Dear Blessed Sacrament Parish Family,
July usually finds us in a carefree and relaxed mood. This July, however, has a very different feel to it as we continue to do everything in our power to keep our families safe and well during this challenging pandemic. July is also the month when we celebrate the birth of our nation. Patriotism runs high and we usually surround the day with picnics, fireworks and proud remembrances of our 244-year history. This year, however, we feel a sadness and a concern for our nation as it struggles to become the nation intended by our founding fathers where we continually strive to be a united nation where justice prevails for all her people. We know and trust that God will bring healing to our great nation and we will once again celebrate with joy our unity, dreams and great potential.
July also marks some changes in our Church. Beginning this month, we’ll be transitioning back to Sunday Mass with a congregation. It’s been almost four months since we have been able to gather around the Lord’s Altar at a Sunday liturgy. It won’t be business as usual, however, since we need to continue to follow safety protocols established by the state and our diocese. The biggest change will be the number of people allowed in our worship sites. At this time, each of our Churches are allowed a total of 100 people per Mass. The question becomes – how do we ensure that we don’t exceed 100 people? Our parish will be instituting an online reservation program where you can reserve a seat for yourself and family members from the same household. It’s a very simple form on our website that can be completed quickly. If you don’t have a computer, you can call our office and they will reserve a seat for you. Once a Mass hits its capacity – it will be closed to any further reservations. We have a total of seven weekend Masses, so we don’t anticipate a problem. Also, since the Sunday obligation continues to be lifted, you can choose to attend a weekday Mass.
Prior to coming to one of our Masses, I would encourage you to watch our welcome back video that will explain the new safety procedures we have set in place.
Those people who are immune compromised, elderly or are concerned about gathering with people in large numbers – please watch our livestreamed Masses from the safety of your home. Our weekend livestream Masses will be 5:00 pm Saturday Mass at St. Matthew Church and 10:00 am Mass from St. Bernard Church.
May God continue to watch over our parish family and keep us united, safe and in strong faith.
God Bless America!
Fr. Rick