Dear Parishioners,
I am so thankful for the gracious congratulations I received from many of you upon my appointment as a Monsignor. This is an unexpected honor that I humbly accept from Pope Francis at the request of Bishop Estevez.
This past weekend — Pentecost — was the first weekend in the entire past year when there was no general dispensation from the obligation to attend Mass. We greeted many folks who due to health concerns have not been able to be with us for over a year. As I stood in front of the gym for the Sunday morning Masses, I also saw many new folks as well.
Surprisingly, even during the past COVID year, we still had ten to twelve new families register in our parish each month. This gives us such a great outlook for the future of our St. Paul’s Parish and St. Peter’s Mission. We look forward to officially welcoming those families in the fall when we move into the new church.
We have the optimistic prospect of being in the new church by September! The flooring is currently being installed along with the millwork in the sacristies. The new pews and acoustic materials will come next. We will occupy the building as soon as we can and await a formal dedication later in the fall.
I continue to be so grateful for the generosity of everyone to the offertory and the Legacy of Faith building fund. I hope we will all rejoice when we see such a beautiful new house for God’s family at St. Paul’s come to fruition.
We are anxious to welcome everyone back to Mass. Masks are not required but strongly recommended — and until further notice please continue to bring your chairs or blankets for our Masses in the gym.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Rev. Msgr. Michael R. Houle. E.V.
Pastor
PARTICULAR DISPENSATION INFORMATION FROM
THE OFFICE OF BISHOP ESTEVEZ
While the general dispensation is removed, there are specific instances where the dispensation will continue. One does not have an obligation to attend Mass on Sunday in the following circumstances:
- You are ill, or your health condition would be significantly compromised if you were to contract an infectious illness
(i.e., you have underlying conditions or are in a high-risk category).
- You exhibit flu-like symptoms.
- You have good reason to think you might be asymptomatic of a contagious illness (e.g., you were in recent contact with someone who tested positive for a contagious illness such as COVID or influenza).
- You care for the sick, homebound, or infirmed.
- You are pregnant.
- Those 65 years of age or older (per the CDC’s recommendation of high-risk individuals).
- You cannot attend Mass through no fault of your own (e.g., no Mass is offered, you are infirmed, or, while wanting to go, you are prevented for some reason you cannot control (e.g., your ride did not show up, the church was at capacity).
These categories will be reviewed in due course and revised as needed.
Those who do not attend Mass must still observe the Lord’s Day and are encouraged to spend time in prayer on Sunday, meditating on the Lord’s passion, death, and resurrection; an excellent way to do this is through participating in a broadcast/live stream of the Sunday Mass.
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