Letter from Priest Doyle
March 20, 2020
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Family and Friends,
We are close to completing another week of the Coronavirus crisis we are facing here and around the world. We are learning to live in a different way, and to think in new ways about daily living. We are not able to do many of the things we like to do and are accustomed to being able to do, even some of the things we feel we need to do.
Bobbiejo, our Parish Administrator, and I are now working from home, as many others are. Bishop Curry is saying we will not be able to physically worship at our church building, at least until after Easter. We are required to stay home, as residents of California, except for essential reasons. This is for the health and safety of everyone. Please be diligent and prudent when it comes to following safety precautions, and local, state and federal.
Please do not despair. You are not alone. We are not alone. We have our Lord and each other. I encourage you to read the messages and pieces of information sent out by our Parish, our Diocese, and our National Church, as well as, the Center for Disease Control (CDC). The most important thing right now is for all of us to do our part to help flatten the curve of this disease in order to save as many lives as possible. Please consider this a spiritual practice.
We are working to tape a worship service for our congregation to experience online together for Sunday, March 29. We will send out an eblast next week with instructions. It should be pretty easy to view. We will have a Morning Prayer Service, with sermon, for this Fifth Sunday in Lent. Look for that information next week. Our diocese will be celebrating holy week at home this year. Please look for more information and direction to come concerning this. There are also other options to view worship services on Sunday mornings. See the link in this enews.
A wonderful poem I was sent this week:
And the people stayed home.
And read books, and listened, and rested, and exercised, and made art,
and played games, and learned new ways of being, and were still.
And listened more deeply.
Some meditated, some prayed, some danced.
Some met their shadows.
And the people began to think differently.
And the people healed.
And, in the absence of people living in ignorant, dangerous, mindless, and heartless ways,
the earth began to heal.
And when the danger passed, and the people joined together again,
they grieved their losses, and made new choices,
and dreamed new images,
and created new ways to live and heal the earth fully,
as they had been healed.
- Irene Vella
(translated from the Italian by Kitty O’Meara)
Please note the resources found below concerning the latest information about the coronavirus and accompanying recommendations, online worship services, spiritual practice, including Bishop Curry’s Monday meditations. There is also some information about how to obtain groceries if you cannot make it to the store.
I hope you stay in touch with each other through email, text and voice. If you have a special need, or know someone in our congregation who does, please let me know. Please phone me if you want to chat. 520-268-0366.
Let us Pray (a payer from Henri Nouwen),
Dear God,
Speak gently in my silence.
When the loud outer noises of my surroundings
and the loud inner voices of my fears
keep pulling me away from you,
help me to trust that you are still there
even when I am unable to hear you.
Give me earls to listen. to your small, soft voice saying:
“Come to me you who are overburdened,
and I will give you rest ...
for I am gentle and humble of heart.”
Let that loving voice be my guide.
Amen. With Open Hands
I encourage you to use this more isolating time to renew your relationship with Christ through prayer and other spiritual practices, including reaching out to one another. Take care of yourself and your loves ones physically, emotionally and mentally. Listen to music, take walks, read, write. It is often meaningful to read the psalms out loud – a good way to express our emotions.
May the Peace of Christ be with you,
Priest Doyle
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Click on the link above, pull up the website and find “Stations of Reconciliation”.
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Habits of Grace:
An invitation for you, from Presiding Bishop Curry
 As we learn how to adjust our lives given the reality of the coronavirus and the request to do our part to slow its spread by practicing social distancing, I invite you to join me each week to take a moment to cultivate a ‘habit of grace.’ A new meditation will be posted on Mondays through May.
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Saint Patrick’s is currently conducting
Weekly on-line Bible Studies
Call Miriam Casey for the Thursday Women’s Study, 650-380-2747.
Call Tom Allen for the Friday Men’s Study, 214-766-7209.
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We understand that you may have questions and concerns about the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), how to reduce your risk of getting sick, and how to manage cold or flu-like symptoms. It is still flu season, so if you are experiencing these symptoms, you most likely have the common cold or flu.
We are sharing some guidelines to keep you informed and to help you protect yourself and those around you:
- If you are sick, stay home. It's the best way to avoid spread of illness.
- If you have flu-like symptoms such as a fever, cough or sore throat, or difficulty breathing, please call your primary care doctor's office for further instructions. At this time, our offices do not have the ability to test for Coronavirus. If you need immediate medical attention, please dial 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.
- To help reduce the risk of exposing you and others to the flu, common cold and coronavirus (COVID-19), CMP's primary care providers will be seeing patients who have coronavirus, flu, and cold-like symptoms via e-visits whenever possible. For those patients whose providers are participating in the e-Visit program, please login to your MyChart Account (mychart.communitymedical.org) to start an e-visit.
We recommend the following measures you can take to reduce your chance of getting sick:
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Wash your hands with soap and water regularly for at least 20 seconds each time or use alcohol hand sanitizers.
- Try not to touch your face with unwashed hands.
- Stay home when you are sick (and keep sick children home from school).
- Cough or sneeze into a tissue or your elbow and wash your hands afterwards.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
If you have traveled recently, have a fever, cough, or shortness of breath (that does not need immediate medical attention), you can contact the local health department at (559) 600-3200 or (559) 600-3332 and the health department will give you advice as to whether or not you should be tested.
Sincerely, Your Community Medical Providers Health Care Team
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Acquiring groceries without going to the grocery store!
 
Oakmont Market will deliver groceries to Oakmont Residences with their normal $25 minimum order with no delivery fee.
All payments will be made by credit card only to your front doorstep.
Call (707) 539-2434 to place your order.
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Saint Patrick’s is not currently getting our weekly offerings usually received on Sunday mornings. These offerings are crucial to sustain our General Funds budget.
Please click the link provided to make your offering as we are not
able to have church right now in our worship space.
Please remember that if you choose to mail your gift, our mailing address is P.O. Box 247, Kenwood CA 95452
Thank you!!!
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