Dear St. Margaret Mary Family Members,
As we are coming to the end of our Fourth Week of Lent, I believe it is not an over-generalization that none of us would have anticipated where this Lenten Journey would lead us when we began on Ash Wednesday. We knew of some stories of illness in distant lands, but speaking for myself, I never anticipated not being able to celebrate Mass with you and the approaching Holy Week Services.
The phrase “social distancing” has entered our vocabulary, but we are never spiritually distant from God or one another, nor are we distant in our love, compassion, and in our heart from one another. I have been keeping you in my daily prayers and as part of my daily private Mass intention. I believe it was the experience of St. Paul being distant from some of the early Christian Churches that he established and the people that he loved, which lead him to the image that we are all members of the Body of Christ, and how when one member suffers we all suffer.
Mass & Spirituality
With the suspension of public gatherings and public celebrations of Mass, I want to encourage you to regularly visit our parish website and other social media sites. On our website is a link to a recorded Sunday Mass from last weekend (Fourth Sunday of Lent) and we will be posting our Mass for the Fifth Sunday of Lent this Saturday afternoon around 4:00. Once posted it is available going forward. Also, we have begun live streaming daily Mass on Facebook at 10:00 AM and then it is later posted on our website so you can view whenever your time permits.
I do want you to know that the church is open everyday starting around 8:00 AM and remains open until the evening, most days until 7:00 PM. There remains the opportunity for private prayer and spiritual communion before the tabernacle or to pray the Stations of the Cross. On a table in the back of church, we have placed a number of copies for your prayer. There are also available some Lenten resources and also some newer resources for healing and prayer.
Administration, Giving & Emergencies
PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE to contact the parish office if you have a need. You can reach us through the website above or by calling our main number: 426-1588. We are adapting how the office is operating and access to the staff. Starting now there will be someone to answer the phone from 9:00-3:00 and who can try to answer your questions or get an answer and get back with you, or simply take a message to pass along. Parish staff are monitoring emails remotely, we do ask patience in response times.
Other than those hours, the already existing procedure for after hour emergencies is to call the parish office and follow the prompts for extension 340.
We have already responded to anoint people who are seriously ill or facing surgery that is non-elective. If you have no way to get out and need groceries or medicine, we have a list of parishioners who have given the parish office their contact information that they will get for you what you need as they are able. Fr. Jon and I remain available for the Sacrament of Reconciliation by appointment and we plan to be in church on Saturdays 3:30-4:30, but we must practice social distancing while in church waiting.
If you are able, please continue to support St. Margaret Mary during this time when public celebration of the Eucharist is suspended. Our parish needs to maintain our ministries and infrastructure. Our staff continues to educate our children and support our parish community. Salaries and benefits are our largest expenses, and we are working hard to pay our employees. As you may know, church and parish school employees are not eligible for traditional government-provided unemployment benefits. We are continuing to process automatic withdrawals as scheduled. If you are not taking advantage of that process, we encourage you to send your contributions in by mail, drop them off in the night drop outside of the parish office, or send them straight to us using “bill pay”. We are also working hard to get an online payment option set up as well. Please continue visiting our website for updates.
Youth (7th-12th Grade) & Young Adults (18-35 year olds)
Youth ministry gatherings have moved to Zoom until further notice. On PC/Mac visit www.zoom.us, on your mobile phone search your app store for Zoom Meetings. Some meetings will require additional technological capabilities. If your student does not have access technologically, please call Bryan Cain at 690-2833 for ideas on how to do youth ministry at home. Bryan is also available to support parents, please don’t hesitate to contact him if you need ideas/help.
Youth ministry events will be daily Sunday to Thursday. Visit bit.ly/smmy2020 for times and to RSVP. For text updates, text @voxsmm for Jr. High or @luxsmm for Sr. High to 81010 and follow the prompts.
Young Adult Zoom meetings will be on Wednesdays at 7:00 pm. Email bcain@stmm.org for more info.
Conclusion
Every year the Lenten Journey leads through the Last Supper, to Calvary, and to the glorious joy of the Resurrection, this year it has even deeper meanings. Together let us turn to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and seek the intercessory prayer of our patron saint, St. Margaret Mary, and join with Our Lord and his Mother Mary in entrusting ourselves and all those in need to God’s providential care.
I cannot begin to find the words to express how much I am aching to be with you again at Mass and hearing your voice. We are all relying on one another’s prayers. Thank you for your prayers for me and for us.
Your Servant in Christ,
Fr. Bill Hammer
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