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Prayer of St. Cyprian
Almighty God, we are reminded through your servant St. Cyprian, of your Spirit always within us and Your continued presence in us, and of our oneness with You and the Church. May we always grow together and profess You in Faith, Unity, and Hope. Guided by the Holy Spirit, we ask this through Christ our Lord
Amen.
Coronavirus
Effective Wednesday March 18th the Archdiocese has suspended all Masses for 8 weeks due to the COVID-19 outbreak. It will be evaluated on a week by week basis. Please take advantage of live streamed Mass links provided and continue to pray for the souls this disease has effected.
From the Pastor’s Desk
May Jesus Christ, who promised us the gift of the Holy Spirit, be with you!
Our Archdiocese heard some great and yet cautious news last Sunday. Next Sunday all parishes in the Archdiocese will open again for daily and Sunday Masses. While this is good news, we must continue to follow the directives given for the safety and well being of all parishioners. I know many parishioners are eager to return to Mass and the priest are longing to see parishioners, as well, but we must take this one step at a time when returning to Sunday worship. As we prepare for the re-opening of Church, let us pray for wisdom, guidance, and patience.
The Universal Church celebrates another liturgical feast today, The Feast of Pentecost. This is the day the Holy Spirit comes upon all believers, and renews their faith and hope. Pentecost serves as a sign of God’s abiding presence. It is the Holy Spirit who empowers us to fulfill the mission begun by Jesus Christ. When we acknowledge and accept the Holy Spirit into our heart, great things begin to happen. For the past several months, we have been living on a rollercoaster of existence with this pandemic. The pandemic is not over yet, but we can call on the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us into solitude, hope, and spiritual renewal. Today, let our prayer be: “Come Holy Spirit, rekindle in us your fire of love and hope.”
Finally, may we continue to pray for each other and reach out to each other. This is part of our mission.
Peace and Blessings,
Msgr. Britto
DEACON’S CORNER
TRUST IN THE LORD
During this time of world-wide pandemic, we can be servants/helpers to others by staying at home or if we are an essential worker serving others, while taking care not to spread the virus. Our “shut in” time can be a time of prayer for those who are sick, and for those who are risking their own health by serving others, and for those who are having a rough time being “Safer at home”. We can also donate to organizations that are doing their best to help those affected by this coronavirus crisis.
As we face trying times in the world, we can be strengthened by knowing that GOD will see us through. This should motivate us to seek the Lord Jesus, especially in these days of the pandemic. Though we may not understand what good can come from worldly strife and division, pain and suffering, we need to believe that GOD is in control and GOD can make GOOD come out of the wrong doings of humans, both within and outside of the community of faith. Some people may blame world leaders for not acting quicker to prevent the worldwide. spread of the COVID-19 virus. Some leaders may have acted wrongly. But that is not to say that our focus should be on the wrongdoings of some people, including those who have not fully heeded the directives to stay at home and if one goes out, they should cover their face and keep social distancing. That is not to say that we should condone wrong doings, but we need to trust that GOD can give life and as Jesus says in the Gospel of St. John, no one will snatch away the sheep who belong to the Good Shepard.
Deacon Nightingale
Our commitment to Christ: Commitment to Christ is a daily calling
New Poll Show Favorability of the Church is on the Rise
A new poll by Saint Leo University Polling Institute shows that Catholics have a higher opinion of the Church than they did a year ago. The poll shows that U.S. Catholics expressed a 74% level of favorability of the Church, compared to 57% last April. Similarly, the general population’s opinion has increased from 40% in April 2019 to about 42%. As parishes, diocese and other institutions of the Church wrestle to respond to 2018 revelations of further clergy sexual abuse, this report brings hope that, while much more needs to be done, the Church and its members are healing. The report also recorded the faithful’s view of Pope Francis, which sat at 75%, only slightly down from November with 78%, both of which were higher than the view of the pop by the general public.
