Dear friends of SJB,
“The PEACE of the Lord be with you ALWAYS!” St. Paul greeted his flock with these words, and I want to reiterate them, especially given our current health crisis. Christ is the bringer of peace and he remains with us, even in the sufferings and darkness. May his peace reign in our hearts and minds in this stressful time.
Given the various health concerns, we want to make some prudent decisions to help our parishioners stay healthy. We have decided to cancel all non-essential meetings or programs this week from Monday March 16th through March 22nd. Mass and confessions will continue as normal. All daily Masses will be celebrated in the church to allow for more distancing.
Archbishop Bernard Hebda has dispensed the faithful from their Sunday Mass obligation until further notice given the health concerns. If you are sick or not feeling well, PLEASE STAY HOME. No one is obligated to attend Mass this weekend. However, we will still celebrate Mass at the normally scheduled times.
If you plan on watching Mass at home, I recommend EWTN. Sunday Mass will be on at 7am and 11am. https://www.ewtn.com/tv/watch-live Also, Magnificat has made their issue of the Scripture Readings free. It can be accessed at: https://us.magnificat.net/free
Join with me on Wednesday, March 18 and Archbishop Hebda for a day of prayer and fasting for an end to the Coronavirus and healing for all those affected. Treat it as you would Ash Wednesday and ask for God’s healing graces to be bestowed upon the world. Please see this video from Archbishop Hebda.
There will be no Soup Supper on Friday, March 20th. Instead, Stations of the Cross will begin following the 5:30pm Mass.
Please watch the parish website or your email for future communications.