Father Dan O’Connell, pastor of Holy Family Church in Columbus in our Diocese, has come down with COVID-19. He is in critical condition in the ICU and on a ventilator. Please pray for him and all who are critically ill with this virus. I placed this on our St. Anne Facebook and it has received almost 30,000 views!
Below the photos is my letter to my parishioners concerning the ongoing cessation of public Masses and in person parish life throughout the month of May:
Dear parishioners,
Below the photos is my letter to my parishioners concerning the ongoing cessation of public Masses and in person parish life throughout the month of May:
Dear parishioners,
The bishops of the Archdiocese of Atlanta and the Diocese of Savannah have extended the “stay at home” mandate as it regards public Masses and parish life throughout the month of May. It is done so out of an abundance of caution especially for the most vulnerable in our parishes.
We will continue our drive through “Blessing with Holy Water and Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament” beginning around noon on Sundays as this entails no one getting out of cars or personal contact. In other words, social distancing is maintained as cars keep moving.
Like you, Fr. Solomon and I have grown weary of this “medicine” to stem the tide of COVID-19. On Thursday, though, we learned that one of our diocesan priests, Fr. Daniel O’Connor, pastor of Holy Family Church in Columbus, has this virus and is in the ICU there and on a ventilator. He has other health conditions that has made him vulnerable. Thus, an abundance of caution for both our vulnerable laity and clergy, no matter their age, is a wise move even though we all are getting impatient with this unprecedented moment in modern history. Please pay for Fr. Dan and all who suffer in critical condition.
I am grateful that we can live stream our Masses, but we cannot ever allow watching Mass on our various media devices to become normal or become complacent about keeping holy the Lord’s day with worship, prayer and leisure. Our Lord did not found a virtual Church, He founded the Catholic Church, and the Church exists in her people and her Head, Jesus Christ, even if we have no brick and mortar church buildings. But our church buildings allow us to be the people God intended us to be. Our church buildings are symbols of our final destination in this our earthly pilgrimage, which is heaven.
Until you can actually get to Confession and Mass, continue to make "The Act of Perfect Contrition", and "an Act of Spiritual Communion".
I am very grateful to all of you who continue to support St. Anne’s with your sacrificial offerings. Many of you are dropping your offering into the “mail box” under the canopy between our office and chapel. We are also receiving your sacrificial gifts in the mail. Many more people are signing up for St. Anne’s “Our Sunday Visitor’s” on-line giving. You can give easily on line by going to our secure Our Sunday Visitor on-line giving and setting up a personal account. WE NEED YOUR SACRIFICIAL OFFERINGS IF WE ARE TO PAY OUR EMPLOYEES, OUR BILLS AND OUR DEBT. You have been most generous to us in these uncertain times. Thank you so much!!!
I am very grateful to all of you who continue to support St. Anne’s with your sacrificial offerings. Many of you are dropping your offering into the “mail box” under the canopy between our office and chapel. We are also receiving your sacrificial gifts in the mail. Many more people are signing up for St. Anne’s “Our Sunday Visitor’s” on-line giving. You can give easily on line by going to our secure Our Sunday Visitor on-line giving and setting up a personal account. WE NEED YOUR SACRIFICIAL OFFERINGS IF WE ARE TO PAY OUR EMPLOYEES, OUR BILLS AND OUR DEBT. You have been most generous to us in these uncertain times. Thank you so much!!!
Pray unceasingly that both the secular, and religious worlds will soon return to some semblance of normalcy. Let us continue to ask God to bless all of us with a renewed love for being Catholic, celebrating our faith together, and experiencing God’s redeeming love in all of the public sacraments of the Church, and the good works that Jesus calls us to do in our everyday lives.
Thank you for your prayers, and support. Fr. Solomon, and I are praying for you daily!
God bless you,
Fr. Allan
God bless you,
Fr. Allan
12 comments:
Is this passage the reason you did not post the Bishops' statement?
"If one church offers a unique liturgy or devotion, it might be flooded with attendees. Normally that would be a welcome response, but in the current environment this would not respect the need to remain, for safety’s sake, in place. The same is true for drive-through services and devotions. Parishes that could accommodate a drive-through service or reconciliation for their own members would not be able to safely accommodate the additional people from surrounding communities."
Our peak was Palm Sunday with over 200 cars. Easter Sunday was about 150 and last Sunday about 90. The first Sunday was 90, but that was at 8 AM. We are not inundated. We have a history.
Btw, a parish on one of Savannah’s islands has kept their church unlocked for prayer and private devotions despite the Bishop’s first mandate.
Correct me if I am wrong, but the parish is St. Peter the Apostle.
This no public mass extension seems like overkill. We know so much more now than we did. We have learned who is most vulnerable and how to mitigate risk and are seeing that we can live with this virus. I don't understand, nor do I believe our secular authorities are exercising prudential judgement and I also believe they, and the media, are reinforcing a "drumbeat" designed to instill fear rather than reason. I want our Bishops to be more courageous and push back, reasonably, on our secular leaders. We have this same issue up here in RI
I am glad our bishops have been courageous in acting in the best interests of the Catholics and others in our state.
“Btw, a parish on one of Savannah’s islands has kept their church unlocked for prayer and private devotions despite the Bishop’s first mandate.”
So this would be FRMJK’s parish? Interesting...
"Father" Kavanaugh has morphed into Mark Thomas
Thank you for proving my point, Fr. McDonald. You didn't post the full letter because it addresses your "Drive-Thru Benediction" directly. (We all know how traditional Drive-Thru Benediction is and how it has been used widely in the past...)
Surely you recall your mother saying "If everyone was jumping off a cliff, would you jump with them?" when you complained about not being allowed to do something.
So, the folks here can read the WHOLE letter that you have not published for themselves at the website of the Diocese of Savannah: www.diosav.org
A @ 11:42 and since yesterday, they can also go to our Saint Anne Webpage https://www.stannerh.org/ as well as our Saint Anne Facebook to read the Georgia bishop's letter both of which were published immediately upon receiving them yesterday. There is no need for me to publish it on my blog though and my not doing so is none of you business by the way.
“Btw, a parish on one of Savannah’s islands has kept their church unlocked for prayer and private devotions despite the Bishop’s first mandate.”
So this would be FRMJK’s parish? Veddy intedesting... Wonder if Anonymous 11:42 knows anything about that?
All we need to do is to swallow or inject ourselves with disinfectant after Mass and we’ll be fine. Now, that is real sarcasm, in case we need a reminder of what sarcasm is (that’s more of it, by the way).
Seriously and more charitably, though, I am sure we are all very sorry to hear about Father O’Connor and we will keep him in our prayers. My wife works with the families of the many Covid-19 patients who are in her hospital. Please pray for the families as well as those who are already patients.
We also need to pray for all those who are suffering because they are without work right now. Beyond the doubtless inadequate government assistance, is there anything the more fortunate among us can do to help more directly? Does the Church have a role in organizing such relief efforts? If such efforts already exist, can someone please give details? Thanks.
Meanwhile, this is what the "tolerant" and "inclusive" Democrat Party is up to:
As long as there are residents in the state of Michigan who need help and who need a voice, Democratic State Representative Karen Whitsett promised Saturday that she will not be silenced.
"In an interview on "Fox & Friends Weekend" with thost Pete Hegseth, Whitsett explained that she would also continue to work with President Trump and any president who extended a hand her way to ensure what's done in her state needs to be done.
On Saturday, a group called the 13th Congressional District Democratic Party Organization will consider censuring Whitsett for foregoing the status quo and meeting with President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence to discuss her experience recovering from coronavirus, The Detroit News reported."
I am sure "Father" Kavanaugh would like to comment on this as well as the Dems pushing for abortion funding during the pandemic, no?
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