Dear Parishioners,

Today we celebrate Pentecost Sunday and remember that we have received the gift of the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Holy Trinity.  It is this same Holy Spirit that was given to the first apostles that we receive in the sacrament of Confirmation and that we celebrate today.  This same Spirit has led the Church from its beginning and continues to guide us especially through our current pandemic.

As we hear in the Gospel today, Jesus breathed on His disciples and sent them forth into the world to continue His work and He does the same with us.  He gave them and gives us His peace and as He breathed on them, He said; “Receive the Holy Spirit.”  We are called like the first apostles to take what we have received and bring it into the whole world, but we must remember that we are guided by the Holy Spirit and must allow ourselves to be led by this same Spirit.

With this current pandemic, we have the opportunity to purify our lives and intentions so that we are following Jesus and the Holy Spirit and not our own agenda.  Jesus wants us to focus on Him and not ourselves as we lead our brothers and sisters in the world to Him.  The Feast of Pentecost marks the beginning of the Catholic Church and I am pleased to announce that we will once again be able to gather together as a faith community in Mass.  Our first public Mass will be on the Feast of Corpus Christi, June 13 and 14, which is a very appropriate time to resume our Masses.

This decision to reopen our church brings me joy and anxiety.  I am pleased that we will once again gather as a family of God; however, I am anxious and nervous because the threat of COVID 19 is real and remains with us.  We need to be considerate in our interactions with one another and as your Pastor, I need to be mindful of the safety and well being of all of you our parishioners.

Please know that there is much planning to do in order to prepare for the new normal.  We will have strict guidelines to follow and we will all need to be patient, understanding, cooperative, and respectful of the directions of all liturgical ministers who will be trained to assist in a smooth transition to the new normal.  One of the most difficult challenges in this first phase of reopening is the reality that we can only have 100 people in the church for any Mass.  Once we hit that capacity, no one else will be allowed to enter for that Mass and this reality pains me tremendously.  I do not feel comfortable turning people away; however, my hands are tied, and I must follow the guidelines of the Bishop.  Some people may have their own thoughts and opinions of how things should be done; however, we must all be considerate of one another and proceed with an attitude of charity to one another.  Please remember that our parish consists of a large elderly community and we must not put our personal desires and piety above the needs for the common good and well being of the whole community.  

I look forward to seeing you beginning on June 13.  Until then, my prayer for all of us is that we are open to the gift of the Holy Spirit and that as Jesus expressed His peace to His disciples, I pray for peace for all of us.  Stay safe and practice good hygiene.

May God continue to Bless you, the Holy Spirit lead you, and Mary our Blessed Mother intercede for you and us as we proceed forward in this pandemic.
Fr. George P. Blais

Dear Parishioners,

Today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Ascension of the Lord Jesus into Heaven.  Since the day of the Resurrection Jesus had appeared to His disciples to prepare them for His departure and commission them to continue His work.  As He ascended to Heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father, He gave them the authority to go into the world to Baptize and teach His message.

We are called to do the same as we go into the world to proclaim the Good News of Jesus to all that we meet.  In these difficult times with the current pandemic we may be feeling like those first disciples who were confused and feeling abandoned or even misguided, but Jesus reminds us on this Feast that He will never abandon us.  We look to Him for hope and as He promised to send a new advocate, the Holy Spirit, it is that same Spirit that guides us today and always.
  
As Jesus ascends to heaven, He opens the gates of heaven for all of us.  He suffered and died for our sins so that we may receive the gift of eternal life with Him in Heaven.  Now more than ever, it is important for us to realize this great gift that we have received, and this Feast allows us to reflect on this gift of our salvation.

With this Feast of the Ascension, the Church is coming to the end of the Easter season as we prepare to celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit into the world.  Next Sunday we celebrate the Feast of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit enters the world to guide the Church for all eternity. 
 
This weekend, we also celebrate Memorial Day.  On this day, we remember all our brave men and women who sacrificed their lives for the sake of our freedom.  They battled a physical enemy so that we could enjoy the freedom that is so precious in our lives.  On this Memorial Day it is important for us to thank them for our freedom, for their sacrifice, and to pray for their souls as well as the consolation of their families who live with the pain of loss in their lives every day.

May God continue to Bless us during this pandemic and may Mary, our Blessed Mother, intercede for us that we may receive a cure of the coronavirus.
 
Father George P. Blais