Dear Friends in Christ, We are going into our third week of abnormality. What Warren G. Harding called a “return to normalcy,” one hundred years ago, seems to be a far-off reality still. What we call “normalcy” is more fragile than we thought. In the calendar of the Church, we are not in a normal time, but have entered into Passiontide. Yesterday we heard how the great sign of the raising of Lazarus set in motion the events that would lead to the raising of the Cross. In the Gospel of John, Jesus’ first sign was worked at a wedding and his seventh sign was worked at a funeral. Weddings and funerals have now been postponed or are celebrated in reduced and abbreviated form. Nevertheless, the risen Lord Jesus is still present at weddings and funerals and celebrations of the Eucharist without a congregation. He offers his peace in the chaos of overcrowded hospital wards.
The present requirement of “social distancing” has made it impossible for us to celebrate funerals in a normal way. For those who do not know, I am sorry to report that one of our faithful parishioners passed away last week and will be buried tomorrow. Jane Ann Dean died suddenly and unexpectedly on Monday, March 23. Due to the circumstances, there will not be a public funeral Mass and gathering at the church, but we do plan to celebrate a memorial Mass in the future when this becomes possible.
This week, Fr. Tennant and I will be livestreaming Mass Monday-Friday at 6pm from Sacred Hearts Church on the parish Facebook page. You do not need to have a Facebook membership to watch, nor do you need any app or special software. If you have a web browser and an internet connection, you will be able to see and hear the Mass in real time. Just go to this link: https://www.facebook.com/SacredHeartsChurch/
Sincerely Yours in Christ, Fr. Thomas Buffer, Pastor