SACRAMENTS and SCHEDULE "God's Not Dead!” How Parish Life Will Stay Alive at St
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MǑǢǓǘ 29, 2020 | FǙǖǤǘ SǥǞǔǑǩ ǟǖ LǕǞǤ SACRAMENTS AND SCHEDULE "God's Not Dead!” How parish life will stay alive at St. Al's As things are changing daily with respect to COVID19, Fr. Tom and the staff in the parish office are making every at- tempt to keep our church family informed. In addition to the following information, updates are continuously being posted on our website (www.stalbg.org) and Facebook page. Parish Staff will be available from 10:00 am M 3:00 pm, Monday M Friday. The door to the parish office is locked. Please ring the bell for access. Food Pantry will remain open from 10:00 am M 12:00 noon and again from 1:00 pm M 3:00 pm. Please ring the bell for service. The church will be opened with access only through the narthex for individual, private prayer. Please keep your distance from others by at least 6 feet. If it looks like there are more than 10 people in the church, please come back at a different time. Hours the church is open: Monday Friday from 6:30am M 3:30pm Saturday from 4:00 M 7:00 pm Sunday from 8:00 am M 1:00 pm Daily Masses will be published on our website and on Facebook at 7:30 am Mon Sat, and Weekend Mass will be posted by 5:30 pm Saturday evening. Confessions will be available Monday M Friday from 8:00 am M 8:30 am Saturday from 4:00 pm M 5:00 pm and Sunday from 10 am M 11 am Day of Grace will remain as scheduled on April 8 from 8:00 am M 8:00 pm with Benediction at 7:50 pm. Anointing of the Sick and reception of Holy Communion are available for serious need. Please contact Fr Tom at (419) 3524195 or (419)8064738. The following sacramental celebrations may go forward with participation limited to necessary participants and immediate family. Family members who are sick or vulnerable should not attend. If the necessary participants are sick or vulnerable, they should consider delaying the celebration except as noted below: Baptisms: Necessary participants are the one to be baptized, the parents and the Godparents. If the one to be baptized is in danger of death, the baptism should proceed immediately with all precautions. Call Father Tom at (419) 3524195 (parish office) or (419) 8064738 (Rectory after hours). Weddings: May proceed as scheduled with the bridal party and immediate families in attendance. Otherwise, the couple should consider delaying the wedding. Funerals: May proceed with the immediate family in attendance. Please consider the option of cremation and delaying funeral and burial until normalcy is restored. And, remember, as circumstances in our world are rapidly changing, all of this could change too. Thank you for your patience and understanding. St. Aloysius, Pray for us! The Domestic Church Jean Bargiel March 29, 2020 Take a few moments of silence to transition from the busyness of your home to the sacredness of the Mass. According to the Second Vatican Council’s Dog- matic Constitution on the Church: “The family is, Listen attentively to the Sacred Scriptures as they are so to speak, the domestic church.” (Lumen Genti- proclaimed. um#11) This means that it is in the context of the Fully participate by standing kneeling, sitting and re- family that we first learn who God is and to sponding according to the rubrics of the Mass. prayerfully seek His will for us. (USCCB.org). At Communion time, pray to make a Spiritual Com- Over the next few weeks, I’ll be offering some munion (see page 4 in blue section for the words to a thoughts on ways to build your “domestic church” Spiritual Communion). through a life of prayer that can help all the mem- bers of your family in this time of separation from our usual faith routines. Jesus is present to us in many ways throughout our days. It is helpful to remind ourselves that Christ is Prayer to Most Holy Mary present in the community and in His Living Word, By Saint Aloysius Gonzaga as well as in Holy Eucharist. Those are ways that we can experience His presence, even when we can’t’ gather at the church building for Mass and O Holy Mary, receive Christ’s Precious Body and Blood. My Mistress, The Domestic Church refers to the most basic unit Into thy blessed trust and special keeping, of Christian community M the family whether by Into the bosom of thy tender mercy, birth or by choice M large or small M the family is the building block of the Church. We may not cur- This day, every day of my life, rently be able to gather with our larger community, And at the hour of my death, but we can gather our own small community and share Christ present among us. I commend my soul and body; To thee I entrust all my hopes If you are a household of one M reach out to a friend by phone or electronics and know that you, And consolations, too, are gathered in His name. All my trials and miseries, Fr. Tom continues to pray the Mass daily. He My life and the end of my life, prays for the people of St. Aloysius parish at each That through thy most holy intercession Mass. I invite you to be intentional about your par- ticipation with him. Decide when you will partici- And thy merits, pate in the Mass. Decide that on Sunday morning All my actions may be ordered at 10 M or whenever works best for you M you will come together as a family and “go to Mass”. and disposed According to thy will Get dressed as you normally would for Mass. Keeping this routine is especially helpful for children. And that of thy divine Son. Amen Make sure that everyone can see the TV or computer screen Turn off and put away all other electronic devices and other distractions. PǗ 2 | SǤ. AǜǟǩǣǙǥǣ CǑǤǘǟǜǙǓ MǑǢǓǘ 29, 2020 Father Tom On the Eucharist Over the past week, I have received many suggestions about ways in which to distribute Holy Communion during this time without the Mass being celebrat- ed publicly. I certainly understand the hunger for the Bread of Life. After all, it is the center of our faith because it is Jesus Christ Himself! I remember being escorted by a woman across the prison yard at Warren Correctional. As we neared the point at which we would separate, she whispered to me, as if it was a confession, that the Eucharist was the only reason she was Catholic. She was gone before I could reply, “Me, too!” It is the only reason to be Catholic! Be- PǑǢǙǣǘ SǤǑǖǖ cause the Eucharist is Jesus Christ. I became a priest because of this conviction Rev. Tom McQuillen, Pastor and the desire to always remain close to Christ, present under the appearance Deacon Phil Avina of bread and wine. Deacon Jim Cavera, Senior Status Though I still offer the Sacrifice of the Mass for the parish and all those suffer- Deacon Ray Llanas, Senior Status ing through this pandemic, it is with great pain that I am no longer able to offer Denise Foos, Business Manager Holy Communion to others. I know the many who made daily reception of Jean Bargiel, Formation Director Holy Communion an integral part of their lives. I am aware of the hundreds Brian Bryant, Director of Music and Liturgy who had Holy Communion as the highlight of their weekly spiritual routine. Mike Ginnetti, Pastoral Associate And of course, the dozens of homebound and nursing home residents who Janilyn Dennis, RCIA Director looked forward to the minister of Holy Communion arriving at their doors to Julie Kisor, Administrative Assistant bring Christ to them. Laurie Hoyos, Morning Secretary Beth Cook, Afternoon Secretary But now, due to the threat of the virus called COVID19, all this had to stop. I Janilyn Dennis, Afternoon Secretary cannot risk the possibility that I or other ministers of Holy Communion may be the source of transmitting this illness while distributing the Body of Christ. PǑǢǙǣǘ OǖǖǙǓǕ Certainly, in serious situations such as danger of death, hospitalization, or sur- gery, I will bring Christ in the sacraments to those who need Him, taking all 150 S. Enterprise St. the precautions advised by the Health Department. P.O. Box 485 Bowling Green, OH 43402 One of the early terms used for the celebration of the Eucharist was ‘Sacred Phone: 419.352.4195 Synaxis.’ This phrase can be translated as ‘Holy Assembly.’ A vital part of the Fax: 419.353.7865 Eucharist was always the gathering of the people those who had been called Email: [email protected] out (ecclesia) to gather as one body. As we are currently fasting from this gath- Monday Friday: 9 am5 pm ering, maybe it is appropriate that we fast from the Eucharist. In the missions, most of the parish would only have access to the Eucharist once a month, due PǑǢǙǣǘ WǕǒǣǙǤǕ to distance and the shortage of priests. www.stalbg.org Those who will point to how others (usually our Protestant brothers and sis- SǓǘǟǟǜ OǖǖǙǓǕ ters) are distributing communion, I must remind all of us of the great differ- ence in belief about Holy Communion. As Catholics, we believe that the bread Andrea Puhl, Principal and wine have truly become the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ M in Stephanie Rath, Administrative Assistant other words M the Eucharist is the true presence of the person of Jesus Christ, Brandy Rogers, Morning Receptionist the Son of God.