[Parish of Saint Monica] Parish of Saint Monica e-Newsletter 5/30

Sat May 30 10:04:30 EDT 2020

Parish of Saint Monica e-Newsletter 5/30

Governor Murphy has said
<https://covid19.nj.gov/faqs/nj-information/general-public/are-churches-and-other-houses-of-worship-still-offering-services>
that the indoor gathering limit may be raised by June 12, thereby allowing
reasonably sized religious services to resume.  For Catholics who have been
hungering for the Eucharist, the date is appropriate: Sunday, June 14 is
the Feast of Corpus Christi (the Body and Blood of Christ).  Bishop
Sullivan will therefore permit public Mass to resume.  The next email from
me will probably be a link to the online reservation system.  I also
anticipate *one final bulk mailing* to the parish to inform those without
Internet access about the new protocol (including the option to call the
office to reserve a pew).  Realize that bulk mailings are labor- and
cost-intensive.  This pandemic shutdown provides all the more reason to
update the parish's communications, hence this e-newsletter.

Like your trips to the grocery store, Mass won't be the same.  The protocol
required by the diocese, keeping with public health guidelines, is
burdensome.  Our individual responses to the pandemic vary considerably.
As long as no injustice is done (injustice must always be opposed), I
believe that Christians who are *not *very concerned about the pandemic
should be considerate of those who *are*.  If the suspension of public Mass
was an injustice, it is now being made right.  Now, I ask those of you who
are frustrated with the restrictions to bear them patiently.

Here are the details:

*Pandemic Mass Schedule*
*Our Lady Star of the Sea Church*
*Sat *4:15 PM English, 7 PM Spanish
*Sun *7:30 AM English, 9:30 AM Spanish, 12 Noon English, 2:30 PM Spanish,
6:30 PM Vietnamese

*St. Nicholas of Tolentine Church*
*Sat *4 PM English
*Sun *10:30 AM English

Even after June 12, Sunday Mass will not be obligatory and, in fact, those
who are sick and those in the high-risk categories for COVID-19 are asked
to stay home.

*Pandemic Protocol for Mass*
* *Mass is limited to 50 people*, inclusive of the priest(s), liturgical
ministers, and "pandemic protocol" volunteers
* *Households must reserve a pew* *before *coming to the church.  As a
general rule, only members of the same household can sit together in a pew.
* *Masks are required* for everyone except children under 2.  CDC
guidelines also exempt those who have difficulty breathing, but they
probably belong to one of the categories of people asked to stay home.
* *Bathrooms will not be open*.  This is no time for public bathrooms.
Their use unnecessarily endangers people, including volunteers and parish
employees who would have to continually disinfect them.
* There is *virtually no movement in the church*.  Upon arrival, ushers
will direct your household to a pew.  Remember the priests who've railed
against leaving immediately after Communion?  That is now required.
Therefore, the only time you will leave your pew is to receive Communion,
after which you will immediately exit the church.  People are not permitted
to stand in the back of the church and children are not permitted to run
around the church.
* *Different doors for the entrance and the exit*.  All other doors will be
closed.

Some specifically liturgical protocol:
* No entrance procession, no offertory procession, no recession
* No altar servers
* We will begin with only the priests offering Communion; depending on
"demand," we might include ministers of Communion later
* Communion is given *after *Mass (after the final blessing).  Ushers will
direct the Communion line pew-by-pew.  Once you reach the priest, you may
receive Communion, but everyone must then continue to follow the traffic
flow through the exit.
* Of course, no distribution of the Blood of Christ until further notice
* Limited singing.  No choirs until further notice; only an organist and
cantor in the choir loft are permitted.  Both the number of songs and the
number of verses will be limited.

*More "bad news":*
* The priests have been celebrating private Masses in St. Michael's, but
public Masses will not resume there until further notice
* No public weekday Masses until further notice
* We are not opening the churches for private prayer until further notice
* Confession remains by appointment; it will not be offered before Mass.
For those who want anonymity, please call the parish office to arrange this
with the secretary

These decisions,* made by the parish staff at a two-hour meeting this past
Wednesday*, are sad for many of our parishioners but are guided by the
onerous "pandemic protocol" and our desire to reduce both the costs of
continuous disinfection and the risks to employees and volunteers posed by
such work.  Keep in mind the risks are not only physical (the risk of
infection and serious illness) but legal, i.e. the risk of lawsuits if a
case is made the parish failed to take every precaution.

In these circumstances, it's natural for us to direct our anger against
someone or something.  Some of you have heard me make mention of a bumper
sticker in a homily.  I'd like to share that again:

ANGRY?
NEED A WEAPON?
PRAY THE ROSARY

Alternatively, you can direct your frustration into service!  We still
require volunteers at these Masses:

*Our Lady Star of the Sea*

*Sat *4:15 PM - 1 volunteer

*Sun *7:30 AM - 2 volunteers

*Sun *12:00 Noon - 2 volunteers

*St. Nicholas of Tolentine*

*Sat *4:00 PM - 3 volunteers

To volunteer, email Sister Celeste <sisterceleste at accatholic.org>, pastoral
associate.

*Fr. Jon*
Pastor
Feast of St. Joan of Arc

Starting June 13

* Pastoral visits to homebound parishioners can resume June 13
* Baptisms resume (outside of Mass, one child at a time)
* Weddings and funerals according to the protocol above for Mass

Parish Calendar

* Friday, June 5 *

Virtual Sister Shamus Walk - stay tuned for the link

*Saturday, June 6 at 10 AM*

Food distribution at St. Michael's parking lot organized by the Hispanic
Association of Atlantic County.  For more information, email Laura
<lbello at accatholic.org>, pastoral associate.

*Friday, June 12 at 6 PM*

Virtual Graduation Mass and Ceremony for Our Lady Star of the Sea School -
stay tuned for the link

Parish Services

*Sister Celeste's Zoom Classes*

It's not too late to join these weekly classes with other parishioners, led
by Sister Celeste, pastoral associate.  For class descriptions and
instructions for joining, visit the parish Web site
<http://www.accatholic.org/> or email Sister <sisterceleste at accatholic.org>.

Wednesday, 9:30AM - Lectio Divina

Thursday, 9:30 AM - Ignatian Examen

Friday, 9:30 AM - Sacred Doodling

*Emergency Food Pantry*

The parish is operating an emergency food pantry at Star of the Sea.  If
you need food, please contact Laura Bello, pastoral associate, at
lbello at accatholic.org.  Thanks to Downbeach and offshore donors and the St.
Vincent de Paul Society of Holy Trinity Parish and St. Gianna Beretta Molla
Parish.

*Prayer Hotline*

The Franciscan Sisters of the Renewal invite parishioners and others to
leave prayer intentions on their voicemail.  The phone number for St.
Michael's Convent is (609) 343-1545.

*Free Book Service*

Call the office or email Maria to request a copy (mespinoza at accatholic.org).
Provide your mailing address.  The following titles are available:

   - Song of Silence: The Journey of Saint Jeanne Jugan
   - Poor in Spirit: The Spirituality of Jeanne Jugan
   - Sayings of Jeanne Jugan
   - Perfectly Yourself: Discovering God's Dream for You
   - Why We're Catholic: Our Reasons for Faith, Hope and Love

*Fr. Jon's English Mass on WOND 1400*

Airs on Sundays at 7 AM

*Other Resources on our Web Site*

On the parish Web site, you can also find a guide for following Sunday Mass
from home (in English and Spanish) plus special prayers for "spiritual
Communion" and for our needs during the pandemic.

Staying in Touch

*Web site* - www.accatholic.org
*English Facebook page* - facebook.com/accatholic
*Spanish Facebook page* -
https://www.facebook.com/Parroquia-Santa-M%C3%B3nica-102170761264036
*Parish Office* - 609-345-1878

-- 
Fr. Jon Thomas
Pastor, Parish of Saint Monica
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