of the church.

Holy Thursday – Mass will be live-streamed at 7 p.m. Due to state law mandating no groups larger than 10, the church will be locked during the celebration of the Mass. It will be open again at 8:30 p.m. for people to come and pray before the Blessed Sacrament until 11 p.m. Again, no more than 10 people may be in the church at a time, maintaining proper distancing.

Good Friday – Celebration of the Lord’s Passion will be live-streamed at 3 p.m. The church will be locked during that time to maintain proper group size. Have a crucifix with you at home for veneration of the cross.

Holy Saturday – Easter Vigil will be celebrated/live-streamed at 8:30p.m.

Easter Sunday – Mass will be live-streamed at 10 a.m.

Again, the goal is to live stream those liturgies. If that is not possible, the liturgies will still take place. However, only those who are assisting with the Mass (organist/cantors/lectors) will be allowed in the church.

If you have difficulties accessing these liturgies, Bishop Burbidge will be live streaming Masses from the cathedral. The schedule is accessible through our parish website.

A Note of Thanks from Fr. Paul

I’m currently working on a reflection for Palm Sunday, which should be up on the website in the day or so. I just wanted to use this little side note to say thank you.

I wanted to say thank you to those who have dropped little notes letting me know that you are well and that you are praying for me. Know that you are all in my prayers as well. I was just reading something that reminded me of something I’ve said in many a homily: as Christians, we are never truly alone. If God has placed His Spirit in us, then we are always united with him. As members of Christ’s body, we are always united with each other, and with all the saints in heaven. Knowing people are thinking about you and praying for you is a reminder that we are not alone. It’s nice to know that it’s not just me and Doctor Who in the rectory.

Next, thank you for continuing to support the parish financially in these difficult times. I know that families have a lot on their plate right now – worries about jobs and finances – and I thank you for thinking of us. With your continued support, I will be able to do several things:

Maintenance – we are paving the road that leads up to the parish hall and the handicapped parking area in front of the hall. We are having work done on the roof to address leaks and the mold. We plan to install the new organ before Masses resume.

Loan – We are on target for paying off the loan on Hobert Hall and the rectory by June.

Assisting parishes and others – With the stay-at-home policy in place until June, some parishes will be struggling to make ends meet. I am planning to see if there is a way we can help. We are also continuing to support FISH each month. If you yourself are in need or know someone else in need, please let us know.

If you wish to make contributions to the church while things are shut down, you can mail them to us or drop them in the poor box. The slot is large enough to accommodate parish envelopes. This may be a good time to consider on-line giving with Faith Direct. I don’t like asking when there is so much going on, but your help will help me keep things up and running and provide help for those in need.

Speaking of FISH, we are also collecting items such as oatmeal packets, single serving cereal boxes, pork and beans, cans of pasta, fruit cups, apple sauces, Vienna sausages, crackers, toilet paper, toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, laundry detergent, deodorant and hand sanitizers. These can be dropped off in the back of the church (open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.) and will be picked up and taken to FISH.

Again, thank you for all your thoughts and prayers. I am truly grateful for them. And thank you for all you do.

Saint Bridget of Ireland Church recorded Mass