The parish staff, Parish Council, Finance Council, and various parishioners are thinking creatively about how best to serve our parish community. This year’s holy days will require behavior changes in all of us. We are considering some new ways to celebrate our faith. We will need to limit how many people can be in the church to around 150 people. That is the maximum number of people we can accommodate and still maintain safe physical distance. Las Mañanitas on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe has often attracted 500 or more people. Those numbers will not be allowed this year. So, we need to try to be creative.

The celebration of Mary Immaculate, Patroness of the United States and Nicaragua, and Our Lady of Guadalupe will be an opportunity to demonstrate our creativity and faith. Starting in the middle of November we are going to solicit poetry and art from our children demonstrating their artistic imagination and faith in our great intercessor, Mary, Our Mother. At the same time, we will begin to solicit additional works of art and literary creativity for Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of all of the Americas. Then, we hope to display the submitted works here at the parish and on-line in video and photos.

Additionally, we hope to have some musical groups to sing and play their favorite Marian hymns and songs. We will invite the groups to videotape their songs and we will play them on our parish Facebook page. We are hoping to start a YouTube channel soon as an additional way to reach our
parishioners and more.

Food, too, will be a part of the celebrations. In person and curbside pickup will be offered, though no dining at the parish center itself.

We plan to proceed with the “Giving Tree” this December. Families will need food for sure. We hope to offer gift cards to families for their children’s gifts. If you have already shopped and purchased gifts for children, bring them in. We will find a way to distribute them. Gift cards will offer the greatest flexibility.

One of the other consequences of COVID-19 restrictions has been the lack of community events like Willy Jam, bakes sales, and raffles. This year we ask you to consider what you would have given to the parish and spent at these events and activities. Normally, you donated raffle prizes, gift cards, baked goods, and cash to support the parish. This year, could you make a monetary donation that is equivalent to what you would have given and spent at those events? Your parish community needs you!

Peace, Fr. Andy