Letter from the Pastor
-
May 23, 2021
Happy Birthday to you, the One True Catholic Holy and Apostolic Church! Happy Pentecost: Pentecost Sunday is one of the most ancient feasts of the Church. It is the 50th day after Easter and it replaces the Jewish feast of Pentecost, which took place 50 days after the Passover and which celebrated the giving of the 10 Commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai.
Christ had promised His Apostles that He would send His Holy Spirit, and on Pentecost, they were granted the gifts of the Spirit. The Apostles began to preach the Gospel in all of the languages that the Jews who were gathered there spoke, and about 3,000 people were baptized that day. That is why Pentecost is often called “the birthday of the Church.”
As we celebrate the Holy Spirit, I am happy to announce new guidelines on the easing of the Covid-19 restrictions for our Church:
If you are fully vaccinated masks and social distancing are no longer required in Church. For your information and peace of mind, Fr. Clarke and I are fully vaccinated since the middle of April.
There is a section in the front of the Church, on the Tabernacle side, that is still marked off for those who wish to keep social distancing and to wear masks. You don’t have to sit there, unless you feel more at ease.
If you feel more comfortable wearing masks, (even if you are fully vaccinated) please continue to do so. If you feel more comfortable keeping the 6 feet distance, please sit in the front section, which is still roped off, on the Tabernacle side.
One has to feel comfortable to pray properly, so please do whatever will help you to pray. If one day you feel like wearing the mask and the next day you don’t - that is your choice.
We will be returning the missals to the pews for your use. We will be singing hymns, once again, using the missals. You will notice the new missals are yearly, unlike the previous ones we used.
Choir members who are fully vaccinated are allowed to sing once again. However, we won’t be stating up the choir until September.
Collection baskets will be passed through the pews again.
However, we still may not physically offer each other a sign of peace, or receive from the Chalice.
Holy Water fonts are still to remain empty. Only altar servers who are fully vaccinated are allowed to serve Mass, so we have to wait a little longer for their return.
It is certainly welcome news, a great sense of relief. However, there are so many aspects about this virus that we really don’t know yet, so be vigilant and out of true Christian charity for our neighbors, we respect their decisions and their free choices they make, and on our part, to protect and to watch out for their health as well.
As I receive more guidelines, I will certainly pass them on to you.
In some aspects we, like the first Pentecost, begin anew.
Thanks Be to God!