These words that we heard from the book of Exodus last Sunday have been on the minds of many people in recent days as our world has been increasingly rocked by the coronavirus. Many things we’ve taken for granted have been uprooted – among them is our celebration of Sunday Mass.
As I shared with you on Wednesday, we will not be able to gather physically to celebrate the Eucharist at Saint Thomas the Apostle. We will, however, still strive to be united as “the Body of Christ called to prayer.”
I hope you’ll tune in to watch a video presentation of our Mass this weekend. Starting at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, the video will be accessible from our web page:www.stthomasmpls.org
Sit down as a family and join me in prayer along with your fellow parishioners. I can assure you that, whether you are on Lyndale Avenue or in Linden Hills, the Lord will be in our midst.
We recently discovered this photo online from another parish that is celebrating Mass without their members physically present:
What a great image! I can imagine that it’s a comfort for this priest to look out and see the beautiful faces of his people looking back at him as he celebrates the Eucharist. And for those who tune-in online, it’s a powerful visual reminder of those who now gather in cyber-space.
If you will permit us to post your picture in this way among the seats at Saint Thomas the Apostle (knowing that it might be seen by those watching online), please send your photo to jwickland@stthomasmpls.org We won’t have them in place this Sunday, but we hope to in the weeks to come.
At Saint Thomas the Apostle, our response to the coronavirus includes far more than suspending public Masses and offering online video. It has impacted all of our ministries and has challenged us to be especially responsive to those in need.
For a complete update of changes to our ministries, please visit our website: www.stthomasmpls.org Check back frequently; we will update this online information as changes happen.
Finally, if you are aware of a parishioner who needs special care or attention, please let us know. We also know that not all of our parishioners are online with either email or internet. If you know someone who is not receiving this information please share it with them.
PARISH OFFICE CLOSED
As a result of the COVID 19 outbreak, and out of concern for everyone’s safety, the parish office will be closed until Monday, April 6th at which point we will reevaluate the situation. The parish staff are able to respond to calls and emails from home and will return your call or email promptly.
