Letter from the Pastor
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August 9, 2020
We are at the end of the “dog days of summer” a very interesting expression. The “Dog Days of Summer” describes the most oppressive period of summer heat, between July 3rd and August 11th each year. The Romans coined the phrase; they called it dies caniculares, or “the days of the dogs.” They noticed that the Sun occupied the same region of the sky as Sirius, the brightest star in the heavens, which can be seen from any spot on Earth. Sirius is part of the constellation, Canis Major, (the Great Dog). This is why Sirius is sometimes called the Dog Star.
In the summer, Sirius rises and sets with the Sun. On July 23rd, it is in perfect alignment with the Sun, and because the star is so bright, the ancient Romans believed it actually gave off heat and added to the Sun’s warmth, accounting for the long stretch of sweltering weather.
The term “Dog Days of Summer” came to mean the 20 days before and 20 days after this alignment of Sirius with the Sun—July 3 to Aug. 11. Even though some people think that these hot days are “not fit for a dog,” others suggest it’s the weather in which dogs go mad.
So as someone remarked, all this astronomy proves that God indeed has a dog in heaven and all dogs go to heaven!
Once the Dog Days of Summer are over, we celebrate the Solemnity of Mary’s Assumption into Heaven on August 15th. And this year, we will have a special parish celebration for our First Holy Communion children.
The original dates in May had to be postponed due to the Corona virus. This year we have 62 children to receive their First Holy Communion. The number of people allowed in Church is limited, so we decided to ask the parents if they were interested in having the celebration during August. Twenty-three families said yes, so it is fitting that we will celebrate this Saturday and next Saturday, which is the Feast of the Queenship of Mary. The rest of the children will receive their First Holy Communion in October.
Confirmation will also take place in October with Bishop Walsh. So, please keep the children and their families in your prayers.
As far as the other Sacraments, we are performing baptisms every Saturday and Sunday. We are only baptizing two babies at one time, for safety sake, and also the families can invite a few guests. We are catching up with the postponed baptisms as well as the newborns.
Weddings for the most part are all rescheduled to 2021; some weddings are taking place now with restrictions, of course. But it is interesting talking with the couples, how they seem to like the small nature of their wedding, and the focus on what really counts. And instead of the large and terribly expensive receptions, they’re saving money and they like the idea of just a few family members and close friends in the backyard. There is always a bright side to the difficult times in life.
