St. Nicholas Church

Dear Parishioners,

Please see my Pentecost Sunday message about the gift of the Holy Spirit, on going concerns about the pandemic, our reopening plans, and continued blessing to all of you.

Father George P. Blais

Dear Parishioners,

Please see my message reflecting on the Feast of Ascension, thoughts for this Memorial Day, and blessings during this difficult time.

Father George P. Blais

In light of all the rapid changes we are experiencing and the need for timely news updates, I'm pleased to introduce Flocknote as an additional communication tool for all of our parishioners and people who are interested in receiving Saint Nicholas news.

Please visit our Flocknote page to sign-up for this very effective texting and emailing tool.

If you have a specific questions for us you can continue to use our on line Contact Us form.

And if you are new to the Parish, we invite you to call the Office to Register, 949-837-1090.

Thank you,

Father George

Just added to our website are  Newsletter and Update features found on the Events/News page, where you can down load Father George and Staffs's current Newsletters and read COVID - 19 related Updates

Fr. George and Fr. Martin continue to offer Mass daily in private. Intentions for this month can be found on our Mass Intentions page. If you have any questions, please call the Parish Office at 949-837-1090.

Whether you are new to the Parish or visiting our area, seeking information on the Catholic Church, or if you’ve been away from the church for a long time, we warmly welcome you to Saint Nicholas Catholic Church. Our Welcome Prayer follows:

Father,

Inexhaustible source of life and

author of all good, we bless you and we

thank you for brightening our parish 

community by your gift of

new members.

Grant that they may find in the life of this

larger family such inspiration that they will

continue to strive always for what is right

and good, and by your grace find their

purpose in God’s plan at Saint Nicholas

Community.

St. Michael’s Abbey has partnered with award winning director Charles Kinnane to bring us the unprecedented seven part series called the City of Saints. This is an incredible series where heaven and earth collide and everyday people are touched by God and the saints who work through the Norbertines to enrich our lives. These are real, true life stories that the Norbertine Priests have witnessed through their ministries.  

To view this series go to http://cityofsaints.com/homepage-trailer.

There you will be prompted to sign up providing your name and email address. By doing this, you will receive exclusive access to all seven episodes. 

We hope you will enjoy this very special series of documentaries.

 It appears that some of our email and phone number lists have been hacked. If you received any email or phone text messages from Father George Blais or anyone else from the parish requesting assistance with money transfers, iTunes gift card purchases, or any other type of monetary support, PLEASE DISREGARD, these are scams. Always check with the office directly before responding to any such email to verify authenticity.

We are in the process of introducing Mass on Live Stream via various Facebook links. We will post scheduled times to this Home Page as soon as posible. For now we rely on recorded Masses via YouTube. 

May 22, 2020

We have all been experiencing hardship and confusion during these days of the COVID 19 pandemic.  There have been many thoughts and opinions about our current situation of not being able to gather for Mass or even come to the church to pray.  I have been following all the news conferences and media debates and I know that these can bring confusion and maybe even anger about what we are being told to endure.

Sometimes we hear things from the media that are politically motivated, and we may jump on the bandwagon of one side or the other, but the bottom line is that this virus is real and dangerous and is transmitted by person to person contact. 

Please know that any decisions that I have made or not made were as a result of guidance from our Bishop’s office.  We hear about churches going against the government’s orders in reopening too soon and even the latest about 1200 pastors who are bringing a lawsuit to our Governor.  It is important to realize that these pastors are not from the Catholic Church.  Our California Bishops are all working together to create the best approach to reopening our churches and are working directly with the Governor and the local health agencies for guidance.  As Bishop Vann mentioned today in our weekly Pastor and business Manager Webinar; “This order to not gather is not an attack on our Religious Freedom, but rather a call to do the right thing for all people.”

I look forward to when we can gather again for Mass; however, I must look at the big picture, including the demographics of our elderly parishioners.  We are getting closer to a possible reopening, but we will not be going back to what we are accustomed to.  Things will be different.  We will have to be physically distant, wear face coverings, need to provide hand sanitizers, have only one entrance and one exit to the church, and be cautious and respectful of all.  We need to recognize that coming back too soon can create a false sense of security and possibly lead to another wave of the virus.
  
I am asking that we are all patient with one another and that we understand that we are following the guidelines of the Diocese, the Orange County Health Department, and the Governor’s office.  Many people have varying opinions on what is happening and what we should do in response to the virus; however, It is important to remember that decisions cannot be based on “What I want or need, but on what is best for all and will result in the greatest good.”

As we look forward to reopening, it is important to pray for those who have lost their lives to the virus, their families who have not been given the opportunity to say a proper “Good bye”, and be patient in accepting the best plan for our reopening.

With the new order from President Trump that all places of worship must be allowed to be reopened this weekend, I can tell you that we may be very close to reopening; however, please know and understand that I have and will continue to follow the mandate and guidelines of our Bishop and his office.  I do not answer to any governmental agent.  My decision to reopen will be as a result of the guidelines and instruction of the Bishop’s office and will need the implementation of all safety precautions to be in place and the understanding and cooperation of all parishioners to follow these guidelines.  My concern is for the safety and well being of all of our parishioners and it is important for all of us to “Stay healthy as we move forward to reopen our church.”

May God continue to Bless us and Mary, our Mother continue to intercede for us and lead us to her Son.
Fr. George
 
P.S.
We just received instructions and approval to begin public Masses beginning on June 14.  Please read the Press Release from the Diocese of Orange by going to the following link.

More specific instructions will be posted within the next week as they are developed.

The Parish Finance Council's Financial Status Report of April 2020 and most recent Collection and Expenes Trend  for the period of July 2019 through April 2020  are made available to all parishioners. The Report and Graph reflect on the impact of COVID -19 on our parish operations.

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In the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, the Diocese of Orange has launched the Serve + Hope Helpline with the following announcement:

"Many of us are facing very particular challenges at this time. As a Catholic community in the Diocese of Orange, we are here to serve you and want to make you aware of the new Serve Hope Helpline, 844-279-0105. If you are in need of food assistance, crisis counseling, or spiritual guidance and prayer, we welcome you to call the Serve Hope Helpline at 844-279-0105."

"Muchos de nosotros estamos enfrentando desafíos muy particulares en este momento. Como comunidad católica en la Diócesis de Orange, estamos aquí para servirle y queremos informarle sobre una nueva línea telefónica de ayuda llamada Serve Hope Helpline, el numero de telefono es 844-279-0105. Si necesita asistencia de comida, consejería de crisis, o apoyo espiritual y oración, le invitamos a que llame a la línea de ayuda de Serve Hope al 844-279-0105."

Learn more at: https://www.rcbo.org/group/serve-hope/