Happy
Easter!
I am writing this bulletin
column on Monday of Holy Week. Since so much happens every day these days, I am
not sure what the state of affairs in the world and our community will be on
Easter Sunday, but I do know that Christ is risen, and that his everlasting
love is and will be very much present.
If I may, I would like to
share some good news regarding social media: We now have an active page on Facebook!
(Bit.ly/stpatfacebook) It had always been on the back of my mind to do so for
the parish, since I see the potential for engagement and communication. Our
staff and I had already been so busy maintaining a Facebook page did not seem
realistic for our schedules, but these new times finally forced us into
Facebook territory. Many thanks to our parishioner Bob Brasich, who has helped
us with the intricacies of Facebook settings. Now we can post events and
communicate news more quickly. Also, our YouTube
channel (Bit.ly/stpatyoutube) has reached 100 subscribers. And we are using
Zoom for meetings for parish groups such as the Young Professionals, and even
for the Mass.
This past Sunday, Palm
Sunday of the Lord’s Passion was the first time we had Mass on three different
social media platforms. We tested Zoom, and Facebook, and we also continued
with YouTube. Zoom worked well, so we will expand it to 100 people, so let us
know if you would like to join. We are also trying to do Facebook Live, but we
had some technical difficulties. It was uploaded later.
Many thanks to Bob Brasich
and Kathy Haliburton for their technical expertise in streaming for Facebook
and Zoom. Please check the parish website
(stpatrickschurchsd.weconnect.com) for updates and links to these platforms.
The Young Professionals
organized a beautiful liturgy of the Word with adoration of the Blessed
Sacrament: Many thanks to Esbe Gomez and the other organizers, and the talented
musicians and singers who made such a beautiful experience possible. We even
had Melanie Saltzman, a journalist from the PBS Newshour join in.
She and Laura Fong, another journalist, are producing a story of how different
faith traditions are. They are both based in Brooklyn, New York.
This past Sunday we had
Drive-In Exposition All day. Many people came, but everyone was very
responsible and stayed inside his or her car, and so it was very safe, despite
having as many as 25 cars at one point during the day. If a single family
thinks to themselves, “we are only one family, so we can step out and get near
the Blessed Sacrament,” they would be disregarding that every other family in
the car could do so as well, encouraging others to do the same, and therefore
not considering the common good of everyone. I was very pleased and proud of
everyone for staying in his or her car, or if walking in, for staying far from
the Blessed Sacrament, and from others.
Confessions have continued on Wednesdays at 1 PM, as you may have seen in a couple of news media
outlets. The numbers have increased to 50 cars, but we also increased the
number of priests hearing confessions, and it is working out well, where we are
not having a crowd at any one point. The availability of the sacrament will
continue as long as we have the capacity to take in the number of cars driving
in. So on any given week, we may discontinue if the numbers continue to rise at
a rate that may pose any risk to public health.
Thanks to those of you who
have donated food. We continue to have a couple of people in our community who
are either homeless or low-income, and some who now new financial hardships, so
we are distributing the food to them.
Many thanks to those of
you who have made a substantial increase to your financial contribution of the
parish. Thanks to you we can continue to operate during this special time in
history.
Easter Blessings,Fr. Carlos, OSA
You can
Unite Your Intentions at Home
to Our
Prayers of the Faithful
For the Church: that we
may strive to have the same mind as Christ as we offer our lives in loving
service to others. Let us pray to the Lord.
For public officials,
civil authorities, and all decision makers in the public and private sectors: We
pray for wisdom and guidance. May they recognize how to be servant leaders and
give priority to the needs of the most vulnerable. Let us pray to the Lord.
For the Elect and the
Candidates for Full Communion: that they may enter more deeply into the mystery
of God’s unconditional love through the celebrations of Holy Week, and receive
their sacraments when we resume public Masses. Let us pray to the Lord.
For all the human family:
that God will deliver us from Covid-19, keep safe all who are vulnerable to the
disease, especially all healthcare workers who are serving those who are ill.
Let us pray to the Lord.
For all who are already
ill, particularly those with Covid-19: that God’s healing Spirit will ease
their suffering, free them from severe symptoms, and restore them to full
health. Let us pray to the Lord.
For all scientists and
researchers: that God will guide and inspire their work as they seek to relieve
the suffering of the sick and to develop new vaccines and treatments. Let us
pray to the Lord.
For all who have been
furloughed or become unemployed: that God will quickly end the virus, open new
opportunities for them, and help them find the assistance which they need to sustain
themselves and their families. Let us pray to the Lord.
For all who have
experienced abandonment, betrayal. or rejection: that God’s Spirit will comfort
them, help them to hold fast to the truth. Let us pray to the Lord.
For those who are full of
anxiety, or depressed: that God’s love will bring them comfort and peace, and
that they may have the support of caring communities. Let us pray to the Lord.
For all who have died,
particularly those who had Covid-19, as well as for the recently deceased of
our parish: that they may live forever in the peace and joy of God’s presence.
Let us pray to the Lord.
For all who are grieving:
that God will comfort them, bring supportive people to accompany them, and fill
their hearts with peace. Let us pray to the Lord.
No comments:
Post a Comment