Saint Bonaventure Church
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SAINT BONAVENTURE CHURCH TWELFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME | JUNE 21, 2020 As Christian stewards, our mission is to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all people through word, sacrament, service and community life. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father knowing ... fear not, you are more valuable than many sparrows. – Matthew 29:31 Page two 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time PPastor’sastor’s CCornerorner Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Today I want to offer a prayer for all the Dads on this Father’s Day: God our Father, in your wisdom and love you made all things. Bless these men, that they may be strengthened as Christian fathers. Let the example of their faith and love shine forth. Grant that we, their sons and daughters, may honor them always with a spirit of profound respect. Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Today is the Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time. The response to today’s Psalm is, “Lord, in your great love, answer me.” I find this very appropriate. I have been doing a lot of praying during the “lock down time” of the last three months. We were ready to celebrate the opening of our church in March, only to be told to stay home. We have all been through so much. I was so happy when the Bishop offered to bless our newly retrofitted and renovated church on June 14. Originally this was going to be just a livestream Mass. Then with the help of the Bishops of California, including Bishop Vann, as well as Bishop Jaime Soto, a native son of Orange County and Bishop of Sacramento, we were allowed by the Governor to open our churches on June 14. This was a blessing and a challenge. Thank you for your patience and understanding. We didn’t want to turn anyone away from Mass that day. So since we were restricted to only 100 people in church, we decided to have people remain outside until the Rite of Holy Communion. At the Mass on Monday, June 15 parishioners still could not sit in the pews. Instead they had to stay in the Narthex (vestibule) or outside. However, after Mass, we asked for volunteers to help with cleaning the pews and high-touch areas. We were blessed with many volunteers who helped clean the pews and high-touch areas after Mass on Tuesday which meant they were able to sit in the pews, of course, with social distancing. Over 100 came to Mass, so unfortunately some had to stay outside, and Holy Communion was brought to them. This gave us time to work out the best way to do the cleaning; therefore, this weekend we will invite the first 100 to come into church. (Actually, closer to 88 since the priest, lector, eucharistic ministers, ushers, sacristan, audio-visual crew need to be part of the total count.) After we hit 100 in church, everyone else will need to stay outside and Holy Communion will be brought out by a Eucharistic Minister at the proper time. My prayer now is that the Governor and County officials will allow us to have more parishioners in the church. Please join me in prayer for this intention. I also pray that many more volunteers will help us with the many tasks that are needed, including cleaning the pews. God bless all our wonderful parishioners; you are truly a blessing. As St. Paul tells us, “How much more did the grace of God and the gracious gift of the one person Jesus Christ overflow for the many” (Romans 5:15). June 21, 2020 Page three Volunteers Still Needed For Public Masses If you haven't already signed up to volunteer at our public Sunday and weekday Masses, please complete the Volunteer Interest Form at stbonaventure.org/volunteer- interest. DAILY REFLECTIONS & LIVE HOLY HOUR with FR QUAN TRAN Do you need a spiritual boost to help you through the day? Check out Fr. Tran’s daily reflections Happy Father's Day on the readings of the weekday Mass at www.fullnessofgrace.org/ daily-reflections. RELIGIOUSFREEDOMWEEK You are also invited to join in June 22-29 a live holy hour with Fr. Tran Pray that like Sts. Thomas More every morning from 6:00 to and John Fisher, we might have the 7:00 a.m. Fr. Tran will expose wisdom and the courage to be good the Blessed Sacrament in the servants of our country, though chapel of the rectory, proclaim always servants of God first. the Gospel reading of the day, as well as give a short reflection Beginning June 22, the Feast of Sts. and benediction at the end. Thomas More and John Fisher, You will have quiet time for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops celebrates Religious personal prayer while adoring Freedom Week. Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Religious Freedom Week is a fitting time to reflect not only on religious The holy hour is livestreamed at liberty, but on what it means to be both American and Catholic. Perhaps www.vimeo.com/event/45822. somewhat ironically, two English saints point us in the right direction. We remember the martyrs Sts. Thomas More and John Fisher, in part, because they were steadfast in the truth, and thus exemplify courage in FAMILIESOFNAZARETH the exercise of conscience. They also show us what patriotism means for Choosing Not To Be Afraid Christians. They loved and served their country. Thomas More carried out Fear is a challenge issued his lay vocation as a civil servant, while John Fisher lived out the clerical to you. What will you do vocation as a most faithful bishop. At the same time, when forced to with it? Will you allow choose between the king of England and Christ the King of the Universe, yourself to be enslaved by its they adhered to Jesus and His Church. We need the fortitude and wisdom weight? Or will you try to perform to animate the Church today, as we navigate these tumultuous times. acts of abandoning yourself to Sts. John Fisher and Thomas More, pray for us! God who is infinite power and infinite love. Everything that Learn more at usccb.org/ReligiousFreedomWeek happens is connected with our Twitter: @ USCCBFreedom decision. —Tadeusz Dajczer, The For text and action alerts, text “FREEDOM” to 84576 Gift of Faith, p. 43 Page four 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time CHURCH RENOVATION UPDATE As Father Joe said in the Pastor’s Corner today, there have been several changes in the past few weeks. On June 14, we celebrated our (partial) return to our church. It had been 90 weeks since we last celebrated a public Mass in our church. And then on Wednesday, June 17 the first 100 parishioners came into the church for the 8:30 a.m. Mass. This was decided on Monday, June 15 from what we learned on Sunday, June 14. TURNINGTHEHEARTS We tested our cleaning procedures, etc. with these 8:30 a.m. morning OFFATHERS Masses. If all went well, you might be reading this bulletin inside our Turning the Hearts of Fathers is an renovated church. initiative of the "Silent No More I hope you enjoy the old and the new in our church. We still have our Awareness Campaign" to share stations of the cross, our art glass windows, our organ, etc. And now we the good news of forgiveness have a wonderful new tapestry, our new Blessed Sacrament Chapel, our and recovery to men who have new pews, our new air conditioning, etc. If you hear any creaking when experienced abortion loss. you stand up in church, the sound is not coming from our pews! “We have learned from fathers Please help us maintain the beauty of our church. Our pews are very nice who have taken part in an but they don’t like liquids of any kind, especially hand sanitizers. Most abortion that their experience gels and wipes will cause permanent damage to our pews. Sometimes damaged them as men,” said the damage is almost instant. Even plain water should not be left on our Kevin Burke, Pastoral Associate pews. Treat our pews as if they were fine furniture in your house, possibly of Priests for Life and coordinator a nice dining table that cost 100s of thousands of dollars. Also, any spills of Turning the Hearts of Fathers. on our travertine stone flooring should immediately be addressed. "Abortion attacks the fundamental Now for some help in finding a seat in our new pews given the current nature of the gift men bring limit of 100 people in the church and 6’ of separation from non-family to the family: a father’s love members. Our longest pews are about 18 feet long. They could normally and protection of the children seat about 12 people. However, with 6’ of separation, we can seat 8 total entrusted to his care. Violating people, say 4 at one end of the pew and 4 at the other end. Or 5 and 3, 6 this fundamental law of God and 2, etc. Alternately, if you are attending the Mass as an individual or can later weaken men in their as a couple, then you can seat 3 people in an 18’ long pew, one at each vocation as husbands, fathers end and one in the center. Or you can seat 2 people at one end, 2 in the and spiritual leaders at home, in center and 1 on the other end. This is where you either love or hate all church and in their communities.