From the Pastor's Desk: -
Capuchin Franciscan Friars- Live Virtual event December 17 7pm.
We are proudly a Capuchin Parish. Our COVID mask carries the image of a friar. It is fairly easy to step into St. Pius because of the spirit of the friars that went before. As friars we are better at serving the parish and asking for the parish than asking for ourselves. What we ask is not for extraordinary luxuries.
The finances of the Province of St. Mary begin with the salaries of the friars. You pay Fr. Ernie and me salaries and provide room and board and benefits. Fr. Matthias gets stipends for the Masses his says in the parish and elsewhere. That is sufficient for us to send a surplus to the headquarters. However, the burdens are higher. Like many families we are trying to support 3 generations. We have young people in school, and they don’t start earning much for 6-7 years. You have seen the quality of friars that comes from that investment: Fr. Erik and Fr. Scott most recently; worth every penny.
Then we have the retired and the infirmed. That population is growing, and they are thriving. St. Clare Friary in Yonkers is a wonderful residence with the flavor of a friary with skilled aides and nurses available. Sometimes the medical needs are higher, and friars go to institutions with total care. You know the good friars who are in St. Clare and Dobbs Ferry: Fr. Don Bosco, Br. Eugene, Fr. Jim Hammer, Fr. Ray Thibodeau.
Finally, there are men who do what we call internal ministry: Fr Bob as Vicar of the Province, Br. Lake as post-novitiate formation. They are not salaried. But they help us to care for the friars and their development.
For the three groups above, we need to raise funds above our salaries. For the first, we raise money in anticipation of getting new well-formed friars in the future. For the second, in gratitude for the friars who blessed our lives who need our support now. The third, as a bribe to make sure the Province of St Mary gives us what we want. Not all motivations are noble.
Please sign up: https://bit.ly/POSMCAP_Hope
Be ready to send the money it is 1hour, 60 minutes of action.
Thanking God ahead of time
Fr. Martin Curtin
Public Weekend Masses resumed as of July 4 – 5. We are following our regular schedule. The Governor's executive orders and Diocesan guidelines of May 27 and June 3 must be followed (e.g. face coverings must be worn, safe distancing practiced, and capacity rules followed.)
- Bishop Cote has instructed that the distribution of Holy Communion be returned to its usual place during Mass. The reason it was moved in the first place was to avoid everyone from leaving the church at the same time. With that challenge in mind:
- Be sure to wear a facemask at all times while in the church. A mantilla is not a face covering.
- Please remove it right before receiving Holy Communion so that both hands are free to make a throne to receive the Body of Christ.
- Please be careful to maintain a safe distance while waiting in line for Communion.
- We ask those who will receive on the tongue to please wait till the end of the line and be sure to extend your tongue to receive the sacred host.
- IN general, be sure to be at least 6 feet away from another person or group when seated, entering, processing, or leaving church.
- Please be sure to sit with a BLUE CROSS at your back, and no less than six feet away from another person or family group.
- Our current Mass schedule allows about one-half hour between Masses to sanitize the church, so we ask you to arrive close to Mass time and depart quickly after Mass. Any help you can give would be appreciated.
- The dispensation from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass remains in effect until further notice.
- Those who are considered “high risk” because of age or underlying health conditions, or are experiencing Covid 19-like symptoms, should stay home.
- Although Connecticut is doing well in lessening the virus, we can't let our guard down. We need to be prepared for another surge, especially as students return to in-school learning.
- We will continue to “Live Stream” the 9am Sunday Mass (only) on our St. Pius X Church Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/saintpiusmiddletown) page. We will also publish the homily of the 9am celebrant on the Facebook page each week.
- This can all be viewed at any time after it is recorded.
