Make a Connection
At the weekend Masses of September 25-26, we made some effort to “welcome back” parishioners who have been away during the time of COVID-19 restrictions. Even as we welcomed people, we also needed to be careful. I know I have repeated such news many times, but at this writing, Brown County has reached 13 consecutive weeks of increased positive COVID-19 cases. Nearly all of the 16 counties in the Diocese are in the same predicament, or worse. Some nearby counties have reached “critically high” rates of infection.
With those facts at hand, we encourage you to proceed with caution in all aspects of your life – church, social activities, work, family, etc. As our parish has begun Faith Formation, we are trying to help the children be safe by requiring masks, providing disinfectants, and helping children to keep some physical distance from each other.
At the same time, we continue the ministries of the parish with daily and weekend Mass schedules as normal. Our weekend Mass attendance has been on a steady increase in recent months. We are at about 70% of our regular pre-COVID attendance. The most well-attended Masses are the 7:30 a.m. Mass on Sunday in English, and the 10:45 a.m. bi-lingual Mass, and the 12:30 p.m. Mass in Spanish. There are plenty of open pews at the other Masses! including the daily Masses at 7:15 a.m. and 12:05 p.m. in English, and the 7:00 p.m. Thursday Mass in Spanish.
I have my concerns about those who have not returned to parish life on a regular basis. Some of our parishioners are elderly and must be careful with their social interactions, including at Mass. If you know someone who has not been outside their home or residence very often in the last 18 months, make a connection with them. Ask them how they are doing and if they need anything. This is important Gospel work. Such communication is true evangelization. Our communities of faith are stronger when we make the personal connections. Parish families are not just those who gather at weekend Masses. We are the whole Body of Christ in relationships with others, near and far, seen and unseen.
In coming weeks, we will look to honor and remember some of our parish members. We will have a blessing on Sunday, October 17, of married couples who are celebrating special anniversaries, and any couple married for 50 years or more. We will also remember the dead at the beginning of November as is our custom. Please watch for ways to make important interpersonal connections with our members and others.
Peace, Fr. Andy