Dear Parishioners,

I pray that you all are experiencing a good week.  I am remaining home, (temperature today 98.6, no symptoms) navigating how best to keep our parish together in this turbulent, scary, and changing time for the world!  I have been called to serve you all and that is what I am going to do.  I do believe GOD IS WITH US and is ALL-LOVING, all the time!

I wanted to share with you if you have not already seen this Pope Francis delivered an extraordinary blessing “To the City and to the World” this past Friday, March 27 to pray for an end to the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic. In , his meditation, the Pope reflects on Jesus’ words to His disciples: “Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?” I encourage all of you to take a look –  https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2020-03/pope-francis-urbi-et-orbi-blessing-coronavirus.html.

I will tell you that the Diocese has been most expansive in guiding me with new and changing government regulations, liturgical guidelines, announcing pastoral care for our parishioners in need because of COVID-19 and informing me “how to pay what bills first” (like health benefits) especially when the weekly collection is decreasing!

These are NEW TIMES for us all and we have never experienced this situation before and so NEW MEASURES need to be devised FOR EVERYONE!  I haven’t washed my hands and wiped down surfaces so much as I have in the past three weeks!!!!

“CHANGE is difficult, but CHANGE is good”

I have lived by this motto for a very long time, guarding myself from remaining stagnant, fearful of the NEW!  I encourage you to think about this and embrace this situation with positive energy.  As the song says, “Be Not Afraid, I go before you always”.

Even this letter coming to you in your emails…. A way to reach out and TALK with you  … WOW that’s NEW for a PASTOR to do and I have had the guidance of a wonderful staff, much more technologically savvy than myself, (compliment Julie when you can!) to help me get this NEW MINISTRY done and into your INBOX!  I am learning it, embracing the NEW and if this is what SERVING YOU is all about in this changing time, then so be it.

So your parish is ministering to you as best as we can in this changing world.  Be ready to receive a phone call from some of our IHM staff, simply asking if you are alright and letting you know that Father Ralph and I are concerned about all of you!  Jen Ricard and I have put this phone calling ministry together so that we can stay in touch and be of service.  That’s what COMMUNITY is!  That’s what belonging to IHM is all about!

Lastly, WOMEN OF FAITH still meet weekly via teleconferencing on ZOOM, amazing and so is the monthly Men’s Fellowship meeting through this teleconferencing.  This is all NEW, too (I am not there yet, but, sooner than later I will be!)

I will send out more information in a few days about our IHM Holy Week Services which we will be live streaming!  Amazing!

Many blessings,
Father Jim