JUNE 7, 2020 the SOLEMNITY of the MOST HOLY TRINITY June 7, 2020 | St
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JUNE 7, 2020 THE SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST HOLY TRINITY June 7, 2020 | St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church Friday Focus Dear Parishioners, Welcome to this week’s Friday Focus on the Faith. There are four things I’d like to highlight this week. 1. We have reopened for public celebration of Masses! Because of the Phase 1 capacity limitations, you have to sign up via the link on our website so we can Fr. Don Planty, Jr. make sure we do not exceed the limit. We had good attendance last week and Pastor we’re hoping for even greater attendance this week. Everyone is still dispensed by the bishop if they feel it’s unsafe or it’s not good for them to go to Mass this week, but for those who can and are willing and able, please do join us for Mass and sign up. And remember that during the week, we have our daily Masses going again, and confessions three times a week. Our chapel is also open for prayer in front of the Blessed Sacrament every day. 2. Our parish charities food pantry is in need of donations. We’ve received a lot of cash donations, which is great, and we use some of that cash to buy food for our food pantry, but if you were in the habit or have been in the habit of when you do your grocery shopping, picking up some extra food for our food pantry and dropping it off, we’d appreciate it if you’d do that again or kick it up a little bit if you’re already doing it. Page 6 of the bulletin lists the most immediates needs. Again, you can always give cash donations, especially on Faith Direct online especially for our food pantry. 3. Given the disturbing and challenging issues that our country is dealing with, I would invite you to go to our parish YouTube channel and check out my P3 meditation, which is just a simple 12-minute meditation about how Christians can approach the challenges and the issues that our nation is facing these days. You can find the link on our homepage. 4. Bishop Burbidge has announced that Fr. Keith Cummings, has been named our new Parochial Vicar beginning on Thursday, June 25. Up until now, Fr. Cummings has been the chaplain at Pope Saint John Paul the Great Catholic High School down in Dumfries, VA. He’s a couple years older than I am, but he’s very youthful and he’s a great man. We’re looking forward to having Fr. Cummings as part of our pastoral team here at St. Charles, to getting to know him, and welcoming him at the end of the month. My friends, let us continue to pray for one another. Remember that any information that you need about our parish is available on our website, but although our parish is closed to walk-ins, we are here and ready to support you in any way we can. Your servant in Christ Jesus, Fr. Don 2 STCHARLESCHURCH.ORG | 703-527-5500 | 3304 WASHINGTON BLVD. 22201 St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church | June 7, 2020 WHAT YOUR FELLOW PARISHIONERS ARE DOING • Small Groups. Our small communities of faith continue meeting to support one another in the faith—only now they’re meeting virtually, of course. • Volunteers. Many have generously, selflessly contacted the parish to offer assistance to the parish and to needy parishioners. WHAT OUR PARISH STAFF IS DOING • Faith Formation · I am virtually teaching the RCIA classes for our converts. · Katie Wilson, our Director of Religious Education, along with our catechists, are assisting parents in teaching the faith to children through an online platform. Katie is also taking some time off to spend time with her husband and their newly adopted child, Elizabeth! Let us pray for them as they begin this new stage in their life. · Francesca Gross, our Director of Youth Ministry, along with our volunteers, continue to prepare our middle schoolers for Confirmation, and are offering a virtual high school youth group on Sunday nights. · Teresa Reyes, our Director of Hispanic Ministry, is also coordinating religious education in Spanish, as well as virtual daily Rosary groups, catechist meetings, and other prayer groups where over 75 attendees participate online! • Preschool · Although our Early Childhood Education Center is closed, Director Amy Fry and our teachers are doing their best to support parents virtually. • Parish Charities · Anne Marie Kaufmann and our volunteers are ensuring that our food pantry remains open, and we continue to offer financial assistance (rent, utilities, medical bills) to needy families, especially to any from our parish. The counselor from Catholic Charities continues to meet with clients virtually. Coffee hour has gone online. We are making weekly phone calls to our homebound and senior parishioners. • Evangelization & Communications · Adam Arehart, our Director of Evangelization and Adult Faith Formation, continues to coordinate programs for adults including a new bible study that takes place virtually on Thursday evenings. Adam also leads a livestreamed rosary every Thursday on Instagram. · Bulay Miñano, our Assistant Director for Evangelization and Communications, is keeping us all informed and connected virtually by updating our Instagram, Facebook, and website. She is also filming and editing P3 Talks, video messages, and is running the livestreams for our Masses as well as helping out with the logistics of the reopening of the public Masses. • Liturgy · Director of Liturgy and Music, Erin Bullock is preparing for the possible reopening of public celebration of Masses. This includes preparing the liturgy and music suitable for the unique situation of our time, recruiting ushers to help facilitate a safe environment. She is also working to get some new sound equipment for the gym, which will greatly improve the sound quality of the upcoming Masses. • Administration · Deacon Forrest Wallace, our Business Manager, keeping the bills paid and juggling finances with the help of Alvaro Chavez, our Evening Receptionist, who is offering administrative support remotely. · While our office is closed to walk-ins,Celeste White, our Office Manager, and Kevin Flynn, our Daytime Receptionist, are working daily to answer phones and emails. · Celeste is also working as staff support for on-site duties, coordinating weddings and funerals, assisting with food pantry drop-offs, financial assistance intake, and helping out with the logistics of reopening of the public Masses. • Facilities · George Reyes, our Facilities Manager, and his Assistants, Bill Roche and Hugo Perez, are keeping our physical plant in shape, and coordinating with our cleaning service to make sure surfaces stay clean and disinfected. STCHARLESCHURCH.ORG | 703-527-5500 | 3304 WASHINGTON BLVD. 22201 3 Announcements June 7, 2020 | St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church WHAT YOU CAN DO GIVING • Stay informed. Regularly consult our website, and read Second Collection this weekly email message, to keep up on the ways you can This weekend's second collection is for our continue to live the faith. Building Maintenance Fund. • Celebrate. We are now celebrating public Masses on Sundays and weekdays. All faithful are still dispensed from Online Giving the obligation, so if you choose not to come to Mass, we will also be livestreaming the 9am Mass! Times are listed on our website. Receive the merciful forgiveness of Jesus in the Sacrament of Penance: Confessions are offered here three times weekly. Faith Direct makes being generous easy. It only • Learn. Take time weekly to study our rich faith. A wealth takes 10 minutes to sign up to make all of your of resources (podcasts, streaming services, websites, etc.) contributions to St. Charles electronically. are available on our website. Visit faithdirect.net using the parish code VA681 • Share. · Fellowship. Consider joining a (virtual) small group fellowship: you can find group info online at stcharleschurch.org/small-groups · Volunteer. Contact our Parish office to help our needy neighbors. · Give. Continue to support our parish’s mission financially, electronically, through Faith Direct: https://membership. faithdirect.net/VA681 · Give. Support the good works of our diocese by giving to the Bishop’s Lenten Appeal: as of today, we have only reached 95% of our goal! https://secure3.arlingtondiocese.org/BLA/BLA/BLA_Home.aspx • Pray. Let us all continue daily to turn to the Lord in prayer. If we cannot encounter Jesus by receiving him in Holy Communion, we can encounter him by prayerfully meditating on his inspired Word in the Sacred Scriptures. Let us also daily lift one another up in our prayer intentions, and pray the prayer offered us by our bishop during the coronavirus crisis: https://www.arlingtondiocese.org/bishop/public-messages/2020/prayer-to-jesus-for- healing-and-guidance/ PARISH RESPONSE TO CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) On May 15, Bishop Burbidge announced that as our area enters Phase 1, we may resume the celebration of public Masses. All faithful are still dispensed from the obligation of attending Sunday Mass and Holy Days of Obligation. We encourage all those who are vulnerable or sick to refrain from attending Mass to ensure everyone’s safety. At St. Charles Parish: • We now have public Masses! Weekend Masses are on Saturday at 5pm, Sunday at 9am, 12pm, and 6pm. Because of Phase 1 capacity limitations, those who attend Mass would need to read the guidelines and sign up using the link on our website to make sure we do not exceed the limites. Daily Masses are Monday through Friday at 7am and 9am and on Saturday at 9am. There is no need to sign up for Daily Mass. • The Chapel remains open daily from Monday through Friday from 6am to 8pm and Saturday and Sunday from 7am to 8pm for personal prayer in front of the Most Blessed Sacrament • Confessions are offered in the parish school on: · Wednesdays, 6:30 - 8pm, Fridays, 6:30 - 7pm, Saturdays, 3:30 - 4:30pm • People may reach out to the Parish Office for essential services by phone or by email between the hours of 9am and 4pm, but the office will remain closed.