Pastor’s Corner — October 22nd, 2023
Apology about Livestream Audio
This week we had our parish rosary and the video feed worked, but again the audio wasn’t working. We’ve identified the clear error in the software setting and we believe it won’t happen again. Thanks for praying for peace in the Middle East.
Three Little Reminders about Receiving Holy Communion
Special thanks to all of our parishioners receiving Jesus in Holy Communion with great reverence, especially in light of our recent reminders and preaching about it. With that said, I think it’s appropriate to offer few reminders:
1. The kneelers are there for people to use if they prefer to receive on the tongue kneeling. But you don’t have to kneel in order to receive on the tongue. You can receive on the tongue standing. This is especially important to know if you’re having a hard time kneeling and getting up.
2. Those who are kneeling receiving on the tongue do not need to bow before kneeling. And those who are receiving standing up should bow while the person in front of them.
3. If you cannot use both hands to receive the Holy Communion, which occurs often when parents are holding children or when someone is using a cane, please receive Holy Communion on the tongue. When a person uses only one hand to receive Communion I think the risk of dropping him increases significantly.
Also, receiving Communion the from the chalice is going well at Saturday 5pm Mass and the Sunday 7:45am Mass. We were going to revisit that decision to see if it needs to change. At this point, I don’t see the need to change it at this time. Thank you for all of the volunteers who help make this happen.
Hosting the NET Team
As you know, we have a group of eight (four men and four women) dedicated young adult missionaries from the National Evangelization Team (NET) at the parish until the Spring to help us make disciples. They are the ones who wear the blue shirts that rotate greeting people at Masses.
In addition to playing key role in youth ministry discipleship program, part of the vision of hosting the NET team at our parish is the regular interaction they have with parish families in their homes. They travel from one house to another throughout the year, staying two weeks a time at a family’s house. By offering them a place to live and be a part of our community, families play a crucial role in supporting their mission and helping them witness to our youth. Families are not expected to host the whole team, only part of it. There are only two simple expectations for a family to host the missionaries:
- Provide a Place for Rest: They simply need a place to sleep and a bathroom to shower. Families don’t have to worry if you don’t have extra beds or even a bedroom, the missionaries travel with their own sleeping bags and personal items and are flexible with where they sleep.
- Provide Nourishment: We ask that the host families provide meals for the team members that they are hosting. This includes breakfast each morning and lunch and dinner a few times each week.
Below is a testimony from one of our families that was initially hesitant about hosting:
“Once [our family] decided to take the plunge, it was an amazing experience for us all, but most especially for our 15-year-old daughter. She made a strong connection with the girls who were placed in our home and still keeps in touch with them via group chat. We look forward to hosting again!”
If you want to learn more about potentially hosting some missionaries contact please Marissa Dawson via email (mdawson@stpatchurch.org) or call the parish office.
By opening your home and hearts to these young missionaries, families not only help the missionaries in their own journey, but also become a vital part of their mission to enrich the lives of our parish youth. For more information about our NET Team (with names and pictures of them) please go here. Thank you for considering this invitation.
Your servant in the Lord,
Fr. Mathias